Have you ever wondered why the heck bodybuilders are so naturally curved and sculpted?
It’s because their trapezius, a sizable, stingray-shaped muscle, has been put through a lot of strain.
The trapezius muscle runs in a “V” pattern from just below the skull, through the shoulders, and down the spine.
Your shoulders and upper back are stabilized by your trapezius muscles.
Although bodybuilding may not be for you, it’s still crucial to keep the trapezius strong to maintain excellent posture and prevent back problems.
Whether you prefer to exercise in your living room or the gym on a regular basis, we spoke to two professionals to learn some simple techniques to work your trapezius.
The second vice president of the American Society for Sports Medicine and a primary care sports medicine physician at Vermont Orthopedic Clinic is Dr. Matthew Gammons.
Performance physiologist Mark Kovacs, CTPS, MTPS, is the executive director of the International Tennis Performance Association as well as a researcher in sports and exercise science.
They suggest the following four workouts to maintain a strong trapezius.
Read on to find out more.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ Not simply the physically fittest people can have a strong trapezius.
✅ A strong trapezius muscle might be advantageous for older persons as it can aid in any balancing difficulties.
✅ The mature neck muscle of a bodybuilder comes to mind when most people think about the trapezius, claims Kovacs.
✅ But it accomplishes much more than just restricting neck motion.
✅ When pulling something up off the ground or lifting something, the muscle is crucial.
✅ Be sure to employ good form when engaging in any activity, always.
✅ Please speak with a personal trainer or another fitness expert if you have any questions.
Squeezing the shoulder blades
You need activities to assist the trapezius to do its job well, supporting the shoulder and upper back adds gammons unless you’re a bodybuilder attempting to grow a massive trapezius. To accomplish it, simply squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Take a straight stance.
Gently press the shoulder blades together, holding the position for three seconds.
Restore the shoulder blades’ relaxed posture by slowly releasing them.
You can perform this exercise while holding your arms out in front of you like a goal post, or you can use cables or a resistance band.
Shrugging Your Shoulders
Another approach to maintain your trapezius strong is to perform simple shrugs. The shrug is one of the best exercises for engaging the trapezius because it’s so common and simple to do, according to Kovacs. Use weights for this workout to make it more difficult.
Take a straight stance.
As high as you can, raise your shoulders such that you can reach out and touch your ears.
Remain still for two counts.
Return them to their untroubled postures.
Continue 20 times.
The standing row
This exercise is widely used to strengthen the trapezius. You can even attempt this while holding a barbell or dumbbell in your hands.
Take a straight stance.
Keeping your hands close to the front of your body, raise your clenched fists as high as you can while bending your elbows.
Remain still for two counts.
With your fists still closed, extend your arms back into a relaxed position.
Continue 20 times.
The good old Push-ups
The pushup comes in a few different forms. Choose the one that is the simplest for you: a regular pushup, a pushup done while knelt on the ground, or a pushup performed while standing up against a wall.
Place your hands flat against the wall or the floor.
While keeping your back straight and your tummy firm, lower your body toward your hands. Keep your neck in alignment with the rest of your spine and avoid letting your head droop.
Squat down until your body is near to the wall or the floor, then push yourself back up. Breathe in as you squat and out as you lift yourself up.
As you perform the pushup, Gammons advises, “really concentrate on pressing the shoulders together.” Make use of your lower and middle trapezius to complete the task.
My trapezius could get hurt, is that possible?
According to Kovacs, it is rare to tear or stretch the trapezius. Bodybuilders who try to work the trapezius with too much weight are typically the only ones who experience it.
He continues, “Another kind of harm would be when you’re creating resistance in one direction and you move very quickly in the opposite direction, like with the frictional forces that sometimes occurs in an acute, severe collision.”
This can occur when linemen clash during a football game or when they are involved in a vehicle collision.
As with any workout, Gammons advises beginning slowly when training your trapezius.
Don’t go overboard.