12 Best Mid Trap Exercises: Build Bigger & Stronger Traps

To develop strong & thick traps, you can’t solely rely on shrugs~ you need to add mid trap exercises to your routine.

The traps can be sectioned into three parts ~ upper, mid, and lower. For which the mid traps are crucial for not only achieving an aesthetic looking back but also for shoulder health.

In this article, I will go over the anatomy of the mid-trap, the best mid-trap exercises, and common mistakes to avoid.

What Is The Mid Trap?

As mentioned above the trapezius muscle or traps for short is made of three different muscle groups~ they are known as the upper trap, mid trap, and lower trap.

The mid trap as the name suggests is located in the middle region of the trapezius muscle. The whole of the trapezius muscle itself extends from the base of the skull down to the middle of the back and stretches horizontally from the spine to the shoulder blades.

Here is a diagram highlighting each section of the traps.

The primary function of the mid trap is scapula retraction. When the mid trap contracts, they pull the shoulder blades toward the spine, helping you squeeze them together.

This action is vital for maintaining good posture by preventing the issue of rounded shoulders and it provides stability to the shoulder joint. 

List Of The Best Mid Trap Exercises

In this section, I will go over a variety of mid trap exercises which will include just body weight, dumbbells, pulley cables, and barbells.

Incline Y raises (Dumbbells)

The incline Y raises is a great movement to target the mid trap.

Even though this is a dumbbell exercise, if you are a beginner you can start off with just using your body weight initially and slowly progress towards adding more resistance.

1. Adjust the bench to around 45-degree angle.
2. Grab a pair of dumbbells.
3. Carefully lay face down on the inclined bench with your chest and upper body being supported by the bench.
4. Have your hands fully extended down and have your palms facing each other.
5. Push your shoulder blades down, and raise both of your arms straight out in front of you to form a Y shape.
6. Slowly lower your hand back down and start the motion again.
7. Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• When the weight gets too heavy, people tend to lift their chest off the bench, which can reduce tension on the mid trap~ therefore if this happens to you, lower the weight.
• Avoid arching your neck up as this can cause discomfort. Rather maintain a neutral neck position by keeping your gaze down towards the floor.

Inverted Row (Bodyweight)

In terms of body weight exercises, the inverted row is one of the best movements to strengthen your back muscles such as mid traps, rear deltoids, and rhomboids.

One of the benefits of this exercise is that you’re able to do it right at home, however it can be a little tricky to set up.

1. Set up a barbell around your waist height.
2. Sit down underneath the bar and hold it slightly wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip.
3. Straighten your feet out.
4. While holding on to the bar and using your feet as support, raise your hips off the floor.
5. At this point, your body should be in a straight line from your head to your heels.
6. Bend your elbows and pull your body up until your chest touches the bar.
7. Hold for 2-3 seconds and slowly lower your body back down.
8. Repeat for 12-15 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Make sure to keep your body straight from the head to the heels throughout the exercise to maximize the tension on your muscles. 
• Don’t solely rely on the arms to lift your body up, focus on retracting the shoulder blades to engage the mid traps.

Pull Ups (Bodyweight)

Once you build strength through the inverted rows, you can try performing some pull-ups which is a harder exercise.

Now inverted rows are better for targeting the mid back due to the angle, however switching between these two exercises is a great way to build overall back physics and strength.

1. If the available pull-up bar is a bit high then bring a bench or a box to make it easier to grab hold on to the bar.
2. Grab the bar, with your hands being slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Allow your arms to fully extend down and hang your body freely. 
4. To initiate the movement first push the shoulder blades down (retract), then pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar (imagine pulling the bar towards your chest).
5. Squeeze your back at the top and slowly lower your body back down.
6. Repeat for 8-12 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Avoid doing half reps, lower your body until your elbows fully extend before performing another rep. But keep your shoulder engaged even at the bottom by pulling your shoulder blades back & down.
• Don’t use momentum to pull yourself up, pause for a second or two at the bottom, and then go for another rep.

Incline Shrugs (Dumbbells)

Shrugs is an amazing exercise for the upper traps, however we can move this benefit towards the mid traps by doing them on an inclined bench.

Laying on an inclined bench puts your body in a forward-leaning position. So when you shrug, the emphasis gets shifted toward the mid-trap.

1. Adjust the height of the bench to 30 degrees.
2. Grab two dumbbells and lay flat on the bench with your chest.
3. Hang your hand straight down by your side.
4. Lift your shoulders as high as you can or until you feel a deep contraction in your upper back. 
5. Hold for 2-3 seconds and slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 8-12 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• The weights should be lifted by your shoulder~ your arms are just there to hold the dumbbells in place.
• You might be tempted to roll the shoulder back as you lift the weight up to ‘hit the mid trap more’, but this is not necessary as you are leaning forward.

Bent Over Rows (Barbell)

Inverted rows and bent-over barbell rows are similar motions, they both work your upper back by pulling weight toward your chest.

However, as you advance you’re able to load more weights with the bent-over rows, which will result in higher strength gains.

1. Position the barbell at around knee height on a squat rack.
2. Load up the bar with appropriate weights.
3. Grab the bar a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and lift it off the rack.
4. Slowly take a few steps back and have your feet at hip-width apart.
5. Hinge at your hips by slightly bending your knees and lowering your upper body forward.
6. Keep lowering your body until the barbell passes your knee level.
7. Pull the barbell up towards your ribcage while keeping your elbows close to your body.
8. Squeeze your back at the top and hold for 2-3 seconds.
9. Lower the weight back down with control and repeat for 10-12 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Don’t allow your back to round as this will put unnecessary pressure on your spine. Maintain a neutral spine by keeping your back flat to avoid injuries.
• Avoid using your feet to drive the weight up.

Rack pulls (Barbell)

The rack pull is a variation of the deadlift where you only perform the top part of the movement.

The reason why I am choosing rack pulls over deadlifts is because your traps get engaged in the latter half of the movement.

So by eliminating the bottom portion, you take pressure off your lower back and you get to solely focus on targeting the muscles you want.

1. Position the bar just below knee or knee height at the squat rack and load it up with appropriate weights.
2. Stand close facing the barbell with your feet hip-width apart. At this point, you should only be a small distance away from the bar.
3. Lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
4. Reach down to grab the bar with your hand placement a bit wider than hip-width apart.
5. As the barbell rises past your knees and approaches your thighs, focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together to engage your upper traps.
6. Fully lock out at the top and squeeze your upper back.
7. Slowly lower the bar down on the rack.
8. Repeat for 5-8 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• At the top don’t overextend your hips forward, this can put excessive pressure on your spine.
• Don’t forget to engage your core. An easy method to help you is, to think about someone about to punch you in the stomach and the way you will tense your abs will the way how you engage them.

Face Pulls (Pulley cable)

The face pulls work the rear deltoids, mid & low traps, rhomboids, and rotator cuffs. Due to this muscle involvement, face pull is an excellent exercise for improving overall shoulder stability and strength.

1. Adjust the height of the cable so it’s positioned above your head.
2. Attach a rope to it and grab onto it with your palms facing each other.
3. Take a few steps back to create tension on the cable.
4. Pull the rope towards your face until your hands are by the side of your face.
5. Hold the position for 1-2 seconds and get back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Don’t lean your upper body too far backward while pulling the rope. Try to only have a slight lean and maintain the same position throughout the exercise.
• The weight should not be too heavy so that you struggle to stay in position.

Seated Row (Cable)

The seated row lets you load up weight without over-taxing your lower back. For this reason, beginners find this exercise easier to perform.

1. Sit down on the bench and place your feet flat on the footrest.
2. Slightly bend your knees and grab the handle with both hands.
3. Without rounding your back, drop your chest forward until you feel a stretch on your back (this is the starting position).
4. Pull the handle towards your chest and squeeze the upper back.
5. Slowly lower the weight back down back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• When you pull the weights, don’t lean your upper body back~ your torso should remain upright at the end position.
• Make sure your back does not excessively round when you lean forward.

Behind The Bar Shrug (Smith machine)

By holding the weight behind you and shrugging, it forces your body to roll your shoulders backward ~ allowing you to hit more of your mid-traps.

1. Position the Smith machine bar at about mid-thigh height.
2. Stand facing away from the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Reach behind your body and firmly grab the bar.
4. Take a mini step forward, to ensure the bar doesn’t touch your glutes while shrugging.
5. Shrug the weight up by lifting your shoulders.
6. Pause for 2-3 seconds and lower the bar down.
7. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Don’t let your neck drop while shrugging, this can cause disk injury. Rather maintain a neutral neck position by looking straight ahead or slightly upwards.
• Don’t use your arms to lift the weight up, the motion should be done with your shoulders.

Prone One Arm Trap Raise (Bodyweight)

A benefit of unilateral exercises is that they allow you to see any weakness you may have between your left & right side and help you balance them out.

1. Lay face down on a bench (you can use one of your arms as a headrest).
2. Lift one arm up and outwards till it’s parallel to the floor.
3. Hold for 1-2 seconds and lower your arm back down to the starting position.
4. Repeat for 8-16 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Except for your moving arm, your whole body should remain still throughout the exercise, to get the most contraction of your upper traps.
• If you want to use dumbbells, master the movement first.

Upright Row (Pulley Cable)

Unlike the other variation of the rows where you pull the weight towards your chest & rib cage, this exercise requires you to pull it towards your face.

Due to this angle, it does incorporate less of the mid traps, however it’s still an excellent exercise for building upper body strength.

1. Set up the cable machine at its lowest height and attach a straight bar to it.
2. Lift the handle up and hang your hands straight in front of you.
3. Begin the movement by lifting the bar straight up towards your chin~ keep the bar close to your body as you lift.
4. At the top, hold the position for a few seconds and lower the bar back down.
5. Repeat for 8-12 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Avoid pulling the bar too high as this can lead to shoulder joint pains. Aim to pull the bar just below your chin and not any higher.
• Make sure that when you’re pulling the weight, you lead with your elbow by having it slightly pointed upwards.

Incline Reverse Fly (Dumbbells)

As this exercise can be hard to execute, so in the beginning you can start by just using the weight of your arm to strengthen the muscles.

1. Adjust the height of the bench to around 30 degrees.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lay flat on the bench with your chest~ hang your hands straight in front of you.
3. Start the movement by raising both dumbbells by keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
4. Raise your arms straight out to the side, while squeezing your upper back at the top.
5. Hold for 1-2 seconds and lower your hands back down.
6. Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Don’t solely rely on your arms to lift the weight up, focus on incorporating your mid back.
• Your chest should not lift off the bench throughout the exercise.

Conclusion

Ensure you perform mid trap exercises 2-3 times a week for optimal strength gain and to build muscle~ also don’t forget to stretch regularly to keep your muscle healthy.

Keep the weight low and focus on perfecting your form~ as some people might say don’t ego lift.

Mix in different types of exercises and see which one challenges you the most~ primarily perform more of the challenging movements, as eliminating weakness will help develop your physique more.

That’s it from me, now it is your turn to go and get them gains!