6 Best Upper Trap Exercises for Increased Strength and Size

The upper trapezius muscle is one of the most important muscles in the body. It’s responsible for scapular movement and stability, which allows you to raise your arms over your head, something that's done frequently.

When the upper trap gets weak or underdeveloped, it can cause shoulder pain and poor posture. In addition to improving posture and reducing pain, doing exercises targeting the upper traps can also help improve overall strength, as they're responsible for pulling heavy objects.

Upper Trap Exercises

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Cable Face Pull

Cable face pulls are an excellent option if you've access to a cable machine. It's a favorite among gymgoers, so there's no reason why it shouldn't be a part of your routine.

To do this exercise:

Grab the rope attachment with an overhand grip at shoulder width or slightly wider.
Stand up straight with your arms fully extended in front of you and the cable pulley as high as possible (or just below chin level).
Pull back on the rope so that your hands come towards your face; don't let them drift forward or behind, as those movements won't target the traps as effectively.
Pause briefly before returning to the starting position by pushing away from the pulley with straight arms while keeping tension in them throughout the movement.

#2 Upright Row

Upright rows are a compound exercise that work the shoulders and upper back. You can do upright rows using a barbell, dumbbells, or even a cable machine.

The key is to keep your back straight and chest up as you pull the weight up to your chest. Here's how an upright row is done:

Lower the weight back down to starting position without dropping it or resting at any point during the movement.
Repeat for sets of 8-12 reps, making sure not to swing your body into action, as that can cause injury to yourself or others around you if done with heavy weights.

#3 Rear Delt Raise

Here's how it's done:

Grab a dumbbell or a cable machine, and hold it to your chest with both hands.
Make sure you keep your elbows slightly bent, as that will help keep tension on the muscles.
Ensure that you keep your back slightly bent forward. and raise the weight up to shoulder height.
After 8-12 re[s, lower the weight slowly back down to the starting position.

#4 Chest-Supported Row

Chest-supported rows are a great way to build the upper back. You can use a variety of equipment for this exercise, including a barbell and dumbbells or resistance bands.

Regardless of the equipment you choose, make sureit’s light enough so that you don’t have to strain while doing the exercise.

To do this exercise:

Position yourself on an incline bench with your feet on the floor or flat on the floor if there's no obstacle in front of you.
The higher up your feet are on a flat bench or platform (e.g., one-inch blocks), the greater level of difficulty will be involved in completing each rep with good form. Not having extra support makes it harder to maintain proper posture throughout each rep.
With your chest strapped in, pick up a pair of dumbbells, and row them up till they're in line with your ribs.
Lower down till your arms are fully extended, and perform a few reps.

#5 Farmer's Walk

This exercise is helpful when trying to strengthen the back muscles. It targets the middle trapezoids and rhomboids by making them work harder to lift the weight up using only one arm.

To perform the farmer's walk, hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell at your side and walk for 20–30 seconds.
Rest 30 seconds, and repeat three times.

You can do this exercise with a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand while standing or sitting on an elevated surface like a bench or chair (to make it easier). The key is to start by keeping your feet shoulder-width apart for proper balance.

You should also keep the weight up so that it stays close to you, but don't fully lock out at any point during the movement. That's because doing so will put unnecessary stress on the joints like knees and elbows, leading to injury.

#6 Barbell Shrug

Barbell shrugs are a great exercise for the upper traps and should be included in your workout programme. This is one of the exercises you can do using a barbell, dumbbells, or even a trap bar.

It's important to use proper form when doing this exercise to avoid injury and reap the most benefit. Here's how it's done:

When performing this exercise, keep your feet shoulder-width apart with your back straight and head up. Hold onto the bar with an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width apart.
Pull your shoulders down as far as possible while keeping them back.
After reaching full extension at the top of each rep, slowly lower yourself back down till the arms are fully extended again by bending at the elbows till they form 90-degree angles with your torso.
Try not to let momentum help you raise or lower anything — you want all motion coming from the muscles alone.

Takeaway

Upper traps are an integral part of a healthy body. The aforementioned exercises can helpstrengthen your upper traps, improve their size, and get rid of pain in your neck or shoulders.

If you're interested in building muscle mass and getting stronger overall, these exercises are for you.

Edited by Bhargav