The 15 Best Trap Exercises (Plus 3 Trap Workouts)

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Here are the three best trap exercises you can do:

  1. A shrug (machine, cable, dumbbell, or barbell)
  2. A row (machine, cable, or dumbbell)
  3. A pulldown (lat pulldown, pull-up, or chin-up)

Well, more accurately, these are the three best movements for training the traps—a row, a shrug, and a pulldown.

You have a lot of flexibility in terms of the exact exercise variations you use, and I’ll share my favorites in this article (some are better than others).

Unlike most muscle groups, the traps are composed of three parts shaped like a star in the center of your upper back, and they contract in different and sometimes opposing directions.

Their primary functions are to move your scapulae (shoulder blades) up (elevation), down (depression), and back toward your spine (retraction), and to keep them locked in position during heavy pulling exercises like deadlifts and loaded carries.

Here’s what scapular retraction looks like:

Here’s what scapular depression looks like:

And here’s what scapular elevation looks like:

Most upper body exercises only train the traps isometrically, and don’t train the traps through any meaningful range of motion up, down, or back.

It’s common for people to have well-developed lats and shoulders, but poor mid- and upper-back development, and this largely stems from not doing the right trap exercises or doing them with poor form.

The movements I listed above train every portion of the traps:

  1. A shrugging movement elevates your shoulder blades, which trains the upper fibers of your traps.
  2. A rowing movement (when performed the way shown below) retracts your shoulder blades, which trains the middle fibers of the traps.
  3. A pulldown movement (when performed correctly) depresses your shoulder blades, which trains the lower fibers of the traps.

Put all three together, and you’ll develop muscular, strong, symmetrical traps and a thick mid- and upper-back.

1. Seated Cable Row

How to:

  1. Attach the handle to the cable row machine, sit on the pad, and place your feet against the footrests.
  2. Lean forward, grab the handle, and lean backward slightly so that your back is perpendicular to the floor and your arms are straight out in front of you.
  3. Keeping your back straight and staring straight ahead, let the handle pull your shoulder blades forward as far as they’ll go (scapular extension).
  4. Retract your shoulder blades and pinch them together as close as you can, without bending your elbows.
  5. Once your shoulder blades are as far back as possible, pull the handle to your abdomen, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
  6. Once the handle touches your torso, straighten your arms and let the weight pull your shoulder blades forward as far as they’ll go to return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The seated cable row allows you to get excellent scapular retraction and extension, keeps tension on your traps throughout the full range of motion, and trains both arms simultaneously. In addition to training the traps, it also hits your biceps, rear delts, and lats. And depending on the machine, it also lets you add weight in small increments.

Mike’s tip: Concentrate on getting as deep of a stretch in your shoulder blades as you can, and pause for a moment when you retract them. If your shoulders never move, you aren’t effectively training your traps. It’s a good idea to record a video of yourself from behind the first few times you do this to confirm you’re getting full scapular retraction. Also, avoid swinging your torso back and forth to help you finish each rep. If you find yourself doing this, reduce the weight.

Alternatives:

2. One-Arm Dumbbell Row

How to:

  1. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Plant your left knee and arm firmly on a bench, your right foot on the floor a foot or two from the bench, and let your right arm (the one holding the dumbbell) hang straight down toward the floor.
  2. Let the weight pull your shoulder blade as far forward as it can go—it helps to rotate your torso slightly to get an even deeper stretch.
  3. Keeping your back straight and staring straight ahead, retract your right shoulder blade and pull it as far back as you can, without bending your elbow.
  4. Once your shoulder blade is as far back as possible, pull the dumbbell to your torso, keeping your elbow close to your sides.
  5. Once the dumbbell touches your torso, straighten your arm and let the weight pull your shoulder blade forward as far as it’ll go to return to the starting position.
  6. Once you’ve completed the desired number of reps, repeat the process with your left arm.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The one-arm dumbbell row allows you to get a deep stretch in your traps and brace your arm against a bench, which prevents your low-back strength from limiting your performance. The main downside is that most gyms don’t have dumbbells heavy enough to keep progressing for long, and they usually go up in large increments, which makes progressive overload more difficult. If your gym does have dumbbells heavy enough for you, though, this is one of the best trap exercises you can do.

Mike’s tip: Most people find that even after they can’t complete a full rep of this exercise, they can still grind out a few partial reps. I say go for it—a little extra volume is only going to help your traps grow more. If you find your grip fails before your traps, use weightlifting straps.

Alternatives:

3. Seated Machine Row

How to:

  1. Adjust the seat height so the top of the chest pad is level with the top of your breastbone, and grip the handles with your arms straight. If the handles are adjustable, set them so they’re just out of reach when you extend your arms.
  2. Grab the handles and let the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulder blades as far forward as they’ll go.
  3. Staring straight ahead, retract your shoulder blades and pinch them together as close as you can, without bending your elbows.
  4. Once your shoulder blades are pulled back as far as they’ll go, bend your elbows and pull the handles back as far as you can (generally until your hands are level with your chest).
  5. Pause briefly, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position: straighten your arms and let the weight pull your shoulder blades as far forward as they’ll go.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The chest pad allows you to better isolate your traps, back, and arms, since your lower back strength is no longer a limiting factor in the exercise. It’s also fast to set up, and most machines allow you to add weight in small increments.

Mike’s tip: If possible, adjust the handles so that the weight never rests on the rack between reps—you want tension on your back throughout every set. Try to avoid shrugging your shoulders up during this exercise—focus on pulling them straight back and together.

Alternatives:

4. Chest-Supported T-Bar Row

How to:

  1. Adjust the foot or chest pad (depending on your machine) so that the top of the chest pad is level with the top of your breastbone.
  2. Grab the handles and let the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulder blades forward as far as they’ll go.
  3. Staring straight ahead, retract your shoulder blades and pinch them together as close as you can, without bending your elbows.
  4. Once your shoulder blades are pulled back as far as they’ll go, bend your elbows and pull the handles back as far as you can (generally until your hands are level with your chest).
  5. Pause briefly, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position: straighten your arms and let the weight pull your shoulder blades as far forward as they’ll go.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: Like the chest-supported machine row, the chest pad allows you to better isolate your traps, back, and arms, since your lower back strength is no longer a limiting factor in the exercise. It’s also fast to set up, and most machines allow you to add weight in small increments. Whether you use the seated machine row or the chest-supported T-bar row is a matter of preference.

Mike’s tip: If your T-bar row doesn’t have a chest pad, I recommend you stick with the seated machine row, one-arm dumbbell row, or seated cable row. If your chest isn’t supported during this exercise, your lower-back usually fatigues before your arms and traps are fully trained.

Alternatives:

5. V-Grip Lat Pulldown

How to:

  1. Attach a V-grip (close-grip) handle to the lat pulldown machine, and adjust the thigh pad so that it locks your legs in place and prevents your butt from rising off the seat when pulling the handle down.
  2. Grab the handle with your palms facing each other, and sit down, letting your body weight pull the handle down with you, and then wedging your legs underneath the thigh pad.
  3. Sit slightly behind the cable rather than directly under it, with your chest proud and a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Relax your arms and shoulders, letting the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulders as high as possible (they should be almost touching your ears).
  5. Staring straight ahead, pull your shoulder blades down as far as you can, without bending your elbows.
  6. Once your shoulder blades are pulled down as far as they’ll go, bend your elbows and pull the handle down until it touches your torso—usually at the top of your breastbone.
  7. Pause briefly, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position: straighten your arms and let the weight pull your shoulder blades as high as they’ll go.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The pull-down involves scapular depression—pulling your shoulder blades down toward your butt, which preferentially trains your lower traps. And of course, it also trains your lats, biceps, and forearms. The V-grip keeps your elbows close to your sides, which allows you to use a longer range of motion and better aligns the direction of resistance with the muscle fibers in your lats versus wide-grip lat pulldowns.

Mike’s tip: Think about lifting your chest up to meet the handle when you pull it down. If you prefer to use a medium-grip lat pulldown using a regular bar, that’s also fine, but I don’t recommend using a wide grip for this exercise, as it makes it more difficult to get full scapular depression.

Alternatives:

  • Single-Arm Lat Pulldown (below)
  • Machine Lat Pulldown (below)
  • Lat Pulldown
  • Chin-Up (below)
  • Pull-Up (below)

6. Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

How to:

  1. Attach a single handle to the lat pulldown machine, and adjust the thigh pad so that it locks your legs in place and prevents your butt from rising off the seat when pulling the handle down.
  2. Grab the handle with your right hand and sit down, letting your body weight pull the handle down with you, and then wedge your legs underneath the thigh pad.
  3. Sit slightly behind the cable rather than directly under it, with your chest proud and a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Relax your right arm and shoulder, letting the weight pull your arm straight and your shoulder as high as possible (it should be almost touching your right ear).
  5. Staring straight ahead, pull your right shoulder blade down as far as you can, without bending your elbow.
  6. Once your shoulder blade is pulled down as far as it’ll go, bend your elbow and pull the handle down until it touches your torso—usually at the top of your chest.
  7. Pause briefly, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position: straighten your arm and let the weight pull your shoulder blade as high as it’ll go.
  8. Once you’ve completed the desired number of reps, repeat the process with your left arm.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 6–8 reps (per side) | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The single-arm lat pulldown allows you to focus on executing each rep perfectly, and to get a very deep stretch in your shoulders and lats—deeper than most people manage with two arms on the bar. That said, you don’t need the single-arm version: the regular two-arm pulldown done correctly is excellent and more time-efficient. And if you use the V-grip handle, you still get a very deep stretch in your traps and lats.

Mike’s tip: I prefer to use a neutral grip for this exercise. This allows a little more scapular elevation and rotation at the top, which means a deeper stretch in your traps and lats. You can also use an underhand (palm facing you) grip to help emphasize the biceps a little more.

Alternatives:

  • V-Grip Lat Pulldown (above)
  • Machine Lat Pulldown (below)
  • Lat Pulldown
  • Chin-Up (below)
  • Pull-Up (below)

7. Machine Lat Pulldown

How to:

  1. Adjust the thigh pad so that it locks your legs in place and prevents your butt from rising off the seat when pulling the handles down.
  2. Grab the handles and sit down, letting your body weight pull the handles down with you, and then wedge your legs underneath the thigh pad.
  3. Sit slightly behind the handles rather than directly under them, with your chest proud and a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Relax your arms and shoulders, letting the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulders as high as possible (they should be almost touching your ears).
  5. Staring straight ahead, pull your shoulder blades down as far as you can, without bending your elbows.
  6. Once your shoulder blades are pulled down as far as they’ll go, bend your elbows and pull the handles down as low as you can, usually until your hands are about level with your chin.
  7. Pause briefly, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position: straighten your arms and let the weight pull your shoulder blades as high as they’ll go.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The main benefit of a plate-loaded lat pulldown machine is that it usually allows you to add weight in smaller increments than a normal cable lat pulldown machine. The fixed path of the handles also means it requires a little less coordination. Other than this, you can think of these exercises as interchangeable.

Mike’s tip: Same as with the regular lat pulldown—focus on getting a deep stretch in your shoulders and upper back at the top of every rep. If you find that your grip starts to fail before your lats and traps, use weightlifting straps.

Alternatives:

  • V-Grip Lat Pulldown (above)
  • Single-Arm Lat Pulldown (above)
  • Lat Pulldown
  • Chin-Up (below)

8. Chin-Up

How to:

  1. Grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing toward you and your hands about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lift your feet off the floor and relax your arms and shoulders, letting your body weight pull your arms straight and your shoulders as high as possible (they should be almost touching your ears).
  3. Stare straight ahead and flex your glutes and hamstrings to keep your lower body from swinging (a good cue to remember is “tighter is lighter”).
  4. Lift your body upward by pulling your shoulder blades down as far as you can, without bending your elbows.
  5. Once your shoulder blades are pulled down as far as they’ll go, bend your elbows and pull your body upward until your chin rises above your hands, and then lower yourself to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The chin-up works all of the same muscles as the lat pulldown, but it has four advantages: the supinated (palms facing you) grip allows slightly more scapular elevation and a deeper stretch in your traps, it’s easier to incrementally add weight if you use a dip belt, you can perform it almost anywhere (you don’t even need a gym), and it trains your biceps slightly more.

Mike’s tip: To add weight to the chin-up, use a dip belt or pinch a dumbbell between your thighs. If you find this uncomfortable, wrapping a towel around the handle of the dumbbell can help. If you aren’t strong enough to do a bodyweight chin-up yet, do this on a pull-up machine (if your gym has one).

Alternatives:

  • Pull-Up (below)
  • Lat Pulldown
  • V-Grip Lat Pulldown (above)
  • Machine Lat Pulldown (above)

9. Pull-Up

How to:

  1. Grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing away from you and your hands about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lift your feet off the floor and relax your arms and shoulders, letting your body weight pull your arms straight and your shoulders as high as possible (they should be almost touching your ears).
  3. Stare straight ahead and flex your glutes and hamstrings to keep your lower body from swinging (a good cue to remember is “tighter is lighter”).
  4. Lift your body upward by pulling your shoulder blades down as far as you can, without bending your elbows.
  5. Once your shoulder blades are pulled down as far as they’ll go, bend your elbows and pull your body upward until your chin rises above your hands, and then lower yourself to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 minutes rest

Why: The pull-up is almost identical to the chin-up and you can think of them as essentially interchangeable. The main advantage of the pull-up over the chin-up, though, is that some people find it slightly more comfortable for their shoulders.

Mike’s tip: I like to rotate between pull-ups and chin-ups in my workout routine—either I’ll do pull-ups one day and chin-ups another, or (more often), I’ll focus on one exercise for 6–8 weeks before switching to the other. If your elbows or shoulders start to feel irritated by one version, switching to the other often allows you to keep training without issue.

Alternatives:

  • Chin-Up (above)
  • Lat Pulldown
  • V-Grip Lat Pulldown (above)
  • Machine Lat Pulldown (above)

10. Seated Machine Shrug-Back (Straight-Arm Machine Row)

How to:

  1. Adjust the seat height so the top of the chest pad is level with the top of your breastbone, and grip the handles with your arms straight. If the handles are adjustable, set them so they’re just out of reach when you extend your arms.
  2. Grab the handles and relax your arms and shoulders, letting the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulders as far forward as they’ll go.
  3. Staring straight ahead, retract your shoulder blades and pinch them together as close as you can, without bending your elbows.
  4. Pause briefly, then let the weight pull your shoulder blades forward and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 minutes rest

Why: The shrug-back is the single best isolation exercise for training your traps. It’s basically just a machine row with your arms taken out, so you aren’t limited by the strength of your biceps. And the fact that you can brace your chest against a pad means you aren’t limited by your lower-back strength, either—your traps are doing all of the work.

Mike’s tip: There are generally two ways I like to program this exercise: as a stand-alone exercise that you perform like any other, or as a “finisher” at the end of your seated machine rows. I typically prefer the latter, since you’re already set up on the machine and you can almost always squeeze out a few reps even after your arms are fried.

For example, let’s say you do a set of 8 reps of seated machine rows to failure. Once you can no longer complete another full rep of rows, you’d immediately perform as many seated machine shrug-backs as you can until you hit failure. Then repeat for every set. If that feels like too much initially, just do this after your last set of seated machine rows.

Alternatively, you can also add a brief rest between your rows and shrug-backs, like a rest-pause set. In this case, you’d finish your rows, rest ~20 seconds or so (just enough to catch your breath and rest your grip), and then do a set of shrug-backs to failure.

If you do this as a standalone exercise, how you program it really depends on your goals. If your main goal is to develop your traps, it makes sense to do it before your seated machine rows (when your traps are freshest). If you want to develop your traps, arms, lats, and rear delts more or less equally, do shrug-backs after rows.

Alternatives:

  • Chest-Supported T-Bar Shrug-Back (below)
  • Seated Cable Shrug-Back (below)
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Shrug-Back (below)
  • Chest-Supported Dumbbell Shrug-Back (aka the “Kelso Shrug”)
  • Seal Row Shrug-Back

11. Chest-Supported T-Bar Shrug-Back

How to:

  1. Adjust the foot or chest pad (depending on your machine) so that the top of the chest pad is level with the top of your breastbone.
  2. Grab the handles and let the weight pull your arms straight and your shoulder blades forward as far as they’ll go.
  3. Staring straight ahead, retract your shoulder blades and pinch them together as close as you can, without bending your elbows.
  4. Pause briefly, then let the weight pull your shoulder blades forward and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 minutes rest

Why: Like the seated machine shrug-back, the chest pad allows you to better isolate your traps. It’s also fast to set up, and most machines allow you to add weight in small increments. Whether you do shrug-backs using the seated machine row or the chest-supported T-bar row is a matter of preference.

Mike’s tip: If your T-bar row doesn’t have a chest pad, stick with the seated machine shrug-back, seated cable shrug-back, or one-arm dumbbell shrug-back. If your chest isn’t supported during this exercise, your lower-back usually fatigues before your traps are fully trained.

Alternatives:

  • Seated Machine Shrug-Back (above)
  • Seated Cable Shrug-Back (below)
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Shrug-Back (below)
  • Chest-Supported Dumbbell Shrug-Back (aka the “Kelso Shrug”)
  • Seal Row Shrug-Back

12. Seated Cable Shrug-Back (Straight-Arm Cable Row)

How to:

  1. Attach a V-grip handle to the cable row machine and sit upright with your feet braced on the platform.
  2. Grab the handle with your arms straight, and let the weight pull your shoulder blades forward into a stretch.
  3. Keeping your arms straight and your back upright, retract your shoulder blades and pinch them together as close as you can, without bending your elbows.
  4. Pause briefly, then let the weight pull your shoulder blades forward and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 minutes rest

Why: If your gym doesn’t have a seated machine row, this is a good alternative. The main downside is that it requires a lot of low-back strength, which can limit your sets if your lower-back fatigues before your traps.

Mike’s tip: Program these the same way you would the seated machine shrug-back.

Alternatives:

  • Seated Machine Shrug-Back (above)
  • Chest-Supported T-Bar Shrug-Back (above)
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Shrug-Back (below)
  • Chest-Supported Dumbbell Shrug-Back (aka the “Kelso Shrug”)

13. One-Arm Dumbbell Shrug-Back

How to:

  1. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Plant your left knee and arm firmly on a bench, your right foot on the floor a foot or two from the bench, and let your right arm (the one holding the dumbbell) hang straight down toward the floor.
  2. Let the weight pull your shoulder blade as far forward as it can go—it helps to rotate your torso slightly to get an even deeper stretch.
  3. Keeping your back straight and staring straight ahead, retract your right shoulder blade and pull it as far back as you can, without bending your elbow.
  4. Pause briefly, then let the weight pull your shoulder blade forward and return to the starting position.
  5. Once you’ve completed the desired number of reps, repeat the process with your left arm.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 minutes rest

Why: The one-arm dumbbell shrug-back works just like the seated machine shrug-back, chest-supported T-bar shrug-back, and seated cable shrug-back. On the plus side, it allows you to fully focus on one arm at a time and get a very deep stretch in your traps. On the con side, using dumbbells is more awkward and it’s not as time-efficient as the other options.

Mike’s tip: While this is an effective exercise for training your traps, I generally prefer to use one of the other shrug-back variations instead. That said, if you’re already doing one-arm dumbbell rows, doing a set of shrug-backs at the end of your sets is a great way to grow your traps. If you find your grip fails before your traps, use weightlifting straps.

Alternatives:

  • Seated Machine Shrug-Back (above)
  • Chest-Supported T-Bar Shrug-Back (above)
  • Seated Cable Shrug-Back (above)
  • Chest-Supported Dumbbell Shrug-Back (aka the “Kelso Shrug”)

14. Barbell Shrug

How to:

  1. Set the safety bars or hooks in a squat rack to midthigh height and load the bar (or load a barbell on the floor and deadlift it into position).
  2. Grip the bar just outside your thighs with your palms facing you, stand up tall with your chest out, and lean forward so your shoulders are over the bar.
  3. Let the bar pull your arms straight and shoulder blades down as far as they’ll go.
  4. Take a deep breath, brace your abs, and raise your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as they’ll go, keeping your arms straight.
  5. Pause briefly, then let the weight pull your shoulders down and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 minutes rest

Why: Research shows the good ol’ shrug is one of the most effective upper-trap exercises you can do. It’s easy to learn, you can do it in any gym with a barbell, and it allows you to incrementally add weight over time.

Mike’s tip: Move your shoulders straight up and straight down. Don’t roll your shoulders forward or backward. This doesn’t make the exercise more effective and often irritates your shoulders.

Alternatives:

  • Dumbbell Shrug (below)
  • Machine Shrug
  • Cable Shrug with Bar

15. Dumbbell Shrug

How to:

  1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, stand up tall with your chest out, and lean forward so your shoulders are over the dumbbell handles.
  2. Let the dumbbells pull your arms straight and shoulder blades down as far as they’ll go.
  3. Take a deep breath, brace your abs, and raise your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as they’ll go, keeping your arms straight.
  4. Pause briefly, then let the weight pull your shoulders down and return to the starting position.

Sets, Reps, and Rest: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 minutes rest

Why: These work exactly the same way as the barbell shrug, and you can program them interchangeably.

Mike’s tip: Some people find dumbbell shrugs more comfortable than barbell shrugs, but I’ve never found this to be an issue for myself or the tens of thousands of people I’ve worked with through my books and coaching program. Dumbbells are also more awkward to get into position, require more coordination and balance, and generally force you to add weight in larger increments, which is why I tend to favor the barbell shrug.

Alternatives:

  • Barbell Shrug (above)
  • Machine Shrug
  • Cable Shrug with Bar

The 3 Best Trap Workouts

The Best Trap Isolation Workout

Seated Cable Row: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Cable Shrug-Back: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 min rest
V-Grip Lat Pulldown: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Barbell Shrug: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 min rest

If your number one goal is developing your traps, this is the workout for you. The seated cable row trains your mid-traps, lats, biceps, and rear delts, the seated cable shrug-back isolates your mid-traps, the pulldown trains your lower traps, and the shrug trains your upper traps.

Note: I typically wouldn’t recommend dedicating an entire workout just to traps, even if this muscle group is lagging. The traps do get some stimulus from stabilizing the scapulae during many upper body exercises (especially heavy pulling exercises like the deadlift), and most people don’t need to do more than a few sets of trap isolation exercises per week to grow them effectively.

This is why I prefer to program trap exercises as part of your existing upper-body workouts or pull workouts, rather than programming a dedicated “traps” workout. For example . . .

Pull Workout with Traps Emphasis

Barbell Deadlift: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 min rest
One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Machine Shrug-Back: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 min rest
Lat Pulldown: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest
Alternating Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 2–3 min rest

This is a normal pull day with additional exercises and sets for your traps. The deadlift loads your upper- and mid-traps isometrically, the one-arm dumbbell row trains your mid-traps, lats, biceps, and rear delts, the seated machine shrug-back isolates your mid-traps, the lat pulldown trains your lower-traps, lats, and biceps, and the curls train your biceps.

Upper Body Workout with Traps Emphasis

Chin-Up: 3 sets | 4–6 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Cable Row: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Seated Cable Shrug-Back: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 min rest
Machine Chest Press: 3 sets | 6–8 reps | 2–3 min rest
Barbell Shrug: 3 sets | 8–10 reps | 1–2 min rest

Typically I favor the bench press as the primary pushing exercise, but in this case, your traps and upper back will already be fatigued from the chin-ups, rows, and shrug-backs, which can make heavy bench pressing unstable and unsafe. Thus, the machine chest press is a better option as it’s easier to perform even when your traps are toast.

If you’re feeling feisty, you can add a few sets of biceps and triceps at the end of this workout, too.

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