How Bodybuilders Build Cobra Traps workouts

As we prepare to hit the gym in 2025, focused as we so often are at this time of year to further build our physiques to perfection, spare a thought for the importance of complete muscular development – take an inventory of where you’re lacking and plan to bring these areas into alignment with the rest of your physique. One area that is often overlooked, and in many cases not specifically targeted with sufficient volume and weight, are the trapezius muscles.

The traps muscle (trapezius) is a powerful, diamond-shaped muscle group that runs from the base of your skull down to your mid-back. It plays a critical role in posture, shoulder movement, and overall upper body strength. For any serious bodybuilder, traps are a key visual indicator of strength and physique maturity.

Whether you're working on aesthetics or strength, trap muscles help anchor your upper body and enhance your performance in compound lifts.

When hitting poses – most muscular, back double biceps, side chest – to even standing relaxed, the traps are on full display. This manta-ray shaped muscle grouping can be seen from all angles, and lends depth and detail to the size and shape of our back. From the front, impressive traps convey upper body thickness, and because heavy iron and many basic lifts are required to fully develop them, they are a sure sign of a powerful physique.

• Adds upper body thickness and size
• Completes the 3D bodybuilder traps look from front and back
• Supports heavy lifts like deadlifts, squats, and rows
• Reduces shoulder and neck injury risks
• Builds symmetrical balance between back, shoulders, and neck

Much more than the icing on the cake of an otherwise impressive look, impressive trapezius (aka ‘traps’) muscles are an essential prerequisite for any stage-ready, or beach worthy, physique.

Functionally speaking, big, strong traps enable us to push and pull heavy weights. Properly developed traps help to alternately stabilize and move the spine whenever we, for example, deadlift or squat. In essence, whenever the spinal column is required to both support heavy loads and move so as to allow flexibility through the trunk and core region, the traps, acting on the scapulae, are called on to provide support.

Further, the superior trapezius (or descending, upper region), important as it is for supporting the weight of our arms, comes into play whenever we target our biceps and triceps: a weak trapezius may therefore limit the amount of weight lifted for each of these key muscle groups and, in turn, may also limit muscle growth in these areas. Aesthetically speaking, well developed trapezius muscles, positioned atop our shoulders like two mini-mountains, promote mass appeal; no impressive bodybuilder, past or present, has sported anything less than bulging, titanic traps. Likewise, a thick, densely muscle back (including the coveted lat muscles) is not complete without a perfect centerpiece comprised of prominent top to bottom, side to side trapezius development.

While the purpose of this article is to provide ideas on how best to build the traps, and why they are essential for complete muscular development, we must never over develop them at the expense of other body parts, in particular the shoulders, which must also be built to full capacity if a proportionate, symmetrical physique is the aim.

Because our larger, stronger muscles predominantly are engaged whenever we work the back, the traps (which are part of the back complex), in particular the upper region, may not receive the specific stimulus needed to fully grow. Thus, they must be prioritized with movements best suited to their full recruitment. Like other muscle groupings, the traps, as part of the back complex, do not work exclusively in isolation, nor can the separate trapezius areas be strictly isolated with specific movements; however, there are ways we can emphasize the recruitment of the upper, middle and lower traps to reveal as much detail as possible in each. First up, keep drilling heavy, basic movements such as the bent over barbell row, deadlift and weighted chin-up: these incorporate the entire trapezius and are essential for complete traps development (as are similarly systemic exercises such as the squat and bench press, but to a lesser extent). However, though effective, a solid regime of mass building movements will flesh out the traps only so much.

These four trap workouts are ideal for building size and definition in your traps body area. Combine them with compound lifts for maximum growth.

Targets: Entire traps muscle (upper to lower)
Perfect for: Beginners to advanced lifters building bodybuilder big traps

How to Do It:

• Hold dumbbells at your sides
• Shrug shoulders up as high as you can
• Pause and squeeze at the top
• Lower slowly and repeat

Tip: Keep elbows slightly behind you to activate more of the traps muscle group.

An excellent all-round trap builder (and a favorite of eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney), this movement builds complete trapezius size and shape.

Targets: Full trap muscles with emphasis on mid and lower traps
Perfect for: Adding thickness and mass in the mid-back and upper neck area

How to Do It:

• Grab a barbell from behind your body
• Shrug without bending elbows
• Focus on pulling the bar as high as possible
• Slowly lower and repeat

Tip: Use a Smith machine for added control.

Targets: Upper traps and clavicle area
Great for: Enhancing the traps in body front-facing physique

How to Do It:

• Hold barbell with close grip
• Pull to nose-level with elbows high
• Squeeze traps hard
• Lower slowly

Tip: Don’t let the wrists bend or elbows fall.

Another upper trap builder, this movement allows for a greater range of motion on the upward phase.

Targets: Upper and middle traps muscle
Best for: Increasing range of motion and upper back size

How to Do It:

• Start with dumbbells at your sides
• Pull to just below shoulders, the front deltoid region
• Pause and squeeze traps
• Lower with control

Tip: Use lighter weight and high reps to finish off your trap workouts.

Not employed specifically to target the upper traps, as is the close grip barbell version, it nevertheless puts tremendous pressure on this area and the middle trapezius region.

Trapezius training features in both shoulder and back training sessions. For my money, because the traps are part of the back, they should be trained with the back so as to avoid potentially overtraining this area (if we work traps with shoulders and train shoulders and back twice weekly, our traps are effectively hammered four times per week). Also, training trap bar exercises with back we may lift heavier on all traps movements, and avoid shoulder joint injury, because the spinal area will be better lubricated and adequately warmed from the preceding back work.

To grow big bodybuilder traps, train your traps directly twice a week. Combine with your regular back and shoulder training.

• Dumbbell Shrugs s/w Wide-Grip Barbell Rows: 3 x 8–12
• Behind-the-Back Barbell Shrugs: 3 x 8–12

• Biceps/Triceps/Forearms – Exercises of choice

• Exercises of choice

• Behind the Back Barbell Shrugs s/w Dumbbell Upright Rows – 4 x 8-12
• Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 Drop Sets x 8-12
• Wide Grip Upright Rows – 3 x 8-12

• Exercises of choice

• Pre-Workout – 1 scoop IMPACT IGNITER
• Intra-Workout – 1 scoop AMINOCORE + 1 scoop CARBION
• Post-Workout –1 scoop ISOFLEX + 1 serving GLUTAMINE + 1 serving CREATINE
• Post Workout Snack – 1 Bar HEXAPRO PROTEIN BAR

• Train traps with back to avoid overtraining
• Focus on time under tension and squeeze
• Combine isolation moves (shrugs, upright rows) with heavy lifts (deadlifts, rows)
• Don't let your trap workouts compromise shoulder health - use proper form!