The trapezius
muscles are the visual center of the upper back, the trapezoidal
structure that ties together the neck, deltoid, and latissimus muscles.
The traps muscles play an important part in both front and rear poses,
In shot like the back double biceps, the traps help produce that
fantastic effect where your muscles ripple from elbow to elbow clear
across the top of your back.
In a rear lat
pose, as your lats come forward and sweep out, the trapezius muscles
form a clear triangle of muscle in the middle of your back. Trap
development also helps to separate the rear delts from the upper back.
And in most front poses, the line of the traps, from neck to deltoids,
is extremely important, especially if you want to be able to do an
impressive most muscular shot.
But the traps
have to be developed in proportion to the rest of your body. If they
stick up too high and slow down too abruptly, your deltoids will appear
too small. The traps muscles work in opposition to the pulldown function
of the lats - they raise they entire shoulder girdle. Include heavy
upright rows as part of your power training so that your traps muscles
will build mass and strength right from the start. But the traps also
benefit from the barbell clean and press and from heavy deadlifts.
Incidentally,
you will get some trap muscles development from dumbbell laterals,
provided you do it the right way. Starting with the dumbbells in front
of the thighs rather than hanging down by your sides. Include dumbbell
shrugs as part of your trapezius training. These work the traps
directly, and you can build up to a tremendous amount of weight in this
workout. Almost any rowing exercise (bent over barbell rows) or shoulder
press (barbell or dumbbell) involves a lifting motion of the traps as
well as other muscle functions. And strong traps help you use heavier
weight in all of these other movements.
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