Top 5 exercises for trapezius

Strengthening the trapezius is recommended whether you practice bodybuilding or bodybuilding or if you want to improve the health of your back. The characteristics of this muscle make it vital to take care of the neck and improve spinal discomfort, among other problems.

Located on the back, the trapezius is a muscle that extends in the upper central part of it, with features that facilitate its muscle building. Something that also favors our lumbar health. This is due to the special relationship between the trapezius and the back, which also involves the neck area.

If you want to strengthen this area efficiently, we leave you some suitable exercises to develop it, improve your appearance and reduce some of your back and neck discomfort. We are talking about exercises that are not very complex and accessible to almost any user, as long as you have access to some weights (by clicking on this link you can find some purchase options) and other accessories suitable for the exercises that we are going to propose.

By the way, as an aid in this training process, it is a good idea to use a quality digital camera both to see the before and after of your training and to record yourself and check if you are doing the exercises correctly; an option like the Nikon P1000 reviews.

What is the trapezius muscle

Before getting into the matter, it is necessary to know some details of the trapezoid. This muscle is located in the back of the neck and trunk, having a considerable size and good thickness. It has several origins, depending on the line of the fibers that form it. The upper trapezius arises from the superior curve of the occiput, its protuberance, and the cervical ligament, to insert on the outer third of the clavicle. 

Regarding the middle trapezius, it arises from the area of ​​the three dorsal vertebrae, as well as the seventh cervical. It inserts on the acromial end of the clavicle, the acromion, and the upper lip of the spine. Finally, the lower trapezius originates from the process of the fourth to twelfth thoracic vertebrae and inserts on the medial aspect of the spine.

This location and its joints give us a clue as to what the function of the trapezius muscle is in our body. The main one is to hold and turn the head, helping to extend it when necessary. It is also useful when fixing the shoulder girdle and serves as a support to elevate the shoulder. All this without forgetting the importance of the muscle as a central element to keep the entire upper body in place.

exercises for trapezius

That said, it’s time to check out those trapezius exercises at home or in the gym if you don’t have the space or the necessary equipment. It is key that, before starting, you warm up correctly. You should also adjust the weight level of the exercises to your level, adapting in the same way the number of repetitions and series to be executed. Better to start small to injure yourself or overload yourself.

Shrugs : The trapezius shrug is a very simple exercise and with which it is easy to wake up this area. You can perform it with dumbbells or kettlebells, adapted to your ability to bear weight. The exercise itself is as basic as taking the weights in both hands and shrugging your shoulders up. The arms are mere supports, so the effort must come from the trapezius. The training process joins days with 6 to 8 repetitions with more weight followed by days with 12 to 15 repetitions, although with a lower weight.

Farmer’s walk: This exercise is very simple and allows you to train the trapezius with a barbell and weights, with dumbbells or even with some everyday object. The idea is to carry these objects in your hand, with your arms straight and making force with the area of ​​the muscles of the back, as well as with those of the rectus abdominis. The amount of weight must be raised, so that the muscle works. Regarding the distance to travel, it should be adjusted to the available space and your physical condition. It is recommended that the layout be about 20 seconds of travel on each repetition, at least to start.

Snatch Pull : This movement is somewhat complex, since we will be interested in focusing on the second phase of lifting the weights. The first is the lifting from the ground and the third is the ascent step, which we will not execute. The idea is that in this second half we take the opportunity to pull the shoulders back, in the same way that we do the shrug, which we discussed at the beginning. Regarding weight and repetitions, you should be guided by your state, although it is advisable to use a high weight, to force muscle growth.

Power load: This exercise is somewhat complex, so a certain level is required. In this case, we are not talking about an exercise for trapeze with dumbbells, but it is necessary to use a barbell and weights. The execution consists of the snatch being performed as quickly and explosively as possible, until the bar is placed below the chin, in the upper part of the chest. To do this, we execute the snatch and then we bend our arms up strongly. At first, it will take you a bit to get into the rhythm of the exercise, but once you start to master the technique you will be able to execute it with confidence and add kilos.

Press above the head: For this exercise we will need a bar, to which we will add weight once we master the technique. To perform the exercise, we place the bar under the chin supported by the arms. We will extend these arms upwards, as close as possible to the face, although always carefully, until the bar is raised to the maximum. It is key to notice how the exercise pulls the shoulders and the trapezius in that lift. A technique similar to the military press and that, once we master it, we can harden it by adding weight on the sides of the bar.