Contents hide
6 Best shoulder as well as Trap WorkoutsSeated Dumbbell PressHow to do Seated Dumbbell Press
Barbell armed forces PressHow to do Barbell armed forces Press
Front as well as Lateral Dumbbell RaisesHow to do Front as well as Lateral Dumbbell Raises
Dumbbell Rear Lateral RaisesHow to do Rear Dumbbell Lateral Raises
ShrugsHow to do Shrugs
Upright Rows
Injury Prevention
6 Best shoulder as well as Trap Workouts
I believe it’s risk-free to presume we all have our preferred “workout day.” I’m sure that day for you instantly popped into your head. For some of us, it’s leg day. Or as I prefer to call it, glute day. For others, it may be getting a great lift in for those traps as well as shoulders. in spite of your preferred day, it’s important to carve time out each week to hit all of those important muscle mass groups.
While I might workout lower body 5 out of 7 days each week, that wouldn’t truly do my upper body any type of good. One of the muscle mass groups I struggle to workout the most is my shoulders as well as traps. Let’s just call it a love/hate relationship. I hate it while I’m doing it, however guy do I LOVE it when I’m finished!
To be honest, I’m not sure why I dislike working out these areas so much. What I do know, is that there are far more benefits to doing shoulder as well as trap workouts than there is for not doing them. So, I put those personal feelings aside as well as put the work in making sure my body reaps the benefits of a great shoulder as well as trap workout.
Yes, training the shoulders as well as traps is aesthetically pleasing. I’m sure you have seen an outstanding looking set of shoulders as well as traps at some point! However, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, working out the shoulders as well as traps has a range of benefits including:
Enhancing your posture
Strengthening the muscles that surround the shoulder joint
Creating more stability for the neck as well as head (which is extremely beneficial for athletes)
Increases upper body stamina as well as power (AKA, you’ll never requirement assist to open that pasta jar again!)
Strength training exercises can boost heart health
Keeps your bones healthy as well as builds density (bones lose their stamina each year)
It makes you feel great as well as look good!!
So, are you prepared to get that upper body pump in yet? My assumption is most likely YES! particularly now that you understand the a number of benefits that come along with a shoulder as well as trap workout. now the next question: “what shoulder as well as trap workouts should I do?” There are so many that it’s difficult to figure out where to start. To assist you out, I’ve compiled a listing of my go-to shoulder as well as trap workouts, as well as exactly how to do them!
Seated Dumbbell Press
Let’s get this celebration started with seated dumbbell press! This is a fantastic exercise for building muscle mass as well as strengthening your shoulders — particularly the front heads of the shoulder. While you can do this exercise with a barbell, using a dumbbell may reduce the danger of injury. Plus, one shoulder can’t compensate for the other if you utilize a dumbbell.
How to do Seated Dumbbell Press
Start by setting up a bench at a 90-degree angle as well as pick out your desired dumbbell weight from the rack.
Lift the dumbbell from the floor with your palms facing in. put the dumbbells on your knees as well as sit down on the bench.
Lift the dumbbells into location in a sluggish as well as controlled motion. try not to jerk or sling the weights up, this will assist prevent injury.
Once you have your dumbbells in place, rotate your palms so they are facing forward.
Take a deep inhale as well as press the dumbbells overhead by extending your elbows.
Slowly lower your dumbbells back to the starting position. Your arms should be around 90 degrees or lower depending on exactly how long your arms are.
Repeat the exercise as many times as you’d like. I generally perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Barbell armed forces Press
Up next is the barbell armed forces press, likewise known as an overhead press. This compound motion helps to develop the size of your shoulders as well as traps, while likewise increasing their strength. We can perform the barbell armed forces press as a stamina lift or just to develop the shoulder as well as trap muscles. There are a range of benefits that come with performing this exercise such as encouraging healthy shoulder mobility as well as builds your upper-body stamina for other movements.
How to do Barbell armed forces Press
Begin by adjusting your barbell just below shoulder height as well as loading the desired weight amount onto the bar.
Stand with the feet about shoulders distance apart as well as location your hands about shoulder width on the bar.
Step underneath the barbell as well as unrack it. Be sure to keep your spine in a neutral setting while doing this.
Once you have unracked the bar, take a few steps back. From here, tuck the chin as well as press the bar up until it locks out overhead.
Slowly reverse the motion up until the bar is back at your chest.
Repeat as many reps as desired.
Front as well as Lateral Dumbbell Raises
Number three on the listing of shoulder as well as trap workouts is front as well as lateral dumbbell raises. This exercise combines two movements that will enhance the middle deltoids as well as anterior deltoids. If you have little time to get a workout in, front as well as lateral dumbbell raises are the perfect exercise to get in a quick burnout session.
How to do Front as well as Lateral Dumbbell Raises
For front dumbbell raises, begin by holding a dumbbell in each hand to the front of your body.
Keep a slight bend in the knees as well as begin lifting a dumbbell one at a time to the front of your body up until it is shoulder height.
Bring the dumbbell back to the starting setting (in a sluggish as well as controlled motion).Repeat with the other arm. Repeat as many reps as desired.For lateral dumbbell raises, begin by holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down by your side.Keep a slight bend in the knees as well as begin lifting the dumbbells laterally up until they are shoulder height.Bring the dumbbells back to the starting setting (in a sluggish as well as controlled motion).
Lower the weights as well as repeat the sequence as much as desired.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raises
Dumbbell rear lateral raises are one more “must” to add to your shoulder as well as trap workout. This upper-body exercise will add size as well as boost the stamina of your posterior deltoids. keep in mind that this exercise targets a smaller muscle mass group, so you can do lighter weights as well as more reps.
How to do Rear Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Begin with your feet hip distance apart. The knees should be bent as well as dumbbells in your hands.
Hinge ahead from the waist as well as let your arms hang forward. Face your palms inward as well as elbows should be somewhat bent. Be sure to keep a great posture while performing this exercise to reduce the danger of injury.
Start contracting the shoulder blades together as you lift the dumbbells in a lateral direction. Keeping a slight bend in the elbow, lift the dumbbells as well as then slowly lower back to the starting position.
Repeat as many reps as desired.
Shrugs
Shrugs are a extremely prominent exercise that is done to develop as well as enhance the trap muscles. Not only does this exercise enhance the muscles, it’s likewise extremely simple to set up as well as perform. Which makes it an simple go-to shoulder as well as trap workout!
How to do Shrugs
Start in a standing setting with the feet flat on the floor about shoulder distance apart.
Put your arms down by your sides as well as turn the palms to face each other.
Keep a micro-bend in the knees, chin lifted, face looking ahead as well as neck straight.
Lift your shoulders as high to your ears as possible. Be sure to do this in a sluggish movement so you can truly feel the exercise as well as any type of resistance. (Tip: hold at the top for about three seconds to intensify the workout)
Slowly lower the shoulders back down to the starting position.
Upright Rows
Last however definitely not least, a preferred of mine, upright rows! This shoulder as well as trap workout will definitely get those babies growing in stamina as well as size. So, if you’re searching to develop stronger, bigger traps, then upright rows are a must.
Begin with either a barbell or dumbbells hanging in front of your body. keep in mind, your palms should face your body.
Stand up straight as well as change your grip so that the hands are in line with the thighs.
Maintaining great form, lift the barbell or dumbbells straight up toward the chin, leading with the elbows as well as keeping the weights close to your body. The arms shouldn’t go any type of higher than the shoulders.
Pause at the top. then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise as many times as desired.
Injury Prevention
So, you’re prepared to hit the gym as well as get in a killer shoulder as well as trap workout. great for you! However, before going in full speed, it’s important to keep in mind that preventing injuries should be a major consideration. right here are a few things to take into account before beginning your workout:
Be sure to warm-up! There’s no requirement to dive right in as well as potentially injure yourself.
Don’t lift as well much weight. particularly if you are a beginner. Either way, less weight as well as more reps are never a terrible choice.
Increase your weight in little increments to assist prevent injury. begin little as well as work your method up. You’ll say thanks to yourself for this later!