So many of us spend our days hunched over a desk or looking down at our phones. Unsurprisingly, these habits have created prominent health patterns, such as weak upper back muscles like the mid-trapezius. If you want to break free from compensatory patterns that aren’t doing you or your health any favors, try these seven targeted exercises to reverse postural dysfunction and reduce neck and shoulder pain by building strong middle traps.
Understanding the Middle Trapezius Muscle
The trapezius muscles stretch from the neck to the mid-spine, with the middle muscle fibers running horizontally from the thoracic (mid-spine) vertebrae to the scapular spine. The middle traps, alongside the rhomboids and posterior deltoids, primarily work as the shoulder blade's stabilizer muscle during arm movements.
Modern posture habits, like a forward-leaning head, have created weak middle trapezius muscles in a large portion of the population. Training the mid-traps in your workouts is a great way to correct your posture while gaining strength and stability for your upper body lifts.
Functions of the Mid Trapezius
The mid-traps are active in several upper body functions, such as stabilizing the scapula when performing activities overhead and retracting the shoulder blades toward the spine. They’re also key in maintaining proper mid-back alignment and healthy posture.
When appropriately trained, they can also help counteract forward shoulder positioning and reverse anterior deltoid dominance.
Common Issues with Mid Trapezius Weakness
If your mid-traps are weak, you may notice it via poor posture or discomfort in your upper back and neck, overcompensation by other upper body muscles, or pain or lack of mobility in your shoulders.
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Postural Dysfunction: Postural dysfunction can look like a head that juts forward and shoulders that round forward. The upper body looks collapsed inward, and thoracic kyphosis (a hunched upper back) can occur.
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Compensating with Other Muscles: Upper body work can be challenging when your mid-traps are weak, requiring further recruitment of other muscles like the rhomboids and posterior deltoids. These muscles may fatigue more quickly or feel tight and painful after training.
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Reduced Shoulder Mobility: You also may have difficulty reaching overhead because your scapula struggles to rotate upward. Limitations may also occur in internal/external rotation or thoracic spine stiffness.
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Shoulder Impingement: If you feel a painful pinching sensation during overhead lifts or when throwing or reaching, it may be shoulder impingement caused by mid-trap weakness. This can get progressively more inflamed and potentially lead to tissue damage.
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Neck Pain: When the thoracic spine isn’t well-positioned, the cervical spine compensates with chronically tight suboccipital muscles. This can lead to tension headaches, tight neck and shoulders, and forced forward head posture.
7 Most Effective Mid-Trap Exercises
Reverse the curse of modern posture and strengthen your upper back with these seven effective moves you can add to any upper body day at the gym or home.
Cable Face Pulls
This cable move targets your mid-traps while strengthening your external rotators and posterior delts. It’s also one of the best exercises for correcting forward head posture and rounded shoulders.
Start by setting the cable at face height at the gym or your Speediance Gym Monster 2 at home. Step back and grab the rope attachment with arms extended forward, creating tension.
Pull the rope toward your face and externally rotate your shoulders, keeping your shoulder blades back and down. When you reach the end position, squeeze the shoulder blades together. Keep your elbows high the whole time.
Control the eccentric portion back to the starting position.
Cable Reverse Flyes
If you’re looking for an exercise to zero in on the mid-traps, it’s this one. Cable reverse flyes require minimal involvement from other muscle groups, keeping your mid-traps activated throughout the entire range of motion.
Set your cables at chest height using single handles. Hold the right cable in your left hand and the left in your right. Step back and extend your arms to create an X-shape with the cables.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows, then pull the handles out to the sides while retracting your shoulder blades. Squeeze your mid-traps at the top before slowly returning to the start.
Prone T-Raises
Prone T-raises are another pure isolation exercise to target your mid-trap muscle fibers. Lying prone eliminates the opportunity for momentum and makes it harder to compensate with other muscles you may rely on while standing.
Strength is built here in the lengthened muscle versus the contracted position, which benefits shoulder flexibility.
Start by lying face down on a workout bench or the floor with your arms out to the sides in a T-shape.
Hold a small to moderate weight in each hand, palms facing forward. Your thumbs should be facing up. Lift your arms a few inches off the ground by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Hold at the top for a second or two to contract the mid-trap, then lower with control back to the floor.
Too tough? Try it with bodyweight only before adding light dumbbells.
Band Pull-Aparts
Band pull-aparts are excellent when working out at home or on the go, as they require minimal equipment and can provide variable resistance depending on the band you use.
Try this one at the start of your upper body day as an activation exercise, or cap off a workout with a high-rep set as your burnout.
Choose a resistance band and hold it at chest level, extending your arms with a soft bend in the elbows.
Your starting position is your hands shoulder-width apart. Stretch the band apart as far as you can, aiming to bring your arms in line with your body. Hold briefly and contract the shoulder blades, then slowly return to the starting position while maintaining tension in the band.
Keep your chest up and core engaged throughout the set.
Mid-Chest Cable Rows
Adjust your upright rows to mid-chest height for extra concentration on these muscle fibers while developing your back overall.
Using cables instead of weights allows you to progressively overload the move with heavier resistance without the extra challenge of maintaining your grip with gravity in the mix.
This functional pulling pattern has amazing real-life applications. After incorporating this exercise for a few weeks, you will notice less tension in your shoulders and upper back when sitting at a desk.
Sit at the cable row machine or set up your Speediance Gym Monster 2 with the cable at mid-chest height and the bench facing the cable. Sit facing the cables and extend your arms to grip the handles with your shoulder blades slightly protracted forward.
Engage your core and pull the handle to your mid-chest with elbows wide. Focus on scapular movement, just arm pulling, and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the fully retracted position.
Maintain resistance as you slowly extend your arms back to the starting position. Avoid leaning forward.
Wall Angels
Wall angels and similar moves are less of a strength builder and more of a corrective exercise. They are essential for improving scapular mobility and motor control. They can also provide insight into your movement restrictions and reinforce proper movement patterns.
Stand with your back flat against a wall and your feet slightly forward. Move your arms into a goalpost position and place them against the wall.
Slide your arms up and down, moving from the goal post position into a full arm extension, then bring them back down into the starting position. Maintain total contact with the wall throughout the movement, both with your arms and lower back.
Don’t speed through this movement. It’s about quality, not quantity or time. If you notice you lose contact with the wall, stop in that position and try to get back into alignment before resuming.
Barbell Bent-Over Row
Barbell bent-over rows are a great strength-building exercise to activate and strengthen your mid-traps. They’re beneficial for improving posture and supporting healthy shoulder mobility.
Find a low cable pulley and attach a straight bar or a wide-grip handle. Grab the bar with both hands, using an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width.
Hinge forward at your hips so your torso is parallel to the floor, keeping a soft bend in your knees and a neutral spine.
From here, pull the bar towards your chest, keeping your elbows flared slightly outward to better engage the traps (rather than the lats).
Pause at the top, squeezing your shoulder blades together, then slowly extend your arms back to the starting position with control.
Integrating Mid-Trap Exercises into Your Routine
If mid-trap work isn’t already a part of your exercise routine, here are some tips for adding it in effectively.
Frequency and Volume
Training frequency should be about 2-3 times per week, with around 48 hours of recovery between intense sessions. Start with two trap exercises per session, then build up to 4-5 exercises per session as your tolerance increases. Two sets per exercise with reps anywhere from 10-15 per set is ideal volume for beginners, but advanced athletes can handle more sets per week at higher reps. If you notice excessive soreness or fatigue, pare the volume back until it subsides.
Session Order
As for when to work the mid-traps within your session, you should front-load your workout. Start with activation moves like serratus wall slides and wall angels, then progress into isolation exercises, followed by compound movements. Don’t forget to add static stretches for the chest and anterior deltoids before wrapping things up.
Pro Tip: Avoid working the mid-traps right after performing heavy rows or deadlifts.
Move Selection
If you’re overwhelmed by all the exercise options and don’t know which ones to select, start with just 3-4 moves. Aim for one cable exercise (like face pulls), one isolation move (prone T-raises), and one corrective exercise (wall angels). If you’re new to working out, bodyweight is fine as you learn the movement patterns. Only add weight once you feel confident in your form.
Progressive Overload
When you feel ready to progressively overload the mid-traps, you can increase your resistance or weight by 5-10% at a time or add more reps to each set. Other strategies include slowing the movement to extend time under tension or working unilateral variations for a more precise mind-muscle connection. Ready for a challenge? Combine exercises to create supersets that up the ante.
Recovery
It’s easy to recruit the upper traps during many of these exercises, so close monitoring of your movement patterns is key to avoid overcompensation. You can always drop weight to address any issues.
If soreness persists, take a complete rest day to allow your muscles to recover. For extra TLC, you can try foam rolling the thoracic spine between sessions.
You can also monitor your progress by regularly checking in on your posture. Taking photos of your profile to check changes in forward head posture and rounded shoulders is a great way to pinpoint even subtle improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Isolate the Mid-Traps?
To isolate the mid-traps, you should focus on horizontal pulling movements rather than vertical ones. Emphasize scapular retraction and use lighter weights to ensure you’re activating the right muscles. Cable reverse flyes and prone T-raises are two excellent exercises to start with.
Do Shrugs Work the Middle Traps?
Shrugs primarily target the upper traps, as the movement is vertical, and middle trap fibers run horizontally. Scapular elevation is the opposite of the mid-traps’ function. Performing shrugs may worsen imbalances in the middle traps. Instead, focus on horizontal pulling patterns and retraction exercises rather than elevation.
Mid-Traps Support Posture, Enable Stability, and Deserve Consistent Training
Mid-trapezius strength requires consistent training, but the payoff is healthy shoulder mechanics, aligned posture, and upper body stability, which is worth the commitment. The seven moves in our guide combine strength training and mobility work to ensure comprehensive upper-body health. Mix them into your current training regimen at the gym or practice at home with the Speediance Gym Monster 2, which is versatile enough to support all your lifts.
