The trapezius muscle is one of the most prominent muscles in the upper body, playing a crucial role in the movement and stability of the shoulder girdle and upper back. Its distinctive trapezoidal shape, from which it derives its name, makes it a focal point in discussions about upper body strength and posture. Understanding the trapezius muscle — its anatomy, functions, common issues, and effective exercises — can provide insights into improving upper body strength, posture, and overall physical performance.
The Science
The trapezius contains muscle fibers that run in several different directions. Although the trapezius is one large muscle, it's commonly divided into upper, middle, and lower fibers based on their functions. To train the entire trapezius effectively, choose exercises that move the shoulder blades through elevation, retraction, depression, and upward rotation. Compound exercises such as deadlifts also challenge the trapezius by requiring it to stabilize the shoulder girdle throughout the lift.
Upper Traps
We'll start from the top and work our way down. The upper trapezius is primarily responsible for scapular elevation and scapular upward rotation. One of the exercises you can do for scapular elevation is shrugs. You can use barbells, dumbbells, or even a specialty item called a trap bar. One of the misconceptions in the gym is that you need to rotate your shoulders to get a great upper trap workout. The truth is, all you need to do is shrug your shoulders straight up, and slowly lower the weight.
The second movement for the upper traps is scapular upward rotation. There are several exercises you can perform to accomplish this movement. The exercise with the greatest range of motion is the dumbbell shoulder press. You can also perform shoulder presses with barbells. To emphasize the traps, and not the deltoids, keep the range of motion above your shoulders.
Mid Traps
The next section of the trap we'll be discussing is the middle trap. Since those muscle fibers run horizontally, the middle trap plays a crucial role in retracting the shoulder blades, pulling them towards the spine. For example, the reverse pec deck is a great exercise because you can really squeeze your mid traps to move your shoulder blades closer together. Start with your upper arms perpendicular to your torso then proceed to move your arms back while squeezing your mid traps. Bonus tip: the reverse pec deck will also work out your rear deltoids.
High Rows
Furthermore, you can set up the seated row to work your mid traps as well. If you move the resistance with your elbows down (shoulder extension), you will emphasize the lats. But, if you move the resistance with your elbows up, you will emphasize the mid traps and rhomboids. Both methods are great for working out your back muscles, but your grip and movement will dictate which muscles do most of the work.
TRX Bands
So far we've talked about reverse pec deck and high cable row for your mid traps. But, I can think of two more exercises that are easy to setup but just as effective. If you only have dumbbells, then bent laterals is going to be for you. We demonstrate bent laterals in the shoulder exercise video above.
Another of my favorites involves using TRX bands. Again, it's a quick and easy setup, and only requires your body weight as resistance. As a bonus, high rows on TRX bands will also work your core. A strong core is crucial for overall stability, balance, and injury prevention, serving as the foundation for effective movement and proper posture.
Lower Traps
The last section we will be discussing in this article is the lower traps. The lower trapezius assists in depressing the shoulder blades and is involved in the upward rotation of the scapula, which is necessary for raising the arm above the head. This means, your lower traps get a lot of work just doing pulldown exercises and shoulder presses. But, if you want to get your lower traps some additional work, you can perform reverse shrugs as shown in the trapezius video above. There are at least two methods to targeting your lower traps.
Weak lower traps and overactive upper traps are common in people with rounded shoulders and poor posture. Strengthening the mid and lower traps while improving shoulder mobility can help restore proper shoulder blade positioning.
