Why you need to do this. Besides the fact that large, meaty traps look good in t-shirts, strong traps will help improve your posture and help stabilize your shoulders, thus preventing injury. Did you know that your traps are among the hardest working muscles in your body? The only time they rest is when you’re lying down. The idea is to target your traps and rear delts through a primal, Conan workout. The behind the back shrug.
Two things are important about doing this workout: the setup and the movement.
The setup
Stand with your feet, hip width apart keeping your knees soft and not tight. Do this while holding a barbell behind you with a shoulder width grip, palms facing away from you. Remember to stand tall, lifting your chest and relaxing your neck.
The movement
Shrug straight up! Not forward or rearward. Shrug to your ears dragging the barbell along your body behind you. When you have reached your highest point, pause for a moment, squeeze, then slowly lower the weight. Bring the barbell all the way down to the start position to fully disengage and stretch your neck and traps.
