trap exercises for women: 7 Best Trap Exercises for Women

Performing trap exercises is important for women as strong traps help improve stooped-over posture, reduce shoulder and neck pain, and also prevent osteoporosis.

Trap exercises particularly target the lower and middle trapezius are an ideal choice for a number of reasons. They help with shoulder flexibility, balance, and injury prevention and also help in reducing bulkiness in the upper body.

7 Best trap exercises for women

1) Farmers walk

Farmer's carry workout. (Image credits: Pexels/ Niragire Tresor)

Also referred to as farmer's carry workout, this is one of the best trap exercises for toning and strengthening your traps. It is a full-body workout that also trains your core and improves your grip.

Place dumbbells on either side of the floor.
Keeping your feet at a hip-width distance, stand straight and roll your shoulders down. Keep your gaze forward.
Without bending your torso, bend your knees to lower your body.
Pick the dumbbells in both hands and walk 10 steps forward while keeping your abdominal muscles tight and shoulders in a neutral position.

2) Face pulls

Face pulls are another very effective exercise for the trapezius. It is an easy workout that can be done with a resistance or TRX band.

Set up the TRX cable machine by adjusting it above your head level.
Add a rope attachment with two handles.
Grab the handles with an overhand grip with your palms facing the ground.
Move backwards until your arms are fully extended.
Now take a kneeling position, roll your shoulders down, and pull the weight firmly to lift it off the weight stack.
Pull your hands back towards the sides of your head and flare out your elbows to the sides.
Pause and then slowly pull back your arms to the initial position.

3) Prone I & T

This exercise strengthens the traps and also reduces muscle tightness and shoulder curvature.

For prone I, lie down straight on your stomach and keep your arms extended in front of you. Keep your thumbs up.
Raise both your hands off the ground, count to 5, and then relax.
For prone T, lie down on your belly and keep your arms to the sides with your thumbs up.
Lift your hands to the sides (off the floor), count to 5, and relax.
Repeat both.

4) Wide grip row

A wide grip row helps strengthen the lower and middle traps.

Set the cable pulley machine to your shoulder level with a wide bar attached to it.
Hold the bar tightly and keep your elbows and arms below your shoulder height. Keep the shoulders engaged.
Pull your elbows back to squeeze your shoulders as tightly as possible.
Now aim to get the bar towards your chest.
Extend your arms to return to the initial position.

5) Push-ups

Push-ups are a productive trap exercise that not only targets the trapezius but also works on several other muscles in the body, such as the core and legs.

Put your hands on the floor or a wall.
Maintain a straight line from your head to toe.
While keeping your back absolutely straight and your core muscles tight, lower your body towards your hands. Make sure to keep your neck aligned with your spine.
Continue to lower your body until your chest touches the ground or the wall.
Gently push back up to the starting position.

6) Reverse flys

Reverse flys also strengthen and engage your trapezius muscles. Perform this trap exercise with weights and make sure to focus on your form.

Stand straight. Keep your feet at your shoulder distance.
Hold a dumbbell in both hands, and keep your shoulders back and knees slightly bent.
Now start bending forward from your waist and allow your hands to extend straight in front of you.
Keeping your core muscles engaged and arms extended straight, lift the dumbbells until they are parallel with your shoulders.
Pause and then bring them back to the initial position.

7) Upright row

The upright row is another very popular trap exercise for toning the trapezius muscles. You can do this exercise with a barbell or dumbbells in your hands.

Stand upright. Keep your fists clenched properly.
While keeping your hands close to your body and elbows bent, pull your fists as high as you can.
Hold for 5 seconds and then relax your arms while keeping your fists still clenched.
Repeat.

The trap exercises discussed above will definitely help to enhance strength and reduce muscle tightness in your trapezius. However, when performing these trap exercises, be very certain to use the correct form and range of motion. If you are unsure about your form, practice them under the guidance of a certified fitness professional.