The trapezius is the flat, triangular muscle that extends out and down from the neck and then down between the shoulder blades.
The function of the trapezius muscles are to lift the entire shoulder girdle, draw the scapula up, down, and to either side, and help turn the head.
The trapezius muscles are the visual center of the upper back, the trapezoidal structure that ties together the neck, deltoid, and latissimus muscles. The traps play an important part in both front and rear poses. It is important that the traps are developed in proportion to the rest of your body. If they stick up too high and slope down too abruptly, your deltoids will appear too small.
The trapezius muscles are the muscles just outside of Stan's neck, but inside of his deltoids. They extend down the back, along the spine, about 2/3 of the way to the waist.
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the trapezius and the front deltoids and create separation between deltoids and pectorals
EXECUTION:
(1)Stand grasping a barbell with an overhand grip, hands 8 to 10 inches apart. Let the bar hang straing down in front of you.
(2)Lift it straight up, keeping it close to your body, until the bar just about touches your chin. Keep your back straight and feel the traps contract as you do the movement. Your whole shoulder girdle should rise as you lift the weight. From the top, lower it once more under control to the starting position.
This is an exercise that you should do strictly, not cheating or swinging the weight up, keeping your body still, and making sure that you feel the traps working as well as the biceps and front delts. (You can substitue a short bar and cable for the barbell and use cable upright rows as a variation. The constant resistance of the cable helps you do the movement as strictly as possible.)
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the trapezius muscles.
EXECUTION:Stand upright, arms at sides, a heavy dumbbell in each hand. Raise your shoudlers up as high as you can, as if trying to touch them to your ears. Hold at the top for a moment, then release and return to the starting position. Try not to move anything but your shoulders.
This exercise can be done extremely heavy to thicken the traps, which really helps you in doing back poses.
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the trapezius muscles.
EXECUTION:Stand upright, holding a barbell at arm's lenght in front of you, using an overhand grip. Raise your shoulders as high as you can, as if trying to touch them to your ears. Hold in this position for a moment, then lower the bar, under control, back to the starting position.
You can sometimes find shrug machines in a gym and can also use a variety of bench press machines to do shurcs as well. To get really heavy, try to position a barbell on a low support using a squat rack, which lets you handle very heavy poundages without having to expend energy lifting the bar off the floor.