Let’s be honest – the unfortunate truth is that everybody wants to develop a set of lean and mean traps but almost nobody is willing to put in the hard work required for this ambitious goal. The road to building massive, sculpted traps isn’t anywhere near the typical the end of a shoulder workout.
In order to grow, these bad guys demand plenty of isolated attention with different exercises that will hit the upper, middle and lower section of the traps and ensure a balanced development. And luckily for you, we know the perfect routine to stimulate maximum traps growth in the shortest amount of time possible. Here it is:
#1. Barbell Shrug: 4 sets, 12-15 reps
1. Stand up straight, position your feet at shoulder width apart
2. Hold the barbell at thigh level with your palms facing in
3. Raise your shoulders up as far as you can
4. Hold for a second, then return to the original position
#2. Bent-Over Lateral Raise: 3 sets, 10-12 reps
1. Take a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing torso
2. Stand with knees slightly bent and back arched forward, arms extended out to the sides with a slight bend in the elbows
3. Raise the arms until your elbows reach shoulder height and your arms become parallel to the floor
4. Bring your shoulder blades as close together as possible
5. Slowly lower your arms to the original position
#3. Face Pull: 4 sets, 15 reps
1. Attach a rope to a cable machine and grab it with both hands
2. Keeping your upper arms parallel to the ground and your elbows higher than the wrists, pull the weight towards your face
3. Slowly return to the original position
#4. Calf Machine Shoulder Shrug: 4 sets, 12-15 reps
1. Position yourself so that the shoulder pads of the calf machine are on top of your shoulders
2. As you exhale, raise your shoulders towards your ears and hold for one second
3. Slowly return to the original position
