Upper traps: exercises and how to train
The upper traps run from the base of the skull and the neck vertebrae to the outer collarbone, forming the slope between your neck and shoulders. They lift the shoulder blades, help rotate them upward when you press overhead and hold the shoulder girdle up under heavy loads. Strong upper traps pay off in deadlifts and heavy carries.
How to train it
Lift the shoulders straight up: Shrugs with dumbbells, Barbell shrugs and Farmer’s walk are the go-to moves. Shrug toward your ears, pause for a second at the top and skip the shoulder rolls. Your traps already work hard in deadlifts, so 4–8 direct sets a week is usually enough.
Exercises where it is the main mover
Exercises where it assists
Weekly sets in ready-made programs
A set where the muscle is primary counts in full, a set where it assists counts as half — the same way the log’s stats count it.
Other back muscles
See how much work each of your muscles gets
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