Dominic Stone
The trapezius muscle is responsible for moving and rotating the shoulder blade, stabilising the arm, and extending the neck. It is divided into lower, middle, and upper sections, with the upper portion being the most noticeable. Sitting down for long periods of time, carrying heavy items, and looking at a screen for extended periods can cause the trapezius to overdevelop and lead to muscle imbalance. To flatten the trapezius muscle, it is important to adjust your workout routine and target other muscles, improve your posture, and incorporate stretches and exercises that focus on the surrounding muscles, such as the shoulder and upper back.
How to flatten the trapezius muscle
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Exercises to avoid | Shoulder shrugs, rows, Y lifts, farmers walks |
| Exercises to do | Band pull-aparts, Prone I-T-Y, Cat-Cow, Shoulder pinch, Lacrosse ball release, Dumbbell lift |
| Posture | Keep shoulders low and back, avoid hunching, maintain space between top of shoulders and bottom of ear |
| Daily habits | Take breaks from sitting, set reminders to move, stretch throughout the day |
| Diet | Adjust to prevent additional muscle gain |
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What You'll Learn
Adjust your workout to target other muscles
If you're experiencing an overly developed trapezius muscle, it's important to re-evaluate your workouts and make adjustments to target other muscles and restore balance to your body.
Firstly, it's crucial to eliminate trap-dominant exercises from your routine. This includes exercises like shoulder shrugs, rows, Y lifts, and farmers walks, which are designed to increase trap muscle size and strength. Instead, focus on exercises that target the surrounding muscles, such as your shoulders, upper back, and neck. For example, the prone I, T, Y exercise helps strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles in your shoulders and upper back. Lie on your stomach, forehead touching the ground, with your arms straight above your head in a thumbs-up position. Then, raise and slowly lower your arms in an "I", "T", and "Y" formation.
Additionally, you can try the band pull-apart exercise to open up your chest and strengthen your upper back and rear shoulder muscles. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a resistance band with an overhand grip. Slowly pull your hands apart while squeezing your shoulder blades together, and then slowly return to the starting position. This exercise helps to improve muscle strength, mobility, and flexibility, as well as training you to hold your shoulder blades back.
Another exercise to target the surrounding muscles is the cat-cow pose. Start on all fours with your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your elbows. As you inhale, arch your back and lift your head, chest, and sitting bones. As you exhale, round your spine towards the sky and release your head into the cat pose. This pose decompresses your spine, strengthens your upper back and shoulders, and lengthens and eases your neck muscles.
It's also important to focus on your daily posture and make sure you're not stuck in the same position for too long. Avoid positions where your head is forward and your shoulders are shrugged up towards your ears, as this can overwork the upper trapezius muscle. Instead, keep your shoulders low and maintain the space between the top of your shoulders and the bottom of your ears, especially when performing prolonged tasks such as working at a computer or driving.
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Adjust your diet to prevent additional muscle gain
Adjusting your diet is a great way to prevent additional muscle gain in the trapezius. The trapezius muscle is a large kite-shaped muscle that extends from the base of the neck, across the upper shoulders, through the middle back, and finishes at the lower aspect of the thoracic spine. It consists of three parts: upper, middle, and lower. These muscles are responsible for some movement of the neck and upper back, and support the control and movement of the shoulder blades.
Tightness in the trapezius muscles is a common issue, often caused by stress, tension, or poor postural habits associated with desk-based work. To prevent further muscle gain, it is important to be mindful of your diet and ensure you are not consuming more calories than you are burning. A balanced diet that includes a variety of whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent excess muscle growth.
Additionally, consider reducing your intake of processed foods, sugary drinks, and excessive amounts of saturated fat. These can contribute to weight gain and inflammation, which may exacerbate muscle tightness and discomfort. Instead, opt for anti-inflammatory foods such as fatty fish, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. Staying hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day is also crucial for muscle health and can help prevent muscle cramps and spasms.
Lastly, while diet is important, it should be noted that physical activity and stress management are also key components of maintaining muscle health. Incorporating stretching and strengthening exercises for the trapezius muscle, as well as finding healthy ways to manage stress, can help prevent additional muscle gain and promote overall well-being.
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Avoid exercises geared towards trapezius growth
If you're experiencing a stiff or achy neck, it may be a sign that your workout is focusing too much on your trapezius. To prevent this, you should avoid exercises that are geared towards trapezius growth.
One such exercise is the shoulder shrug, which is a common and easy-to-implement way to activate the trapezius. It involves standing with good posture and raising your shoulders as high as you can, as if attempting to touch your ears with them. For an added challenge, you can do this exercise with weights in your hands. However, be careful not to overuse this muscle group when that is not the intent of the exercise.
Another exercise to avoid if you're trying to minimise trapezius growth is the farmer's walk. This involves carrying heavy items at your sides, such as briefcases or grocery bags, which can lead to over-engaging your trapezius. Similarly, exercises like upright rows, deadlifts, and face pulls should be approached with caution as they target the trapezius and can build strength and mass in those muscles.
In general, it's important to maintain good posture during your workouts and throughout the day. Avoid being stuck in the same position for too long, especially with your head forward and shoulders shrugged up to your ears, as this can overwork the upper trapezius muscle. Instead, focus on exercises that develop the surrounding muscles to bring your body back into balance.
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Focus on improving your posture
Slouching or slumping can put extra tension on your trapezius muscles and pull them out of their usual alignment. To avoid this, it is important to focus on improving your posture.
- Avoid being stuck in the same position for too long. Set reminders on your phone or computer to get up and move around.
- Avoid positions where your head is forward and your shoulders are shrugged up to your ears, as this can overwork the upper trapezius muscle.
- Stand with good posture. Slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 3 seconds. Then, slowly release them back to their relaxed positions. This exercise can also be done using cables or a resistance band.
- Simple shrugs are another way to keep your trapezius strong. Stand up with good posture and raise your shoulders as high as you can, as if attempting to touch your ears with your shoulders. For an added challenge, do this exercise with weights in your hands.
- Try the "cat-cow" pose. Push up onto all fours, into a tabletop position. Your hips should be directly over your knees, your shoulders over your elbows, and your elbows over your wrists. As you inhale, lift your head, chest, and sitting bones, arching your back. As you exhale, round your spine toward the sky and release your head into the Cat pose. This pose decompresses your spine, strengthens your upper back and shoulders, and lengthens and eases your neck muscles.
- Lie on your stomach with your feet shoulder-width apart and rest your hands, one on top of the other, under your chin. Rest your forehead on your stacked hands and focus on lengthening your spine and releasing any tension in your upper back and neck.
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Try stretches to relieve tension
The trapezius muscle is responsible for moving and rotating the shoulder blade, stabilising the arm, and extending the neck. It is easy for stress and tension to affect this muscle, especially in the upper part of the trapezius in the lower neck. Sitting down for long periods, carrying heavy items, lifting items overhead, and looking at a screen for long periods can all cause tension in the trapezius.
Stretching can help prevent and relieve this tension and pain. It is important to move in and out of a stretch gently, avoiding jerky movements and bouncing. A stretch should cause tension but not pain, and it is recommended to hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Cat-Cow: Get on all fours, with your hips over your knees, shoulders over your elbows, and elbows over your wrists. As you inhale, lift your head, chest, and sitting bones, arching your back. As you exhale, round your spine toward the sky and release your head into the Cat pose.
- Child's Pose: Kneel on the floor with your knees hip-width apart and your big toes touching. Lean forward, resting your torso between your thighs and your forehead on the floor. Stretch your arms alongside your torso with the palms facing up.
- Cobra Pose: Lie flat on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Inhale and curl your spine up towards the ceiling while contracting your abdominal muscles.
- Eagle: Stand tall with your feet together and your knees bent. Lift your arms so they are parallel to the floor, then wrap your right arm under your left arm and bend your elbows so your hands are touching.
- Thread the Needle: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your right knee and twist your body to bring your right knee over to the left side of your body. Keep your arms outstretched in a 'T' shape and turn your head to the right.
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Frequently asked questions
If you are experiencing neck and shoulder ache, or tightness and soreness in the upper trapezius, you may have an overactive trapezius. This can be caused by carrying heavy items, lifting items overhead, or looking at a screen for long periods of time.
To flatten your trapezius muscle, you can try exercises that target the surrounding muscles, such as the infraspinatus, lower trapezius, rhomboids, and latissimus dorsi. You can also try exercises that open up your chest and strengthen your upper back and shoulder muscles, such as the band pull-apart exercise or the prone I, T, Y exercise.
Yes, there are several stretches that can help flatten your trapezius muscle. One stretch involves sitting or standing upright with your shoulders down and back, then gently pulling your ear toward your shoulder. Another stretch is to lie on your stomach with your forehead touching the ground, then raising and lowering your arms in an "I", "T", and "Y" position.
