How to Build the Best Upper Traps With Upper Trap Exercises

Are you looking to get swole for summer? Attacking your shoulder muscles is one of the best ways to look and feel bigger. Upper trap exercises can help.

Targeted upper trap exercises can be a great way to start developing broader shoulders. They can give you an all-out larger frame that makes you feel more confident.

Think you know a bit about the trapezius muscles and how they work? Let’s put your knowledge to the test. Come along and learn more about the upper traps.

This article is a total guide to upper trap exercises. Find out more about this muscle group and how you can target it to hit your fitness and muscle-building goals.

What Are the Upper Traps?

Before we uncover the mysteries of the upper traps, it’s helpful to understand your trapezius muscles holistically.

Getting to know these large muscles and the areas they cover will help you contextualize the importance of zeroing in on the upper part.

You see, technically the trapezius muscles (aka “traps”) are back muscles. Nevertheless, they span the length of your neck, shoulders and upper back. The upper traps sit on top of yur shoulders and ride up the sides of your neck. The lower traps sit from about the middle to the lower part of your shoulder blades down to your mid-spine. The mid traps sit between the upper and lower traps, covering your shoulders.

Upper Trap Function

These large, trapezoid-shaped muscles are mainly used to extend your neck and support your posture, but that’s not what we’re looking to train here.

They certainly cover a lot of surface area. The upper traps let you lift and rotate your shoulder blades up. They also help you extend your neck.

The mid and lower traps help you retract your scapula. This means pulling your shoulder blades together. Knowing how to engage your shoulder blades is useful for many exercises in order to protect your shoulders from strains or injuries.

According to research on trapezius muscle strength and scapular kinematics, good trapezius muscle strength may even factor into how your shoulder blades sit in your body.

Because of this, it’s important to build stronger traps to keep your shoulder blades both supported and mobile.

You need healthy and functional scapulae for a variety of movements. Think about any time a fitness instructor has ever told you to pull in, and engage your shoulder blades. Strong traps will help to make your back highly functional.

To learn more about trapezius muscle structure and function, see Anatomy, Back, Trapezius.

Benefits of Training Your Upper Traps

Better Posture

The traps are postural muscles. This means part of their function is to define your body’s posture and alignment.

Think of these muscles as the scaffolding that keeps the human skyscraper of your body upright! Upper trap exercises can help you maintain a better posture that looks and feels more supported.

Bigger Shoulders and Back

Training for big shoulders and a stronger back can have a positive impact on the way you look. If you struggle with bad shoulder genetics or narrow clavicles, performing exercises that grow your lower traps can have a strong impact on how your shoulders look.

Men and women alike often cite shoulder and back growth as a key goal in the gym. Getting a wider frame with strong shoulders can make you look bigger overall.

Especially for men who are very slim and have been throughout their lives, a wider frame can be a great way to make you feel more confident and masculine.

For women, the shoulders and upper back (along with a shelf butt) are a defining part of building a physically attractive hourglass shape. Strong shoulders help create balance between your upper and lower halves. And no, they don’t always have to be manly. For women in the gym, sculpted shoulders are one of the most attractive muscle groups you can put your time towards improving on.

All in all, great shoulders and a strong back can make you feel sexy, fit, and strong.

Aesthetics

If you want to practice an aesthetic workout program, the traps are a great area to focus on to create the impression of more overall size.

There’s no shame in wanting to look good. If you train for aesthetics, the look of your back can be easily enhanced by throwing some upper trap exercises in there. Both guys and gals can benefit from better back muscles.

Neck Strength

The traps extend up your neck to your occipital bone (the base of your skull). That means strengthening these muscles can help to give you a stronger neck. In fact, the upper traps are the part of your trapezius muscles that run along the sides of your neck.

Many people don’t factor the neck muscles into their training. However, improving the muscular strength in your neck can help the neck feel more supported and less strained.

Are you on your phone a lot? If you spend a little too much time doomscrolling, there’s a good chance you could be feeling some pain or tightness in the neck area. Tight trapezius muscles are associated with increased stiffness in people with chronic neck pain.

For more information, see:

• Neck/Shoulder Pain and Trapezius Muscle Tenderness in Office Workers

Reduce and Prevent Injuries

The traps connect to many parts of your upper body at once, making them an essential body part to train for improvements in multiple areas.

Training your traps, in general, helps with shoulder blade control. Being able to effectively retract your scapular (pulling your shoulder blades back and down) can save you from some gruesome shoulder injuries in challenging exercises like push-ups or other moves.

Unhealthy scapulae (shoulder blades) that don’t get the chance to move can often have a “stuck” feeling or may not glide comfortably across your back. This can cause back tightness or shoulder injuries.

Best Upper Trap Exercises

Upright Row

Upright rows are simple but effective for helping the part of your upper traps that runs along your neck and shoulders to grow. When performed correctly, they’re also a good way to grow your front and side deltoids. All three of these muscles contribute to the look of your shoulders, so this upper trap exercise is one great way to build “boulder shoulders” that look muscular and developed.

Upright rows can be made challenging by using heavier weights, but they’re a great beginner-friendly exercise to target the traps. To perform this move:

• Set-Up: Grab a medium-weight straight barbell or EZ bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Pick it up and let the bar hang in front of you, touching your thighs.
• Body Position: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Roll your shoulders back to help engage the back muscles and create a proud position with your chest. This will allow you to maintain a neutral spine and hold onto your posture during this exercise.
• Lift: Start to bend your elbows and lift your arms. Slowly start to slide your barbell up your front body with control, bringing the weight up to just under chin or shoulder height. Your barbell should slide along your body as you lead with your elbows to lift and the elbows should bend past 90 degrees. Think about making the motion of peeling off your T-shirt.
• Reverse: Pause briefly at the top, then resist your weight as you slide your barbell back down, bringing yourself back to the starting position.
• Reps: Continue for 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Pro-Tip

Think about sending your elbows out wide and using them to drive this movement.

As a bonus, rear delt and front delt workouts are another way to compound your overall shoulder strength. Not only can you build up the trapezius muscles, but you’ll build stronger and more functional shoulders all around.

Barbell Shrug

• Set-Up: Grab a barbell with both hands, bringing it to the front of your body.
• Body Position: Keep your feet and hands shoulder-width apart. Your barbell should hang down at arms-length, at the height of your mid-thighs.
• Shrug: With straight arms, lift your barbell by shrugging your shoulders. Hold for a moment.
• Reverse: With control, lower your barbell back down to the starting position.
• Reps: Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps.

Lateral Raise

Focus on really feeling each part of your back during the whole motion of your press.

• Set-Up: Grab a set of medium-weight dumbbells. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, resting them by your sides with your palms facing inward.
• Body Position: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. You can also perform this exercise seated on a weight bench if you prefer. If you struggle with core stability, this may be a better option for you.
• Raise: Lift both arms out to your sides at the same time. Engage your shoulders and core to stay steady. Don’t lock out your elbows as you lift. Instead, maintain a slight bend. Keep your arms slightly in front of your torso and keep going until your arms are parallel to the floor.
• Reverse: Using your shoulder strength, slowly drop your arms down, bringing them back to your sides with control. This is one rep. Continue as needed.
• Reps: 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.

Face Pulls

Face pulls are great for targeting every part of your traps, including the lower portion. If you focus on pulling directly towards your face, you’ll be able to feel the burn in your lower traps, setting your back on fire.

• Set-Up: Start by attaching a rope or handle to a cable machine. Your attachment should sit at face height.
• Adjust the pulley to this level. Step back to stand a few feet away from your machine. You can also choose to kneel at the same distance away if it’s more comfortable, although you’ll need to adjust your pulley height accordingly.
• Grip and Position: Grab your rope or handle with an overhand grip. Keep your hands around shoulder-width apart. Step far enough back to put some tension in your cable. If you’re standing up, keep a slight bend in your knees.
• Movement: Extend your arms all the way. Pull the rope or handle towards your face by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground. Make sure you’re pulling directly towards your face (this can feel strange at first!). Think about externally rotating your shoulders.
• Return: Slowly reverse your movement. Extend your arms and slowly let the weight pull you back to the starting position. Work against the resistance to control the weight.
• Your cables should never be jerking your shoulders into position. Focus on engaging your rear delts and upper back muscles the whole time.
• Reps: Keep going for as many reps as you’d like. We’d recommend 3-4 reps of 8-12 reps for new lifters.

Food for Thought

Now you have a few moves to send your upper traps into the next dimension to get bigger shoulders.

Always make sure you refuel after a workout with enough protein and solid sleep.

For more information on how to grow your shoulders, check out these articles:

• Arnold Press vs. Shoulder Press
• Shoulder Cable Workouts
• Sloped Shoulders

Big Picture

Strong upper traps will help your ease a stiff neck and get the look of big shoulders that you’re probably coveting.

It’s a win-win. Working out your trapezius muscles can be both fashionable and functional if you know what you’re doing.

Trapezius muscles mostly assist your posture. They can help make you look like you're standing more upright. If you’re having a down day, this can make you feel more confident.

Plus, perfect posture is key to back and spine health. If you suffer from chronic back pain, helping to work and strengthen your muscles all along the spinal column may make you feel better. This includes your upper traps.

Try out exercises like lateral raises, face pulls, and upright rows to help grow your upper traps. Always listen to your body when you’re working out. Because these muscles also hit your neck (a common pain and injury site) be sure that you’re always lifting weights with safe technique.

Make sure to stretch, rest and recover after a workout and you should see tremendous traps in no time.

References

Brandt, M., Sundstrup, E., Jakobsen, M. D., Jay, K., Colado, J. C., Wang, Y., Zebis, M. K., & Andersen, L. L. (2014). Association between Neck/Shoulder Pain and Trapezius Muscle Tenderness in Office Workers. Pain research and treatment, 2014, 352735. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/352735

De Meulemeester, K., Calders, P., De Pauw, R., Grymonpon, I., Govaerts, A., & Cagnie, B. (2017). Morphological and physiological differences in the upper trapezius muscle in patients with work-related trapezius myalgia compared to healthy controls: A systematic review. Musculoskeletal science & practice, 29, 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2017.02.007

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Opara, M., & Kozinc, Ž. (2023). Which muscles exhibit increased stiffness in people with chronic neck pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in sports and active living, 5, 1172514. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1172514

Ourieff J, Scheckel B, Agarwal A. Anatomy, Back, Trapezius. [Updated 2023 Mar 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK518994/

Turgut, E., Duzgun, I., & Baltaci, G. (2016). Effect of trapezius muscle strength on three-dimensional scapular kinematics. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(6), 1864–1867. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.1864