TRAPEZE EXERCISES

 

Trapeze Exercises

TRAPEZOID ANATOMY

Trapezius Anatomy

The trapezius muscle is a dorsal muscle, located around the spine in the upper body. It connects the neck, the shoulders and the middle of the back. The trapezium is divided into three parts, also called bundles. The upper trapezius is a triangle that lodges in the neck. And finally, the middle trapezius is a band that crosses the shoulders from side to side.

 

As for the lower trapezius, it connects the shoulders to the center of the spine, roughly where the ribs begin. From top to bottom, the trapezius connects the skull (just at the level of the sterno-cleido-mastoid muscle), passing through the cervicals, to the tenth thoracic vertebra. The antagonist muscles of the trapezius are the serratus anterior muscle and the latissimus dorsi muscle. It is in contact with the skin for its rear part and with the spinal muscles, latissimus dorsi, supraspinatus, serratus superior, rhomboids, levator scapulae, splenius and complexus for its front part. All this being learning, we will see in this article how to build your trapezius muscles, but to start:

 

What Are These Muscles For?

The lower part has two functions. First, it allows the lowering of the shoulders. Then, it allows the lower angle of the scapula to swing outward.

The middle part also has two functions. It brings the shoulder blade closer to the spine and allows the shoulder to be pulled back.

Finally the upper part has three functions. It is used to shrug the shoulders. It allows you to extend your head back. Finally, it allows you to turn your head and tilt it.

 

Three Exercises To Strengthen The Trapezius Muscles

Shrugs Bar

This bodybuilding exercise develops the upper bundle and the lateral bundle, i.e. the upper back. It also allows you to strengthen your arms. To do this, you will need a weighted bar.

Stand upright, torso straight, arms stretched downwards with the bar at the end of the hands behind the back. Just do shrugs. Think of the “I don’t care” gesture, this automatism that some people have.

 

The goal is to go up as high as possible and go down as low as possible in order to use the muscle as much as possible. You must pause at the top of the movement for at least 2 seconds for this exercise to be effective. This is called the tempo in bodybuilding.

 

Be careful, however, never to make sudden movements at the risk of injury. Inhale on the way up, exhale on the way down. In order to make the exercise more effective, it is advisable not to overload the barbell too much and to make more movements. The traps are strong muscles, and you probably won't have any trouble increasing the weight. However, these muscles respond better over time rather than intensity.

 

Dumbbell Shrugs

Also called dumbell shrugs. Like its cousin with lever, this exercise allows you to strengthen the upper beam and the lateral beam. You will need to equip yourself with two dumbbells of equal weight.

And standing, arms straight down, with a dumbbell in each hand, you will once again practice shrugs of your shoulder blades. The dumbbells stand in front of you, if possible with the grips in the same alignment. The advantage of this technique compared to a fixed bar is precisely that the initial position of the hands can be modified. Thus, you can perform the variant with the dumbbells on the side, or even with the dumbbells at the back. For the latter, just remember to switch your hands from an overhand grip to a supine grip. Always remember to keep your back straight, and not to roll your shoulders to avoid injury.

 

Row Chin Bar

Also called vertical draw. This is the most complete of exercises, because in addition to strengthening the back, it will also strengthen the biceps, anterior deltoids, middle deltoids and posterior deltoids. It also works the muscles of the shoulder joint such as the teres major. It can also be done with expanders

Again, in a standing position, you hold the bar at arm's length. You will then bend your elbows to bring the bar up to your chin. Then lower it back to the initial position. The tighter your grip (not less than six inches all the same), the more beneficial the exercise will be for the trapezius muscles. On the contrary, a wider grip will focus on the deltoids. Be careful, however, because the more you reduce the gap between your hands, the more your exercise becomes unstable. It's up to you to find the right balance between benefit and safety. To be performed correctly, the chin row must be done by keeping the bar always close to the body, keeping your back straight, and above all by concentrating your effort on your elbows. The wrists should not be strained or trvery few, under penalty of leaving them.

End Of Session Stretches For The Trapezius Muscles

After having chained all these bodybuilding exercises, it is essential to relax your muscles, mainly the shoulder joints. Stretching is the best solution to relieve the muscle fibers and will allow a return to calm. To do this, here are some techniques that are easy to apply and put into practice. Shoulder rotations are particularly recommended to relax your trapezius muscles. Three sets of ten repetitions are sufficient to restore flexibility to the muscles. You can also swing your head from right to left by pressing your chin to the neck in between. A gesture to be carried out very gently so as not to traumatize the muscles and to have an effect opposite to that sought. Finally, it is possible to resume empty shrugs. This consists of raising your shoulders, holding your breath for a few seconds, and dropping your shoulders all of a sudden. Gesture to be made for thirty seconds to a minute. Relaxation guaranteed at any time of the day. Indeed, all these exercises can be done anywhere and anytime.

 

Conclusion

Building your trapezius muscle by doing bodybuilding exercises is quite easy. No need for bulky equipment or twisting in all directions to develop your muscles. You are free to choose the weights you will lift as well as the intensity of your movements. The only rules to respect are therefore classic: know yourself well, do not overdo it, and always take a recovery time in order to offer the muscle a return to calm worthy of the name.