The Best Science-Based Trap Workout for Growth

Of all the major muscle groups, the traps are one of the most important muscles for creating a powerful looking upper body and completing a well-developed frame. But when it comes to “the best trap workout for mass” or “how to get bigger traps”, most people seem to focus solely on the upper traps. And although they are an important region of the traps and you should dedicate various upper trap exercises to them, you must also ensure you aren’t neglecting the mid traps and the lower traps. This is because the middle and lower traps not only play a vital role in adding size and definition to your back, but they also play an important role in improving posture and preventing shoulder impingement. To start though, we’ll look at the upper traps. The upper traps are most effectively hit through two main trap exercises: above-the-knee rack pulls and barbell shrugs. However, when shrugging, it’s important to ensure that you do widen your grip to allow the upper trap fibers to be more aligned with the line of pull AND to retract your shoulder blades back as you shrug. Both of these tweaks will lead to a greater contraction. As for mid trap exercises, the prone reverse fly with external rotation (thumbs up) is a great option to hit this region. And finally, as for lower trap exercises, prone Y’s are a great option since the line of pull is most aligned with the lower trap fibers. For both of mid + lower trap exercises though, start out without weight and gradually add weight overtime. Focusing on the above 4 exercises by either incorporating them into a full trap workout, or by incorporating a few of the trap exercises somewhere into your current routine, will make a big difference in the overall development of your traps.

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STUDIES:
Rack Pulls:
https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/36235
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11932579
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254692133_COMPARISON_OF_MUSCLE_ACTIVATION_AND_KINEMATICS_DURING_THE_DEADLIFT_USING_A_DOUBLE-PRONATED_AND_OVERHANDUNDERHAND_GRIP
Shrugs:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18339796
https://www.t-nation.com/training/inside-the-muscles-best-shoulders-and-trap-exercises
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24342452
Prone Reverse Fly:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12774999 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4305608/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1558238
Prone Y’s:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12774999

Credit to Jeff Nippard for pioneering the “science-based” training idea:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC68TLK0mAEzUyHx5x5k-S1Q

Видео The Best Science-Based Trap Workout for Growth канала Jeremy Ethier