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Exercises

Trap exercises for men: shrugs, heavy pulls, rows and Y-raises

Published October 29, 2026

The best trap exercises for men cover all three parts of the muscle: shrugs (barbell, dumbbell or trap bar), rack pulls and farmer's walks for the upper traps that build the neck-to-shoulder slope; chest-supported rows, face pulls and incline shrugs for the middle traps; and Y-raises for the lower traps. Train them twice a week, about 10 to 20 hard sets in total. Shrug heavy for 8 to 15 reps with a one-second hold at the top, keep raises light for 10 to 15, and add weight when every set reaches the top of its range.

  1. Trap Bar Shrug Traps
  2. Barbell Shrug Traps
  3. Rack Pull Glutes, Lower Back, Traps
  4. Farmer's Walk Forearms, Traps, Shoulders
  5. Face Pull Shoulders, Upper Back
  6. Dumbbell Chest-Supported Y Raise Shoulders
  7. Dumbbell Shrug Traps

Shrugs for the upper traps

The upper traps lift your shoulder blades toward your ears, and that is all a shrug does, so you can load it heavy. Hold the top for a second; a short bounce with heavy weight does little.

Upper traps, heavy shrug

Trap Bar Shrug

Traps

The handles sit at your sides, so the shrug goes straight up with no bar against your thighs. It lets most men shrug more than any other version.

How to do it

  1. Load the trap bar, step into the middle and set your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Squat down with a flat back, take the handles palms-in and stand up tall with the bar at arm's length.
  3. Lift your shoulders straight toward your ears as high as they go, arms long.
  4. Hold for a second, then lower until your traps are fully stretched, and repeat.

Cues

  • Stand in the center
  • Straight up, straight down
  • Pause at the top

Common mistakes

  • Standing off-center so the bar tips forward or back: shift until it hangs level before the first rep.
  • Bending the knees to bounce the weight up: keep your legs still and let only the shoulders move.

Swap for: Barbell Shrug, Dumbbell Shrug, Cable Shrug

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Upper traps, barbell shrug

Barbell Shrug

Traps

Easy to load in 5 lb steps from any rack. Use straps when your grip fails before your traps do.

How to do it

  1. Set a barbell in a rack at mid-thigh height, grip it a little wider than your thighs with palms down, and stand tall with it at arm's length.
  2. Raise your shoulders straight toward your ears, as far as they travel.
  3. Pause for a full second at the top.
  4. Lower slowly to the bottom and repeat.

Cues

  • Straight up and down
  • One-second pause
  • Arms stay long

Common mistakes

  • Rolling the shoulders: lift straight up and lower straight down.
  • Bouncing the bar off the thighs with the knees: the legs stay still.

Swap for: Trap Bar Shrug, Dumbbell Shrug, Cable Shrug

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Upper traps, dumbbell shrug

Dumbbell Shrug

Traps

The dumbbells hang at your sides, so the shoulders move freely. It is the trap builder for home training.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding a dumbbell at each side, palms facing in, arms straight.
  2. Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as they go.
  3. Hold the top for one full second.
  4. Lower slowly until your shoulders are fully dropped, then repeat.

Cues

  • Straight up, not rolled
  • One-second hold at the top
  • Arms stay straight

Common mistakes

  • Rolling the shoulders in a circle: it adds nothing for the traps and is hard on the joint. Up and down only.
  • Bending the elbows to lift the dumbbells higher: that is your biceps helping. Lighten the load and keep the arms long.

Swap for: Incline Dumbbell Shrug, Barbell Shrug, Farmer's Walk

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Upper and lower traps, overhead shrug

Barbell Overhead Shrug

Traps

Shrugging with the bar locked overhead trains the traps in the position where they rotate the shoulder blades up. A light, useful extra for men who press overhead.

How to do it

  1. Press or push a light barbell overhead with a grip a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Lock your elbows and brace your abs so your ribs stay down.
  3. Lift the bar a few inches higher by raising your shoulders toward your ears, keeping your arms straight.
  4. Pause for a second, lower your shoulders back down without bending your elbows, and repeat.

Cues

  • Arms locked the whole set
  • Shoulders up toward your ears
  • Ribs down, no arch

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows so it turns into a short press: lock them and move only your shoulders.
  • Leaning back to keep the bar up: start lighter and keep your body stacked under the bar.

Swap for: Barbell Shrug, Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry, Cable Y Raise

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Heavy pulls and carries

Your traps hold the weight in every heavy pull and carry. These lifts load them for long stretches with more weight than shrugs, and they train the back and grip at the same time.

Upper traps and back, partial deadlift

Rack Pull

Glutes, Lower Back, Traps

Pulling from knee height lets you hold more weight than a deadlift, and the traps must keep it from pulling your shoulders down. Big loads, few reps.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar on rack pins or blocks just below your knees.
  2. Stand close with your feet under your hips and grip the bar overhand just outside your thighs.
  3. Hinge until your back is flat and your shoulders are slightly in front of the bar.
  4. Drive your hips forward and stand up, pulling your shoulders back at the top, then lower the bar to the pins under control.

Cues

  • Shoulders ahead of the bar
  • Finish tall, shoulders back
  • Set it down, do not drop it

Common mistakes

  • Turning the top of each rep into a lean back: stand straight and let your traps hold the weight.
  • Loading so heavy the bar bends off the pins every rep: keep it to weights you can pull smoothly for the full set.

Swap for: Barbell Deadlift, Snatch-Grip Deadlift, Barbell Shrug

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Upper traps and grip, heavy carry

Farmer's Walk

Forearms, Traps, Shoulders

Walking with heavy dumbbells keeps the traps working for 30 seconds or more, a long time under load that shrugs do not give.

How to do it

  1. Pick up two heavy dumbbells with your back flat.
  2. Stand tall with your ribs down and walk with short, quick steps.
  3. Set the weights down with a flat back when the time or distance is up.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Crush the handles
  • Quick steps

Common mistakes

  • Letting the shoulders round forward.
  • Walking so slowly the dumbbells start to swing.

Swap for: Dumbbell Suitcase Carry, Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry

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Traps and upper back, explosive pull

Barbell High Pull

Traps

Driving the bar from the floor to your chest with a fast shrug and arm pull trains the traps with speed. Learn it light; it is a power exercise, not a slow grind.

How to do it

  1. Set up as for a deadlift with a grip a bit wider than your shoulders.
  2. Stand up with the bar, and as it passes your thighs, extend your hips hard and shrug.
  3. Let the momentum carry the bar up as you pull your elbows high and out, finishing near chest height.
  4. Lower the bar back to your thighs, then to the floor, and reset before the next rep.

Cues

  • Hips first, then arms
  • Elbows high and wide
  • Reset every rep

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms before your hips extend: the arms take over only after the bar passes mid thigh.
  • Going so heavy the bar stalls at the belly: pick a load you can get to chest height every rep.

Swap for: Barbell Shrug, Snatch-Grip Deadlift, Rack Pull

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Upper traps and side delts, upright row

Cable Upright Row

Shoulders, Traps

Pulling the bar up along your body works the traps and the side shoulders together. Stop at chest height and keep a grip just wider than your shoulders.

How to do it

  1. Attach a straight bar to the low pulley and hold it with an overhand grip about shoulder width.
  2. Stand close to the machine with the bar against your thighs.
  3. Pull it up along your body, elbows leading, until your elbows reach shoulder height and the bar is near your upper chest.
  4. Lower it back to your thighs.

Cues

  • Elbows lead
  • Elbows to shoulder height
  • Wide enough grip

Common mistakes

  • Hands rising higher than your elbows: lead with the elbows the whole way and stop when they reach shoulder height.
  • Gripping close together: a shoulder-width grip lets the elbows rise out to the side.

Swap for: Dumbbell Upright Row, Upright Row, Band Upright Row

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Rows and face pulls for the middle traps

The middle traps squeeze the shoulder blades together. Rows with your chest on a pad and face pulls train that job without the lower back getting involved.

Middle traps and lats, supported row

Chest-Supported Row

Upper Back, Lats

With your chest on the pad, you can squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of each rep without your lower back taking any load.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the handles are at chest height and rest your chest on the pad.
  2. Pull the handles back until your elbows pass your torso.
  3. Let the handles return until your arms are straight and your shoulders reach forward.

Cues

  • Chest stays on the pad
  • Squeeze, then reach

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your chest off the pad to move more weight: the pad is there so your back can rest.

Swap for: Machine Row, Seated Cable Row, Incline Dumbbell Row

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Middle traps and rear delts, cable pull

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Pulling a rope toward your face with the elbows high trains the middle traps and rear shoulders. Light, high reps, twice a week.

How to do it

  1. Set the pulley at or just above head height and attach a rope. Grab it with your thumbs pointing back toward you.
  2. Step back until your arms are straight and the stack lifts, then stagger your feet or sit on a bench so you can lean back slightly without swaying.
  3. Pull the middle of the rope toward your forehead by driving your elbows out and back, keeping them at shoulder height or higher.
  4. As the rope reaches your face, pull the ends apart and rotate your hands back until your fists sit beside your ears, like a double-biceps pose.
  5. Hold that position for a beat, then let your arms straighten under control until your shoulder blades slide forward again.

Cues

  • Elbows high, hands finish behind them
  • Pull the rope apart, not just back
  • Reach forward at the start of every rep

Common mistakes

  • Loading it like a row and leaning back to move the stack: drop the weight until you can hold the end position for a second without your torso rocking.
  • Letting the elbows drop below your shoulders: the pull turns into a row and your lats and biceps take the work. Raise the pulley or lighten the load.
  • Stopping when the rope touches your face: the outward rotation at the end is what the face pull adds, so finish with your fists beside your ears.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Dumbbell Face Pull, Reverse Pec Deck

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Upper and middle traps, incline shrug

Incline Dumbbell Shrug

Traps

Leaning back on a 45-degree bench changes the shrug's line to up and slightly back, so the shoulder blades draw together as they rise and the middle traps share the work.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench to about 45 degrees and sit back against it, a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging at your sides.
  2. Shrug your shoulders up and slightly back toward the bench, keeping your arms straight.
  3. Hold for a second at the top.
  4. Lower under control until your shoulders are fully stretched, then repeat.

Cues

  • Back stays on the pad
  • Up and back, toward the bench
  • Two seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your back off the pad to get the dumbbells higher: the range is short on purpose. Stay on the bench.
  • Letting the dumbbells drop at the bottom: control the lowering so the traps work on the way down too.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shrug, Barbell Shrug, Dumbbell Chest-Supported Y Raise

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Y-raises for the lower traps

The lower traps pull the shoulder blades down and rotate them up as you reach overhead. They are small and easy to overload, so use light weights and slow reps.

Lower traps, prone Y-raise

Dumbbell Chest-Supported Y Raise

Shoulders

Lifting light dumbbells in a Y shape from an incline bench isolates the lower traps. Thumbs up, no shrugging; 5 to 10 lb dumbbells are usually enough.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench to about 45 degrees and lie chest-down on it with a very light dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging and thumbs pointing forward.
  2. Raise both arms up and out at about 30 degrees from your head, so your body makes a Y, until your arms reach the line of your body.
  3. Hold for a second at the top with your shoulder blades pulled down toward your back pockets.
  4. Lower slowly to a full hang and repeat.

Cues

  • Thumbs up the whole way
  • Shoulder blades down, not up
  • Lighter than you think

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging toward your ears as the arms rise: that moves the work to the upper traps. Lead with the shoulder blades sliding down.
  • Going heavy and swinging: this is a 5 to 10 pound exercise for most people, done for 12 to 20 reps.

Swap for: Incline Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise, Dumbbell Face Pull, Face Pull

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Lower traps and shoulders, cable Y-raise

Cable Y Raise

Shoulders, Upper Back

The cable keeps light tension on the lower traps at the bottom of the raise, where dumbbells go slack. A gym alternative to the dumbbell Y-raise.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys at the bottom and cross the cables so each hand holds the opposite handle.
  2. Step back to center with your arms crossed low ahead of your hips.
  3. Raise both arms up and out into a Y, thumbs pointing up.
  4. Bring the arms back down and across in front of your hips.

Cues

  • Thumbs up
  • Up and out
  • Light weight

Common mistakes

  • Raising straight forward: your arms should travel up and out into a Y, wider than your head.
  • Arching your lower back at the top: brace and stop when your arms are overhead.

Swap for: Dumbbell Chest-Supported Y Raise, Plank IYTW, Face Pull

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

You want bigger traps for a thicker upper back and neck

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets19 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentTrap Bar, Adjustable Cable, Barbells, Dumbbells

You lift in a gym, your shoulders and back are developing, and you want the traps to fill in the slope from your neck.

Size here comes from heavy shrugs and pulls, with one lighter move for the middle and lower traps so the build stays balanced. Day 1 has 10 sets and Day 2 has 9, so the upper traps get about 13 hard sets a week.

Day 1: Shrugs
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Trap Bar Shrug2 warm-up sets firstHold 1 second at the top. 4 × 8–12 1 2 min
Cable Upright Row 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Face Pull 3 × 12–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1: Shrugs in the session builder

Day 2: Rack pull
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rack Pull2 warm-up sets first 3 × 5–8 2 3 min
Barbell ShrugHold 1 second at the top. 3 × 10–15 1 90 s
Dumbbell Chest-Supported Y Raise 3 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 2: Rack pull in the session builder

How to run it
Day 1 at the end of a pull or upper day, Day 2 at the end of a lower day where you are not deadlifting heavy. Keep two days between.
How to progress
Add 10 lb to shrugs and rack pulls when all sets reach the top of the rep range at the target reps in reserve. On face pulls and Y-raises, add reps first, then the next pin or dumbbell.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Your upper traps are strong but your shoulders roll forward

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentSeated Row Machine, Dumbbells, Incline Bench, Cable Crossover +1

You bench and shrug, your upper traps are well developed, and you want the middle and lower traps to catch up.

This session trains the parts of the traps that heavy shrugs miss, with 11 sets per session and 22 a week, all light enough to recover from quickly.

Middle and Lower Traps
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Chest-Supported Row 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Incline Dumbbell Shrug 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Cable Y Raise 3 × 12–15 2 1 min
Face Pull 2 × 15–20 1 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week, at the start of an upper body session so these get your full effort. Keep a day between.
How to progress
Stay on a weight until every set reaches the top of the range at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, then add the smallest jump. Keep Y-raises strict; if your neck takes over, the weight is too heavy.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

At home with dumbbells and an incline bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable bench, no barbell or cables.

Dumbbells cover the upper traps with shrugs and carries, and the bench handles the lower traps. 10 sets per session, twice a week, is enough for the traps at home dumbbell weights.

Traps: Home
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell ShrugHold 1 second at the top. 4 × 10–15 1 90 s
Farmer's WalkSeconds, not reps. 3 × 30–60 1 90 s
Dumbbell Chest-Supported Y Raise 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
How to run it
Twice a week after a home upper body or lower body session, with two days between.
How to progress
Add reps until every set hits the top of the range, then go up one dumbbell size. When the heaviest dumbbells are too light for shrugs, slow the lowering to 3 seconds and hold the top for 3.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How do I train my traps at the gym?

Twice a week, add a heavy shrug or rack pull at the end of a pull or lower day and a face pull or Y-raise at the end of an upper day. That covers all three parts of the muscle.

What are the 3 best trap exercises?

The trap bar shrug for the upper traps, the face pull for the middle traps and the chest-supported Y-raise for the lower traps. If you can only do one, the farmer's walk trains the upper traps and grip together.

What is the king of all back exercises?

The deadlift usually gets the title. It loads the traps, lats, lower back and legs together with more weight than any other back exercise.

How can I tell if my upper traps are weak?

Your shoulders sag down and forward when you carry heavy dumbbells, or your shrug weight stalls while your deadlift and rows keep climbing. Log your shrug and farmer's walk weights for a few weeks and the trend will show it.

How many sets for traps per week?

About 10 to 20 hard sets a week for most men, split over two sessions. Heavy deadlifts, rows and carries already work the traps, so count those before adding more direct work.