How To Correct Overactive Traps

[@Lawyerxbri]

I'm two years late to this but THANK YOU SO MUCH. I am a woman who has genetically large traps but they have also been recruited to compensate due to my poor form on other exercises, specifically shoulder exercises but I also tend to use my upper traps to stabilize my body during squats and the like. I've been looking for ways in addition to focusing on improving my form to help my upper traps from taking over. Going to try these next week!

[@wildorchird]

This is great, but I’d live to see a video on how to decrease trap too... I think this one just shows how to deactivate during workout. Have to get rid of these big things.

[@NetsuTV]

Dont train them and eat less sadly only these two

[@SallyHumphriesLifestyle]

Excellent video. Been looking for an answer to this everywhere. Not much out there. This makes sense. I was perplexed why my traps were getting so big despite not directly working them. I don’t hunch when doing back exercises however I’m probably going way too heavy and compromising form without knowing it. I think my traps are recruiting to make up for it. I will lower weight on back and shoulder exercises and also do the ones suggested to activate mid and lower traps more and see if that works. Thanks!

[@SilverAudiophile]

I have watched a quiet a few of Ben's videos. Excellent exercise education. Totally underrated.

[@learnasp]

Glad you like them! Thank you so much!

[@clevertribe]

Great video, exactly what I was looking for

[@bipolarbear27]

Great video dude! This helped me a ton for my specific problems.

[@izzyb623]

Nice! Going to integrate this into my back day. Now I just have to deactivate upper traps when I workout shoulders lol

[@e-swift3923]

I'm not sure if it's the same issue but I will find that I'm partially shrugging all the time. Just sitting at my desk or walking around. If I concentrate I can relax my traps but otherwise they will be partially engaged. Neck is always sore. I'm going to try these exercises and report back as i'm not sure what else to do haha

[@Fille634]

Did it work

[@sryr15]

Thanks fot this! Would you reccomend doing the isolation exercises immediately before an upper back workout?

[@addictiveaussie]

Legend Larry Scot..... "Grow big traps and you'll never grow big shoulders. Traps will bully delts all day long"

[@waltbbadd]

Great tips

[@Haley-kc3vw]

This was so helpful!! Thank you

[@ShaneIsAlways]

Fantastic 🙏

[@candyluver1234]

this was so useful

[@pamelanarayan5660]

Very useful ! Thanks!

[@MarcoPaezMD]

Great info!

[@learnasp]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NusaColeman]

I'm 34, never worked out but have these perposterous traps since I can remember. It limits alot of my clothing options and my neck is also super messed up. In school our backpacks were very heavy and I think maybe that ended up causing them in part at least. Do these exercises make them go away?

[@misias_momentum]

I love that!

[@learnasp]

Thank you!

[@Embodiedflor]

I’m going to integrate these into my weekly routine . I’ve worked out for about a year and my traps are huge 😭

[@learnasp]

Awesome. Please let us know how you go with incorporating these movements

[@StephiePpn]

My question with the second exercise is this. How do I know it’s actually doing something? Because I know my traps are extremely overactive, but that movement also is extremely easy. Does that make any sense? If a Movement is easy, is it training anything? I just like understanding.

[@mindmuscleconnection599]

I had an injury 1 year back in my right shoulder that leads to winged scapula.After recovery,whenever i train my right shoulder especially when i do lateral raises my right trap gets overactivated and this causes imbalance of my traps now plz suggest me something ?

[@learnasp]

Work on unilateral movements that teach isolated full scapula retraction/ protraction, as well as depression/elevation. Start with the side that had the injury and use the number of reps that you are able to correctly execute on that side to dictate how many reps should be done on the stronger side.

[@JonnyBoy021]

I have this problem. It annoyed me so much I just stopped training shoulders altogether.

[@ryandavis6660]

Vary good !

[@learnasp]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@AliceBradley]

Dope.

[@learnasp]

thank you so much Alice!

[@Jeffro_boy]

Why is it that when I look up why my right traps aren't activating, I get things like this. I can't take it, no one has been able to help me, I can't even find anything on why I'm having this issue

[@LivingTheorem]

Sorry you haven't been able to find anything online to help. It sucks when you can't find the answer to your specific issues on the internet or even others who experience the same thing. Try talking to your medical provider. Maybe they can refer you to someone who can address the issue.

[@Jeffro_boy]

@Theorem my pcp doesn't even know where the serratus is compared to the rhomboids. Dismisses my concerns about muscle imbalances in my neck etc they're incompetent. I feel I've made more progress on my own than I have in my 3 bouts of PT. It's sad honestly

[@rashidk6054]

U mean. If we decrease upper traps work out for middle and lower traps

[@PersonalAccount7]

w video

[@MG-uz5mr]

I love having jacked traps (as a female), but it limits my mobility under load and causes pain/headaches. Only my right side is overactive. The trigger for me is heavy compound movements like bench press, snatch and jerk. When I do these corrective exercises, I also feel tension in other areas like my triceps/attachment to lat. I've seen multiple physios but no ones been able to resolve it. Dry needling helps the most, but only temporarily and physios always comment on how tight sections of various parts of my body are, worse on the right side. Any idea what more I could do??

[@learnasp]

overactive traps does not always equate to strong and jacked traps. its great to be able to activate your traps when needed in specific movements and take the focus away from them in other movements. The movements in this video are helpful in the long run, but remember when you start them initially, the faulty recruitment patterning you have developed will also naturally recruit upper traps. You will have to be very conscious with each rep, using lighter loads and strict form, calling off the set should you start to engage the upper traps.

[@jcsgrl69]

This is exactly the same problem I have and now have constant neck/trap pain. Did you ever find a way to resolve your issue?

[@MG-uz5mr]

@@learnasp I didn't have notifications turned on 2 years ago just saw this comment xD I did have jacked and strong traps actually, I was weightlifting then, now I don't and they're much smaller, but still get tight and only on one side. I think it's coz I'm right handed and use my computer mouse by extending my arm out/the height of the table wasn't appropriate. I use my computer a lot and reducing that position has reduced the pain, so it seems most likely

[@MG-uz5mr]

@@jcsgrl69 I think it's coz I was maintaining improper positions for extended periods of time. I started noticing the positions I would sit in (eg at the computer) where I was keeping my right trap contracted. Just being mindful of that and making myself get back into more neutral positions where muscles that don't need to be active are more relaxed, reduced pain and flare ups. So you should figure out what is triggering it. You have to get it out with massages first, then you can work on maintaining relaxed muscles by not getting into bad fixed positions.

[@jcsgrl69]

@@MG-uz5mr awesome! I definitely find myself tensing up and holding weird positions especially when on my phone or gaming so I’ll be more mindful of that. Really appreciate your detailed response! Thank you!

[@245Barbie]

Im a woman and I want to get rid of my traps but I’m scared these exercises will make me look like a man. Are these safe not to add muscles as well?

[@learnasp]

With these movements, you will not be able to lift much load to begin. The focus is on movement patterning and activation instead of muscle building. Essentially, it's about "re-educating" muscles to fire and help out the over-activated ones (upper traps for example) so as to achieve better strength and aesthetic balance