Looking for the best bodyweight trap exercises? Look no further! You don’t need any fancy equipment to build strength in your traps. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to target and strengthen this crucial muscle group without stepping foot in a gym.
In this article, we’ll explore the 12 best bodyweight trap exercises that you can do anywhere, whether at home, in the park, or even while traveling.
Why Focus on Bodyweight Trap Exercises?
Your traps, or trapezius muscles, play a vital role in maintaining posture, supporting neck movements, and stabilizing your upper back. Bodyweight trap exercises not only target this area but can also help prevent injuries, improve mobility, and create a balanced physique.
Incorporating bodyweight exercises into your routine ensures that you can work your traps effectively without needing access to weights or equipment.
Benefits of Bodyweight Trap Exercises
- No Equipment Required: You don’t need dumbbells or barbells to work your traps effectively.
- Accessibility: These exercises can be done anywhere—at home, outdoors, or while traveling.
- Injury Prevention: Strengthening your traps helps improve posture and reduce the risk of neck and upper back injuries.
- Mobility and Flexibility: Regularly performing bodyweight trap exercises improves flexibility and range of motion.
12 Best Bodyweight Trap Exercises
There are 12 best exercises for the trap using bodyweight. This exercise routine will help you to increase your flexibility quickly and provide many more benefits.
1. Bodyweight Shrugs
Bodyweight shrugs are one of the simplest and most effective bodyweight trap exercises. This movement targets your upper traps, helping you develop stronger shoulders and neck muscles.
How to Perform Bodyweight Shrugs:
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Relax your arms at your sides and keep your posture straight.
- Shrug your shoulders as high as you can, bringing them towards your ears.
- Hold the top position for a second, then slowly lower your shoulders back down.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
2. Reverse Snow Angels
Reverse snow angels are a fantastic bodyweight trap exercise to target your upper back and traps while also working your shoulders.
This exercise mimics the motion of snow angels, except it concentrates on your back instead of your front. Here’s how to do it:
How to Perform Reverse Snow Angels:
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead.
- Slowly move your arms down towards your sides while keeping them straight.
- Once your arms are at your sides, bring them back up to the starting position in a controlled motion.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
3. Scapular Pull-Ups
Scapular pull-ups target the upper traps by focusing on the movement of your shoulder blades. This exercise requires a pull-up bar or any sturdy horizontal surface you can hang from.
How to Perform Scapular Pull-Ups:
- Grab the pull-up bar with your palms facing away from your body.
- Hang with your arms fully extended, allowing your shoulder blades to drop down.
- Lift your body a little by pulling your shoulder blades back and down without bending your elbows.
- Hold for a second, then slowly release to the starting position.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
4. Prone Y Raises
The prone Y raise is another excellent bodyweight trap exercise that targets both your lower and upper traps. Performing this exercise correctly is key to avoiding strain while gaining strength in the trap area.
How to Perform Prone Y Raises:
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended above your head, forming a “Y” shape.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you slowly raise your arms off the floor.
- Hold for a moment, then lower your arms back down.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
5. Plank to Downward Dog
This dynamic movement not only targets your traps but also engages your core, shoulders, and back. It’s an excellent bodyweight workout to increase strength and stability.
How to Perform Plank to Downward Dog:
- Place your hands beneath your shoulders and begin in the high plank position.
- As you move into a downward dog pose, push your hips back and up.
- As you move, clench your traps and push through your shoulders.
- After holding for a brief moment, return to the plank posture.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
6. Pike Push-Ups
Pike push-ups are a great bodyweight exercise for the traps, shoulders, and arms. The movement focuses on the upper body, emphasizing your trapezius muscles.
How to Perform Pike Push-Ups:
- Place your hands firmly on the floor and elevate your hips to begin in the downward dog position.
- Bring your head down to the floor and bend your elbows.
- Push through your shoulders and traps to lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for three sets of 12-15 repetitions.
7. Superman Hold
The Superman hold is a simple yet effective bodyweight exercise to target the traps, lower back, and glutes. It’s a great way to enhance strength and endurance in your upper back.
How to Perform the Superman Hold:
- Lie face down with your arms extended in front of you and your legs straight.
- Raise your legs, arms, and torso as high as you can off the ground.
- Hold this position for 15-30 seconds, focusing on engaging your traps.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 3 holds.
8. Reverse Hyperextension
While reverse hyperextensions are typically performed on a machine, you can also do a bodyweight version to target your traps and lower back.
How to Perform Reverse Hyperextension:
- With your legs out in front of you, lie face down on the floor.
- Lift your legs off the ground, squeezing your glutes and lower back to engage the traps.
- After a brief moment of holding at the top, carefully drop your legs once more.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
9. T-Raise
The T-raise is another great movement for targeting your upper traps, shoulders, and back. It’s an ideal bodyweight exercise for enhancing posture and strength in the upper body.
How to Perform T-Raises:
- Stand tall with your arms extended straight in front of you.
- Move your arms outward, forming a “T” shape with your body.
- Return to the beginning posture after squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
10. Wall Walks
Wall walks are a challenging bodyweight exercise that will test your strength and stability while targeting your traps. They engage multiple muscles, including your upper back and shoulders.
How to Perform Wall Walks:
- Start with your feet near a wall in a push-up position.
- Walk your hands toward the wall and your feet up the wall at the same time.
- Continue until you are in an almost vertical position, with your feet touching the wall.
- To get back to the beginning position, reverse the movement.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 5-8 repetitions.
11. Bear Crawl
A dynamic bodyweight workout that works your entire body, including your traps, is the bear crawl. This movement helps improve mobility, endurance, and coordination.
How to Perform Bear Crawls:
- Start in a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the ground.
- While maintaining a flat back, raise your knees a little off the floor.
- Keep your body low and under control as you crawl forward, switching between your hands and feet.
- Move for 30-60 seconds, then rest.
12. Shrimp Squat
The shrimp squat is an advanced bodyweight exercise that engages your entire body, including your traps. It’s a great way to challenge your lower body while also activating the muscles in your upper back.
How to Perform Shrimp Squats:
- Stand on one leg with your other leg bent behind you.
- Squat down while pulling your bent leg towards your glutes.
- Repeat on the other leg after pushing yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per leg.
FAQs
1. How can I improve the effectiveness of bodyweight trap exercises?
Focus on proper form, slow down the movements to increase time under tension, and increase the number of repetitions or sets to progressively overload the muscles.
2. Can bodyweight trap exercises help with posture?
Yes, bodyweight trap exercises are excellent for improving posture. They strengthen the muscles that support your upper back and shoulders, helping to maintain proper alignment throughout the day.
3. How often should I perform bodyweight trap exercises?
To see progress, aim to perform bodyweight trap exercises 2-3 times per week, allowing for sufficient recovery between sessions.
4. Are these exercises suitable for beginners?
Yes, most of the bodyweight trap exercises are beginner-friendly. As you gain strength, progressively raise the complexity of the basic moves.
5. Can bodyweight trap exercises replace weightlifting for building traps?
While bodyweight exercises can be effective for building trap strength, incorporating weightlifting into your routine can help target the muscles more intensely.
However, bodyweight exercises can still provide significant benefits on their own.
Conclusion
Bodyweight trap exercises are a convenient, accessible, and highly effective way to build strength in your traps without the need for equipment. From shrugs to reverse snow angels, these 12 exercises will help you target your traps, improve posture, and increase upper back stability.
By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you can see significant improvements in your strength and overall physical performance.
