In a recent Reddit thread, natural bodybuilders discussed the exercises that grew their traps the most, with one simple movement standing out as a clear favorite from the 100-plus replies: shrugs.
The original poster asked other Redditors in the /naturalbodybuilding subreddit to share which exercises helped grow their traps—specifically middle traps—the most.
Your traps are located in the upper back, extending from the neck down to the middle of the back and across the shoulders. They help move and stabilize the shoulders and neck, creating a broader, more defined upper body.
“Is a wide grip horizontal row enough for traps or do I need something more isolating?” the user asked, kicking off the post.
“Heavy barbell shrugs does wonders for me personally,” one user replied.
Other users agreed, with one reinforcing the effectiveness of heavy barbell shrugs and another vouching for trap bar shrugs.
If you’ve never done shrugs, it’s all in the name. Lift your shoulders toward your ears while keeping your arms straight, emphasizing trap activation. Barbell shrugs are a go-to for many, but there are tons of other shrug variations to get your upper-body yoked.
Barbell shrugs may allow you to lift heavier weights, but dumbbell shrugs and machine shrugs are other suitable options. Some lifters opt for trap bar shrugs, which offer a neutral grip and can be easier on the wrists.
Kelso (chest supported) shrugs were also suggested in the thread, which the original user noted they found challenging due to the discomfort of having their chest pressed against the bench, making it hard to breathe properly.
Still, Kelso shrugs are praised for their ability to isolate the traps and enhance muscle activation by limiting other muscle involvement.
Exercise scientist Mike Israetel has pointed out that the traps don’t require high volume, so it’s best to include just one trap exercise per session.
“For example, if you train traps three times a week, you can do a heavy barbell shrug on one day, a lighter barbell shrug on the next day, and a dumbbell shrug on the last day,” Israetel said.
