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The trapezius muscle is a large, paired trapezoid-shaped muscle that extends from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine. It plays a crucial role in moving the shoulders, lifting the arms out to the side, and protecting the neck and spine. Common actions involving the trapezius include shrugging, tilting, turning, and extending the neck, and keeping the shoulder blades down the back. Training the trapezius muscles can improve posture, increase muscular strength in the upper body, and reduce the risk of shoulder impingement. To improve trapezius muscles, exercises such as the power shrug, dumbbell cord lift, and shoulder blade control exercises can be performed.
How to Improve Trapezius Muscles
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle function | Stabilize and move the scapula |
| Muscle shape | Trapezoid |
| Muscle location | Extends from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine |
| Muscle movement | Elevate the scapulae, retract the scapulae, depress the scapulae, scapular rotation |
| Muscle stabilization | Posture stabilizer and movement muscle |
| Muscle exercises | Shrug exercise, power shrug, push-ups, incline dumbbell shrug, shoulder shrug, hang clean, neck extension |
| Muscle tension | Should be relaxed at rest, any tightness indicates overuse |
| Muscle pain | Heating pad, stretching, lacrosse ball release, static stretch |
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What You'll Learn
Improve your shoulder blade control
The trapezius muscle is a large, paired trapezoid-shaped muscle that extends from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and supports the arm. The upper trapezius, which goes across the tops of your shoulders, can elevate or bring up your shoulder girdle. It also helps extend, tilt, and rotate your neck.
The upper trapezius levator scapulae muscles can be targeted through scapular elevation. This involves lifting your shoulder blades up and performing a scapular upward rotation. This will result in the shoulder joint rotating upward and being handled by the upper and mid-trapezius exclusively.
To improve your shoulder blade control, you can try the following exercises:
- Lie on your stomach with your arms fully extended and your thumbs pointing up. Lift your arms as far as you can while keeping them straight and tightening your core. Your body should make a 'Y' shape. Keep your arms in the raised position for a moment before returning them to the starting position. Exhale when raising your arms and inhale when lowering them. Repeat this exercise.
- The incline dumbbell shrug is performed on an incline bench.
- The power shrug is an advanced trapezius exercise where you shrug a barbell and then lower it, feeling the stretch at the bottom.
- The clean, particularly the hang clean, and the shoulder shrug are common exercises to develop the upper portion of the trapezius.
- The middle trapezius fibres are developed by pulling the shoulder blades together.
- The lower trapezius fibres are targeted by drawing the shoulder blades downward while keeping the arms almost straight and stiff.
In addition to these exercises, it is important to maintain good posture throughout the day, especially if you work at a desk or drive for long periods. Keep your shoulders low and maintain the space between the top of your shoulders and the bottom of your ears. This will help prevent your shoulders from rounding forward and causing tension in your upper trapezius.
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Strengthen the upper trapezius
The trapezius muscles are those that connect your ears to your shoulders. It is important to train all parts of the trapezius, including the upper, mid, and lower traps, to ensure balance. Here are some exercises to strengthen the upper trapezius:
Shrug Exercise
The traditional barbell shrug is a common exercise to target the upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles. This involves lifting the shoulder blades up and performing a scapular upward rotation. When performing this exercise, ensure that you are not simply shrugging the barbell straight up but also bringing the shoulders in closer to the neck. This will result in the shoulder joint being handled by the upper and mid-traps exclusively.
Power Shrug
Once you have mastered the traditional barbell shrug, you can perform the more advanced power shrug. For this exercise, you do not need to retract your shoulders as hard as you can. Instead, ensure that your shoulders are slightly pulled back or at least in a neutral position.
Push-ups
When performing push-ups, placing your hands in a triangle position will engage your trapezius muscles. This will help control and stabilize your shoulder and scapular motions, allowing tension to flow through your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Dumbbell or Cord Lift
Lie on your side with your legs separated for support. Grasp a dumbbell or cord and position your elbow against your side with your forearm across your belly. Then, lift the dumbbell or cord by rotating your shoulder. Return and repeat, then flip over and continue with the opposite arm. Focus on maintaining a fixed 90-degree elbow position throughout the exercise.
Shoulder Stretch
If you feel tightness or soreness in your upper trapezius, perform this stretch to help relieve tension. Stand or sit and place your right hand on top of your head, letting your left arm rest at your side. Gently pull your head toward your right shoulder with your right hand. Rotate your head down and look at your right hip. You should feel the stretch on the left side of your neck and shoulder area. Repeat on the opposite side.
Remember to maintain proper posture throughout your day to prevent tension and pain in the upper trapezius.
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Stretch to relieve tension
The trapezius muscles are part of the shoulder girdle and are responsible for moving and rotating the shoulder blade, stabilising the arm, and extending the neck. As they are involved in so many movements, the trapezius muscles are prone to tension and tightness. This tension can be caused by stress, poor posture, and repetitive movements.
Stretching the trapezius muscles can help to prevent and relieve pain and tightness. It is important to move in and out of stretches gently, avoiding jerky movements and bouncing. A stretch should cause tension but not pain. If a stretch is painful, it should be stopped immediately.
Cat-Cow
Get onto all fours, with your hips 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, letting your belly sink and arching your back. As you exhale, round your spine towards the sky and release your head into the Cat pose. This pose decompresses the spine, strengthens the upper back and shoulders, and lengthens and eases the neck muscles.
Child's Pose
Lie down 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. This pose releases tension in the lower neck and trapezius, stretches your throat, and increases flexibility in your spine.
Neck Stretch
Sit up straight in a chair. Slowly bend your head over to one side as if trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. Place the hand from that side on your head and gently pull your head towards your shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Shoulder Shrug
Start by sitting or standing in a relaxed posture. Lift both shoulders up towards your ears. Hold for a few seconds, then relax and let your shoulders drop down. Repeat this shrugging motion for 10-15 repetitions. This can help to release tension in the neck and upper body.
Across-Body Stretch
Stand with both arms at your sides. Lift one arm until it is parallel to the floor (90 degrees). Hook the other arm around the arm you are stretching just above the elbow. Pull the arm you are stretching towards your chest with the other arm. Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
In addition to stretching, it is important to maintain proper posture throughout the day and work to relieve mental and physical tension. Both hot and cold therapy may also reduce trapezius muscle pain. Applying ice can lower inflammation, while heat can reduce muscle spasms, increase blood flow, and promote healing.
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Improve scapular stabilisation
Improving scapular stabilisation is key to ensuring your shoulder blades are in the correct position and at the right angle as your arms move. This is known as scapulothoracic rhythm. If your scapular stabilisation muscles are weak, this can lead to pain, dysfunction, and injury.
One of the most common problems is "winging scapula", where the shoulder blades lift away from the rib cage, resulting in abnormal shoulder biomechanics. Scapular instability has been linked to the majority of rotator cuff issues and all shoulder joint instability problems.
To improve scapular stabilisation, you can try the following exercises:
- Lie on your stomach with a rolled-up towel under your forehead, both arms down by your sides, and palms facing in. Gently draw your shoulder blades back towards your spine and down towards your waist. As you do this, you should feel the front of your shoulders lifting up.
- Lie on your stomach with your arms fully extended and your thumbs pointing up. Keep your body straight and lift your arms as far as you can. Your core should be tightened during this exercise. Your body should make a "Y" shape. Keep your arms straight, pause at the top, and then return. Exhale when raising your arms and inhale when lowering them.
- Stand with your body facing an elastic exercise band that is tied to a doorknob or another stable object. Hold one end of the band in one hand with your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle at your side. Keeping your arm close to your side, slowly pull your elbow straight back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly return your arm to the starting position. Repeat eight to 12 times and complete three sets on each arm.
- Lie on your belly with your arm hanging straight down. Keep your elbow straight and raise your arm overhead, slowly pinching your shoulder blade back. Your arm should be next to your ear at the top of the movement. Hold for one to two seconds and then slowly return your arm to the starting position. Repeat this exercise eight to 15 times and complete three sets on both arms.
It is important to add stretches to your routine once you have built some strength in your scapular stabilisers. Tightness in the front of the shoulder and in the upper traps, often from poor posture, can affect how the shoulder blade moves.
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Develop the lower trapezius
Developing the lower trapezius muscles is important for improving shoulder blade control, shoulder mobility, and posture. Here are some exercises to help you develop and strengthen your lower trapezius muscles:
Prone Cobra
Lie on your stomach with your arms fully extended and your thumbs pointing up. Lift your arms as far as you can while keeping your arms straight and tightening your core. Your body should form a "Y" shape. Pause at the top and slowly lower your arms back down. Exhale as you raise your arms and inhale when lowering them. Repeat this exercise to build thickness in your traps.
Resistance Band Shrug
Stand or sit upright with a resistance band. Hold the band in front of you with your arms fully extended and your palms facing down. Pull the band towards you, bringing it close to your body. This exercise helps target the lower trapezius muscles and improves shoulder mobility.
Dumbbell Shrug
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and position your elbows against your sides with your forearms across your belly. Lift the dumbbells by rotating your shoulders. You can also do this exercise with a cord instead of dumbbells. Focus on maintaining a fixed 90-degree elbow position throughout the exercise.
Cable Pulley Exercise
Use a cable machine and attach a rope to the clip. Raise the cable pulley a couple of notches taller than your height. Grasp the rope above the knots with your palms facing down and thumbs pointing towards you. Take a few steps back so that the cable is tight and your arms are fully extended. Keep your lower back upright and slightly bend your knees to engage your core. Pull the rope towards you, aiming for your nose with your elbows flared out. Hold this position for a count while contracting your shoulder blades together.
Pull-Up Bar Exercise
Grasp a pull-up bar with your palms facing you and slightly closer than shoulder-width apart. Fully extend your arms with your feet crossed behind you and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your torso straight while creating a curvature in your lower back or sticking out your chest. Exhale and pull yourself up until your head is above the bar. Focus on using your bicep muscles and middle back. As you lift, keep your elbows close to your body. Hold this position for a count and slowly lower yourself back down.
Remember, it's important to maintain proper form and posture during these exercises to ensure effectiveness and prevent injury.
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Frequently asked questions
The trapezius muscles are large, paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscles that extend longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. They are also known as "traps".
Training the trapezius muscles can help improve your posture and shoulder mobility, increase the range of motion, and reduce the risk of shoulder impingement. They also provide stability and increase muscular strength development in the upper body.
There are various exercises that can help improve your trapezius muscles, including:
- Shrug exercises: Lifting your shoulder blades and performing a scapular upward rotation.
- Power shrug: An advanced version of the traditional shrug where you don't need to retract the shoulders as hard.
- Push-ups with hands in a triangle position: This engages the trapezius muscles to control and stabilise the shoulder and scapular motions.
- Lying on your stomach with arms extended and thumbs pointing up: Lift your arms as far as you can while keeping your body in a "Y" shape.
- Dumbbell cord lift: Lie on your side with legs separated for support, grasp a dumbbell or cord, and lift by rotating your shoulder.
An overactive upper trapezius can cause pain and tightness in the area. This can be caused by prolonged tasks such as working at a desk or driving, which can lead to a chronic misalignment of the upper traps.
