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The Workout to Forge Monstrous Traps

Get yoked while developing functional strength with this upper-trap-building routine.

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  • 20 min.

  • 8

  • Yes

Barbell Clean
Edgar Artiga
Barbell Clean
Edgar Artiga

The upper traps are one of the few small body parts that can make or break a physique. (Two others that come to mind are the forearms and calves.)

Physical fit man performing trap bar training exercises and working out the chest with a trap bar floor press

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Build size in this muscle and you’re “yoked”— a term derived from the prominent wooden harness that sits atop the shoulders of oxen. The only problem with getting the upper traps to grow is that most of the routines you see for this muscle are boring as hell— shrugs, followed by shrugs, and then finishing off with more shrugs—making them an easy muscle to, ahem, shrug off.

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But your upper-trap workout doesn’t have to be dull. Livening things up is simply a matter of adding some cleans and farmer’s carries to the mix. The following Level Up routine does just that to help you develop some power, core stability, and grip strength while building that coveted yoke.

Routine

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1.

Straight Up

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 2 of 8

Dip Bar Shrug

Equipment
Sets
4
Reps
10
Rest
--
Exercise 3 of 8

Smith Machine Behind-the-Back Shrug

Equipment
Sets
4
Reps
12-15
Rest
--
Exercise 4 of 8

Upright Row

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
3
Reps
12, 10, 8
Rest
--
How to
Use the machine.

2.

Level Up

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 5 of 8

Hang Clean

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
3
Reps
8
Rest
--
Exercise 7 of 8

Farmer’s Walk

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
10 + 30 sec
Rest
--
Do 10 reps of shrugs followed by 30 sec of walking.
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