Shoulders Exercises

The trapezius is a kite-shaped sheet of muscle running from the base of your skull to the middle of your back. Its upper fibers shrug and support the neck, while the often-neglected middle and lower fibers retract and depress the shoulder blades — the key to solid posture and strong pressing mechanics. Developed traps also add unmistakable thickness to the neck and upper back.

If a desk has pulled your shoulders forward and rounded your upper back, the middle and lower traps are the muscles most likely asleep on the job. The shrugs, face pulls, rows and carries below target all three regions, with warnings about the rolled-shoulder and bounced-rep habits almost everyone brings to them, plus band alternatives for home lifters.

Traps rarely need their own day; attach a shrug or carry to the end of a back or shoulder session once or twice a week, and hold the top of each rep for a beat. Bifit's activation data across all three regions helps you spot the fibers you've been skipping.