3 Trapezius Exercises For Bodybuilding Or Toning Your Traps

If you're interested in training your trapezius muscles, then you've come to the right article. For in this article I will describe how to perform 3 trapezius exercises which can either be used for bodybuilding purposes or for regular muscle tone. But first, why is strengthening the trapezius muscles important?

There are 2 main reasons: the first is that it's an important muscle group which lends support to your entire upper body. The second reason is that, when fully developed, the trapezius is one of the most impressive muscle groups there is. That's why exercises for your traps (short for trapezious) are so popular in gyms everywhere.

Working the trapzius muscles can be done with several traps exercises. In this article I'll share just 3.

3 Exercises For Trapezius Muscles

1. Clean and Jerk – This is a massive exercise which should be done with great care and attention, but it's a highly effective trapezius exercise. You start by standing over a bar bell with your feet wide apart.

a. You bend over and grip the bar with both hands at slightly over shoulder width.

b. You pull the bar off the ground with straight arms.

c. You then pull the bar upwards letting the bar bounce of your thighs and raising it to shoulder level while performing a deep knee bend while keeping your back as straight as possible. The bar should now rest on the front of your shoulders with both hands gripping it tightly.

d. You now jerk the bar upwards over your head while bringing one foot forward and the other backwards for stability. Then, while maintaining the bar over your head, you bring both feet together.

2. The shrug – This is a limited movement exercise which can be done with dumbbells, or with a barbell. The basic principle is the same for all variations. While grabbing the dumbbells or barbell, you let your shoulders relax. Then, you raise them upwards as much as possible while keeping the dumbbells close to your body. You hold for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.

3. Upright Row – This exercise can be done with a barbell, cable, or dumbells. This is an exercise which must be done with care to avoid the danger of injury to your wrists or back.

a. You grasp the barbell with both hands and hold it before your body with both arms totally extended and relaxed.

b. You lift the barbell, while keeping it close to your body, until your elbows and forearms are at shoulder level.

c. Hold for a second or two and then slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.

Each of these exercises should be done if you wish to create a well rounded trapezious workout. If you wish to engage in some bodybuild trapezious workouts do short sets with as much weight as you can handle properly. If you just want to tone your muscles go for longer sets of these trapezious exercises.

3 Trapezius Exercises For Bodybuilding Or Toning Your Traps by John Davenport