Build Yoked Traps With This Workout

Although the traps or trapezius muscles are the top-most muscles on the body, they are also one of the most overlooked muscle groups. Yoked traps can add to the overall aesthetics of your physique and can make you look stronger.

Most people train their trapezius muscles by doing a couple of exercises at the end of their shoulder workouts. In this workout, we’ll focus primarily on the traps so that they look like a couple of mountains rising out the top of your shoulders.

Workout For Building Mountain-Like Traps

Dumbbell Upright Rows – 3 Sets 12-10-8 Reps

Dumbbell upright shrugs are an incredible exercise to build the size in the traps. Most people make the mistake of using momentum by swinging back and forth to lift the dumbbells. Doing so takes the tension off the traps.

Make sure you stretch out your traps at the bottom of the movement to recruit all the muscle fibers. Prefer dumbbells over a barbell in the upright rows as you can get a better range of motion.

Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 12 Reps

Shrugs are a staple in a trap workout. While shrugs are one of the easiest exercises to perform, most people screw up their form by lifting heavier weights than they can handle. Grab a dumbbell in each hand extended at arm’s length with a slight bend in your elbows.

Lift up your shoulders explosively with an aim to touch your ears with your shoulders. Return to the starting position with a slow and controlled movement. Keep your neck and back straight throughout the exercise and don’t use momentum by jerking at your knees.

Superset

Farmer’s Carry – 3 Sets 12 Steps on Each Side

Farmer’s carry is a compound movement and can also help in building overall strength and muscle mass. Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk around in the gym. Focus on building the tension on your traps.

Rack Deadlift – 3 Sets 12 Reps

Deadlifts are yet again a compound exercise which can add a lot of volume to your back. We limit the range of motion of the deadlifts in this workout to focus primarily on the trapezius muscle.

Machine Shrugs – 3 Sets 15 Reps

You need the right balance between the compound and isolation exercises to build monstrous traps. Machine shrugs are an isolation exercise which can help in improving the conditioning of the traps.

If you don’t have access to a machine shrug machine at your gym, you can use a shoulder press machine by standing on the seat and grabbing on to the handles. Being creative inside the gym can take you a long way.

Behind-The-Back Barbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 12-10-8 Reps

Behind-the-back barbell shrugs are different as compared to the orthodox barbell shrugs. You should consider lifting comparatively lighter weights as it’ll be harder to maintain balance while performing the exercise with a barbell behind your hamstrings.

Performing the behind-the-back barbell shrugs will target the front side of your traps. With the barbell shrugs, you’ll have trained your traps from all the possible angles in this workout.

Header image courtesy of Envato Elements

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