Tag: Trapezius

Pec Deck Rear Delt Laterals

Sit facing the machine, with the torso against the back pad, arms forward, gripping the handles:

  • Inhale and separate the arms, squeezing the shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
  • Exhale.

This exercise mainly engages the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, and teres minor and, at the end of the movement, when the shoulder blades squeeze together, the trapezius and rhomboids.

INFRASPINATUS AND TERES MINOR
Both of these muscles arise from the posterior surface of the scapula (shoulder blade), pass onto the scapulohumeral articulation, adhering to its articular capsule, and insert at the greater tubercle of the humerus.
They play an important role in external rotation of the arm and reinforce the action of the shoulder ligaments by actively reinforcing the attachment of the arm to the chest.
Comment: In some people, the teres minor and infraspinatus are fused, forming one muscle.

Variations:

  • Seated Rear Delt Fly Machine: Sit on a rear delt fly machine with your chest against the pad and grasp the handles with your hands. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring the handles back to your sides, keeping your arms straight. Lower the handles back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
  • Bent-Over Rear Delt Fly with Dumbbells: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend forward at the waist until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, with your arms hanging straight down and your palms facing each other. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach shoulder height. Lower the weights back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
  • Standing Rear Delt Fly with Resistance Bands: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the band with both hands, palms facing each other. Bend forward at the waist until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, with your arms hanging straight down. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift the band out to the sides until your hands reach shoulder height. Lower the band back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.
  • Incline Bench Rear Delt Fly with Dumbbells: Lie face down on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach shoulder height, keeping your arms straight. Lower the weights back down and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Upright Rows

Stand with the legs slightly apart and back straight. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width as it rests against the thighs:

  • Inhale and pull the barbell up along the body to the chin keeping the elbows as high as possible.
  • Lower the bar in a controlled manner without abrupt movements.
  • Exhale at the end of the effort.

This exercise mainly uses the deltoid, trapezius, and biceps, and to a lesser degree, the muscles of the forearms, the
gluteal muscles, the lumbosacral group, and the abdominal muscles.
This is a fundamental exercise that is comprehensive and helps develop a “Hercules” physique.

Variations:

  • Barbell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Raise the bar to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Dumbbell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Cable Upright Rows: Stand facing a cable machine with a straight bar attachment, with the cable at its lowest setting. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and pull it up towards your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Smith Machine Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the bar of the Smith machine in front of you. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lift the bar to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Kettlebell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Banded Upright Rows: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the band with an overhand grip. Pull the band up towards your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.

Low Pulley Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Stand with the feet apart, legs slightly bent, and lean forward from the waist, keeping a flat back. Grip a handle in each hand with the cables crossed:

  • Inhale and raise the arms to the side to horizontal.
  • Exhale at the end of the effort.

This exercise mainly works the posterior deltoid. At the end of the movement, as the shoulder blades squeeze together, the trapezius (middle and lower portions) and the rhomboids contract.

Variations:

  • Single-Arm Low Pulley Bent-Over Lateral Raise: This variation involves performing the exercise with one arm at a time. This allows you to focus on each side individually and can help to correct any muscle imbalances.
  • Low Pulley Reverse Fly: This variation involves pulling the cable towards your sides rather than lifting it out to the side. This targets the rear deltoids and upper back muscles in a slightly different way.
  • Low Pulley Bent-Over Row: This variation involves pulling the cable towards your waist rather than lifting it out to the side. This targets the mid and lower trapezius muscles.
  • Low Pulley Face Pull: This variation involves pulling the cable towards your face while standing upright. This targets the rear deltoids, upper back muscles, and rotator cuff muscles.
  • Low Pulley Seated Row to Lateral Raise: This variation involves performing a seated row and then immediately lifting the weights out to the sides. This combines the benefits of a row and a lateral raise and is a great exercise for building upper back and shoulder strength.

High Pulley Lateral Extensions

Stand facing the pulleys with the arms extended to the front, gripping the right handle with the left hand and the left handle with the right hand:

  • Inhale and extend arms to the side and back.
  • Exhale at the end of the movement.

Return to the initial position with a controlled movement and begin again.
This exercise mainly contracts the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor, and, at the end of the movement as the shoulder blades come together, the trapezius and deeper in, the rhomboids.

Comment: People who carry their shoulders for- ward because of chest muscle development can perform this exercise in addition to posterior shoulder work at a machine to help rebalance their posture.
To realign shoulders where they belong, work with moderate weights, and at the end of the movement squeeze the shoulders back.

Chin-Ups exercise

Extend your arms and take a wide, overhand grip on a chinning bar:

– Inhale and pull yourself upward until your eyes are above the level of the bar
– Exhale as you complete the movement


This full-back exercise requires greater strength. It is an excellent movement for working the biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis, and pectoralis major.

Variations: By sticking out the chest you can raise your chest to chin level. To increase the intensity, wear a weight belt. Keeping the elbows in next to the body during the movement contracts mainly the external fibers of the latissimus dorsi and develops the width of the back.

Bringing the elbows back and the chest out as you raise the chin to the bar mainly solicits the upper and central fibers of the latissimus dorsi and those of the teres major. This exercise develops the bulk of the back when the shoulder blades come together and the rhomboids and the upper and lower portion of the trapezius are used equally.

Comment: Although not as strongly contracted, the pectoralis major works with the latissimus dorsi and teres major to create the angle between the arm and the trunk.

Concentration Curls

Sit on a bench. Hold a dumbbell with an underhand grip and rest your elbow on the inner side of your thigh:

  • Inhale and curl the dumbbell
  • Exhale as you complete the movement

    This isolation exercise allows you to control the range, speed, and alignment of the movement. It works mainly the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

The brachialis is a muscle located in the upper arm that lies underneath the biceps brachii. It is responsible for flexing the elbow joint, which allows for activities such as lifting weights or bringing the hand closer to the shoulder. It originates from the front of the humerus bone and inserts on the ulna bone. It works in conjunction with the biceps brachii and the triceps brachii to control movement of the elbow.