Maximize Your Trap Gains: Top Exercises Ranked

The Ultimate Guide to Trap Exercises: From Worst to Best

When it comes to building impressive traps, not all exercises are created equal. Jeff Cavaliere of athleanx.com takes us through a comprehensive ranking of trap exercises, from the least effective to those that promise the best gains, ensuring you invest your time and effort in the most rewarding workouts.

Criteria for Ranking

Before diving into the rankings, it's crucial to understand the criteria used:

• Muscle Building: Each exercise must effectively target the entire trap muscle, including upper, middle, and lower regions.

• Safety: The exercises must be safe to perform, avoiding those that pose risks to shoulder health and overall wellbeing.

The Worst of the Worst

Upright Row: Despite its popularity, the upright row comes in at the bottom due to its potential for causing shoulder impingement and pain.

Rolling Shrug: This variation adds no benefit over traditional shrugs and poses risks to the shoulder joint and thoracic outlet.

Above the Knee Rack Pull: Similar issues to the rolling shrug, with added stress on the shoulders due to the weight being held out in front.

Moving into the Better

Incline Y Raise: Targets the often neglected lower traps effectively with light weights.

Face Pulls: Excellent for middle traps and overall shoulder health but lacks upper trap engagement.

Urlacher: Incorporates rotator cuff work into trap development, emphasizing good shoulder biomechanics.

Trap Pulldown: Introduces a stabilizing action for the upper traps during traditional pulldown exercises.

Better Still

Farmer's Carry: Offers isometric contraction of the traps in a stretched position, beneficial for hypertrophy.

Below the Knee Rack Pull: Corrects the issues with its above-the-knee counterpart by encouraging proper scapula setting.

Plate Trap Raise: Focuses on the lower traps with the potential for slightly heavier weighting.

Dumbbell High Pull: A safer alternative to the upright row, keeping elbows below the wrists to avoid internal rotation.

Haney Shrug: Named after Lee Haney, this variation emphasizes quality over quantity, focusing on contraction from the back.

Almost the Best

Face Pull with Extension: Adds lower trap work to the already effective face pull for a more comprehensive exercise.

Wraparound Row: Allows for heavier weights while focusing on middle trap development through a unique crossover grip.

Dumbbell vs. Barbell Shrug: Choice depends on your deadlifting routine; dumbbell shrugs offer a safer alternative with neutral grip.

Cable Angled Shrug: Aligns with the direction of upper trap fibers for a strong contraction, potentially superior to traditional shrugs.

The Best of the Best

Trap Bar Shrug: Combines safety, science, and the ability to load heavily, making it the top choice for targeting the upper traps effectively.

Jeff Cavaliere's ranking not only provides a roadmap to safer, more effective trap training but also emphasizes the importance of exercise selection in achieving muscular development. For those looking to build impressive traps, focusing on the exercises ranked as 'Better Still' and 'Almost the Best' will ensure both safety and efficacy in your workouts.

For more detailed insights and visuals on each exercise, watch the full video here.