How To Build Stronger Traps
There’s nothing more impressive than a big, muscular back. When your back is big, you look like you’re serious about your bodybuilding, not like it’s just a hobby. Nothing beats that thick, wide, detailed look! Plus, when you work your back, you’re building a foundation for future gains. If you want to build a bigger, stronger back, then you’re going to have to master these trap moves!
Why Work the Traps?
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, when you work your trap muscles, you’re building up lean body mass. And, you‘re burning excess body fat even when you’re not working out.
Not everyone knows this, but the key to a jaw-dropping back are your traps or the trapezius, or trapezoid muscles. The traps are used to move your head and neck, shrug, steady your shoulders, and twist your arms. Your traps may get overlooked in workouts, but they’ll really stand out when you make it a point to work them out.
Stick to the Basics
Master your form, fuel your body, and stick to these basic exercises. You’ll start to see the gains you’re working for.
The key to your success is to focus on your form! If you struggle with your form, you won’t get the results you’re looking for. If your form isn’t perfect, don’t lift heavy!
You may be tempted to lift heavy because it helps your muscles grow faster, but don’t do it! You can injure yourself and may even need surgery to fix it.
Time Under Tension
Time under tension or TUT refers to how long your muscles are under tension during a set. A typical set of 10 reps takes on average between 15 to 25 seconds to finish. Increasing the time under tension could work your muscles more and build your muscles bigger.
Farmer’s Walk with Shrugs
Farmer’s Walks work your upper and lower body simultaneously. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and walk 10 steps then right after you complete the steps do 10 shoulder shrugs.
Perform a Face Pull by using a high pulley with a rope or dual grip handles. Then pull the weight directly towards your face—hence the name Face Pull.
Bent Over Y
The bent over Y works your posture, performance, and shoulders. Laying on an inclined bench, take a dumbbell in each hand. Start with your arms down prependicular to the ground then raise them up until they make a Y. Read about the 12 Shoulder Exercises to Increase Your Muscle and Strength for ideas on how to include other YTW Drills in your trap workout.
Pull-Up
A Pull-Up is a good exercise for your back and biceps. Face your palms out on the bar, keep your arms shoulder width or further apart on the bar, and pull your body up on the bar.
Pull-Up Shrug
Also called the scapular depression, the pull-up shrug is sometimes used in your warm up routine to wake up your muscles. This movement is used to train your muscles around your shoulder blades.
If you’re interested in learning more exercises to add to your workout, read “Top 10 Best Exercises to Build Muscle and Strength.”
Barbell Shrug
Start out by holding a barbell in a pronated grip (palms facing you). Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise your shoulders. It’ll feel like you’re shrugging your shoulders when you’re doing this exercise.
The Arnold Press keeps the tension on your shoulders longer than regular presses, so muscle growth and strength are easier to attain.
Start with dumbbells at chest height with your palms facing you. Then while you’re pushing them up and over your head, twist your arms until your palms face away from you. And do the opposite on the way back down.
Dumbbell Lateral/Side Raise
Holding dumbbells, start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your side. Then raise your arms until they’re parallel to the floor, and your body is making a T shape.
Make Sure Your Diet is On Point
If you want to make gains quickly, what you put into your body has to be just as appropriate, or on point, as your workout.
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