Best Exercise for Over-Active Upper Traps

The T-raise is a great exercise for those who feel their upper traps/neck take over for everything!

Seldomly used, often over-looked. For coaches, this one can be quite tedious to take clients through. Sometimes our clients struggle to even feel it in the right area.

What we are targeting here: the lower traps and the lats.

These muscles oppose the upward pull of the shoulder blade (oppose the upper trap). When we get these girls stronger, the shoulder blade is a lot more stable when the arm is being moved around.

When you perform the T-raise, start with a shallow raise (don't bring your hand up so high) and focus on keeping the shoulders away from the ears as you move. I usually push upwards against the hand so that my client can FEEL what and where to engage.