The trapezius is often referred to as a shoulder muscle and a back muscle. It begins right below the scalp, and descends down toward the middle of the back and flares out over the collar bones. To focus on the middle and lower segments of the...
Strength training the back muscles, including the lower trapezius, is important for shoulder stability and function. Having strong lower trapezius muscles can also improve the overall width and look of your back. The trapezius is responsible for...
The trapezius is a large, triangular muscle in your upper back that is responsible for movements involving your scapulae, or shoulder blades. Although it is one muscle, each area of the trapezius is responsible for different scapula movements. To...
The lower trapezius consists of the angular muscles that run across the top of the scapula and down the length of the spine. These muscles serve to rotate the scapula and extend the spine to support a variety of movements. You can target the lower...
Sitting at a work desk for long hours has a tendency to cause muscle imbalances and tightness. The trapezius is a large muscle in the upper back often affected by this. Although the trapezius is one large muscle, it has an upper, middle and lower...
Your trapezius, the large muscle that covers your upper back, also extends down your spine. While the upper portion of your trapezius shrugs your shoulders up, the lower portions retract your shoulder blades. This portion of your trapezius, along...
The trapezius muscle group is comprised of upper, middle and lower parts. The upper muscle fibers are responsible for scapula elevation. The middle and lower muscle fibers are responsible for scapula adduction. The trapezius muscle group can be...
The trapezius is a large, broad muscle that extends from the lower part of the thoracic spine into the base of your skull and to the sides of your shoulder blades. The lower trapezius refers to the lower region of the muscle at the last vertebra...
Tendonitis is an inflammatory condition that can affect the tendons of the body in response to overload. Overload can occur through repetitive or sustained loading that overcomes the tissue or by adverse postures and positions that strain the...
Training for the lower trapezius involves particular shoulder blade movements that stimulate lower trap activity. This training strengthens your back and may alleviate neck pain. A Des Moines University study led by Shannon Petersen found that...
The trapezius is a triangular muscle that sits between the shoulder blades, extending from the base of the neck down the center of the back. Developing the trapezius muscles help add shape to the back and shoulders. The lower fibers of the...
A large set of traps can make your physique stand out in the gym, and can even make your upper body look bigger when you're wearing a T shirt. Your traps can be divided into three portions -- the lower, middle and upper trapezius -- which all...
The trapezius is a group of muscles in your upper back. It consists of three muscles called the upper, middle and lower trapezius. The typical exercises that target your trapezius also target the muscles in your shoulders and arms. Target your...
The upper and middle fibers of your trapezius muscle lend shape and strength to your lower neck. Your trapezius is involved in almost all major pulling exercises, including pull-ups and rows. But you can also work it with smaller, more focused...
A pinched nerve is a condition in which a single nerve or set of nerves is damaged. The damage can include either constriction or compression of the nerves. Pinched nerves arise when the ligaments, bones and tendons surrounding the nerves place...
It is important to exercise with a full range of motion. However, short range of motion exercises can be used in special instances to overcome sticking points in your range of motion. They can also be used to prepare you for performing a full...
Many exercises build muscle, but the best are all compound lifts that work the largest muscles of the body, and the smaller at the same time. The list includes: squats, dead lifts, bench presses, military presses, chin-ups, barbell rows, glute-ham...
A routine for your back with deadlifts ensures that your back training includes lower back muscles, which are sometimes neglected during strength training. Deadlifts involve hip, knee and ankle movements, which primarily activate muscles in your...
The T6 vertebra is in the thoracic, or middle, part of your spine. Twelve vertebrae make up the thoracic spine; they are numbered from the top down. The muscles that connect to the T6 vertebra are the spinalis, a lower back muscle, and the...
The upper and middle back is made up of a complex network of muscles primarily responsible for pulling the arms and scapula, while the lower back is responsible--along with the abdominal muscles--for maintaining an upright posture and protecting...
Your trapezius muscles run along the tops of your shoulder, up your neck and down both sides of the spinal column. Your traps are made up of four main parts, the lowest of which helps you draw your shoulder blades back and rotate them. Using a...
You can design a more balanced workout regimen by identifying the antagonistic muscles for individual exercises. Antagonistic muscle groups move the same joint in opposite directions. Pullup antagonists tend to lengthen as the primary movers...
Cycling over long distances or several days in a row can cause strain or injury to the trapezius muscles. The trapezius runs on each side from the base of the skull, down the outside of neck, forming a triangle over the shoulder and tapering down...
Strength training workouts promote muscle growth and sculpt your physique. There are dozens of weight lifts; some target a specific muscle while others work entire groups of muscles at once. Choosing appropriate weightlifting techniques can be...
Full-body workouts target all of your major muscle groups along the front and back of your upper and lower body. Compound exercises are ideal for full-body workouts because they reduce the number of exercises that you must perform to work all...
Your trapezius is the large triangular-shaped muscles on your upper back. Extending from the base of your skull, out to your scapulae and down to your thoracic spine, the trapezius is responsible for elevating, retracting and depressing your...
For a wide back, weightlifters must perform exercises in which they pull down, such as chin-ups and lat pull-downs. These exercises build the latissimus dorsi, causing them to flare out. For a thick back, weightlifters need to perform exercises in...
Although golf doesn't come with the same risks as high-impact sports such as football or basketball, players must still be careful to avoid injury. Golfers can develop repetitive stress injuries or strains in the large muscles of the upper back,...
The trapezius muscles, also referred to as the traps, is a muscle group that consists of upper, middle and lower fibers that extend from the back of the neck down to the middle back. The traps mainly function to elevate the scapula. You can build...
