Traps

Heads and regions

Upper traps
Mid traps
Lower traps

What it does

Scapular elevation
Retraction
Upward rotation

How to train it

Upper traps love heavy, slow shrugs with a pause at the top — not fast bouncing.
Mid and lower traps are trained by rows and face pulls, and they matter more for posture.
Heavy carries build traps and grip at the same time. Cheap volume, big return.

Common questions

How many sets of traps a week?

6 to 14 hard sets, spread over 2x per week. A hard set is one taken close to failure — warm-ups and easy back-off sets do not count towards it. Below that range you are maintaining rather than building; above it, for most people, the extra sets cost more recovery than they buy.

How often should I train traps?

2x per week. Splitting the week's sets across more than one session means each one is done fresher, and the quality of the last set matters more than the number of them. With 11 movements to choose from there is no need to repeat the same session twice.

Where should a beginner start?

7 of the 11 movements here are rated for a beginner. Start with the compound at the top: it teaches the pattern and loads the muscle hardest.

What else works the traps

17 other movements in the library train the traps as a secondary mover rather than as the target. That volume is real and it counts: if a week already contains a lot of these, the direct work needed to reach 6–14 sets is at the lower end of the range, not the upper.

5 more, across the whole library.