The traps - or Trapezius, is the flat triangular muscle extending out and down from the neck and down the center of the back between the shoulder blades. This muscle can be viewed at a back double biceps pose, in the center of the upper back/shoulder area. It is counted in the most muscular poses and the higher this muscle jumps up along the sides of the neck the better. You can train this muscle with the shoulders or deltoids however it is also possible to train it with back because it is its part. Like calves, there are only a limited number of exercises with the help of which the traps can be trained however as well as calves, great traps make the bodybuilder. Trap Movements
The basic movements for working traps include:
* The Shrug and its variations
* The Upright Row Here you will look through useful movements which will stress the traps, however not as much as the two direct exercises mentioned above:
* Deadlifts - one of the two (the other being the Squat) best exercises you can do.
* Overhead pressing movements
* Olympic moves like the clean & press and high pulls  Shrugs:
It is possible to do shrugs with a barbell, dumbbell, various bench press machines, or a Smith machine; in front of the body or behind the body.
You should perform the standard barbell shrug in the following way: stand and hold a barbell at arms length in front of you, using an overhand grip. Then, raise your shoulders as high as you can, like a "shrugging" motion ( try to touch your ears). You should hold the position for several seconds and flex the traps hard. After that lower slowly and repeat the exercise once more. You can go really heavy on this exercise and try to add some plates to it. In the past bodybuilders rolled their shoulders while performing this exercise however in fact this wouldn’t make the exercise more effective. Some Variations:
Of course, you have Haney's approach and perform standard shrugs with the only exception- they are done behind your back. IT is hard to argue with Haney's logic: "The traps are behind you and that's where the bar should be." Haney Shrug
This exercise will hit muscle differently and the execution is a little different, as you try to lift the bar up, not just raise it with your shoulders. Of course, the bar barely moves but the effectiveness of the exercise is amazing.
Another variation involves a combination of two exercises in one: a wide grip shrug is combined with this one you lift the bar like you would an upright row, using a wide (12 in.) overhand grip, while at the same time pulling up with your shoulders as in a normal shrug.
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