Traps: moves, progressions and balance

Set up. Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in.

1. Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears.
2. Pause at the top.
3. Lower under control to a full stretch.

Form cues

• Keep the arms straight.
• Keep the neck neutral.
• Use the full range.

Common mistakes

• Rolling the shoulders.
• Jerking the weight with the legs.

Set up. Stand close to a low cable with a bar attached, holding it in front of your thighs with straight arms.

1. Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears.
2. Hold the top briefly.
3. Lower slowly to a full stretch.

Form cues

• Keep the arms long.
• Stand tall.
• Move only at the shoulders.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back to lift.
• Shortening the range.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Grip the bar just outside your legs with a flat back and arms straight.

1. Lift the bar off the floor as in a deadlift, keeping it close.
2. As it passes mid-thigh, extend your hips, knees and ankles explosively.
3. Pull yourself under the bar and turn your elbows forward to catch it on the front of your shoulders.
4. Catch in a partial squat, then stand up and lower the bar under control.

Form cues

• Keep the bar close all the way up.
• Let the hips do the work, not the arms.
• Fast elbows into the catch.

Common mistakes

• Pulling early with the arms.
• Letting the bar swing away from the body.

Take care. This is a technical lift: learn it with a qualified coach and light weight, and use bumper plates on a suitable floor.

Set up. Stand tall holding the bar at your thighs with an overhand grip just outside your legs. Hinge slightly so the bar slides to just above your knees.

1. Keep the bar close and the back flat in the hang position.
2. Extend your hips, knees and ankles explosively.
3. Pull under the bar and turn the elbows forward to catch it on the front of your shoulders.
4. Stand up, then lower the bar to the thighs under control.

Form cues

• Stay over the bar until the hips drive.
• Keep the arms relaxed until the pull under.
• Catch with high elbows.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the bar out in front.
• Catching with low elbows so the wrists take the load.

Take care. Learn this lift with a qualified coach and light weight before loading it.

Set up. Stand holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width apart, arms straight.

1. Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears.
2. Hold briefly at the top.
3. Lower the shoulders under control.

Form cues

• Keep the arms straight.
• Move straight up and down.
• Keep your chin level.

Common mistakes

• Rolling the shoulders in circles.
• Bending the elbows to lift.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar.

1. Flatten your back, pull your chest up and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Push the floor away with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins.
3. As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward until you stand tall.
4. Lower the bar by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them.

Form cues

• Keep the bar touching or close to your legs.
• Keep your back flat from start to finish.
• Brace your stomach before each rep.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back as the bar leaves the floor.
• Letting the hips shoot up first so the back does all the lifting.

Take care. Learn the hinge with light weight first, and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.

Set up. Stand between two heavy dumbbells, squat down with a flat back and grip one in each hand.

1. Stand up tall with the dumbbells at your sides.
2. Walk forward with short, steady steps.
3. Set the dumbbells down by squatting at the end of the distance or time.

Form cues

• Stand tall with the shoulders back.
• Grip hard.
• Walk smoothly, without rushing.

Common mistakes

• Leaning forward or to one side.
• Bending over to put the weights down with a round back.

Set up. Set up as for a barbell row with the bar on the floor, torso nearly parallel to the floor, back flat and hands just outside shoulder width.

1. Brace and pull the bar explosively from the floor to your lower chest.
2. Touch the body briefly with the elbows driven back.
3. Lower the bar back to the floor under control.
4. Reset your back before the next rep.

Form cues

• Each rep starts dead from the floor.
• Keep the torso flat and still.
• Pull fast, lower controlled.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the torso to start each rep.
• Dropping the bar and losing position.

Set up. Stand inside a trap bar with your feet about hip width apart. Hinge down and grip the handles at their middle.

1. Flatten your back and lift your chest.
2. Push the floor away with your legs and stand up tall.
3. Lower the bar by sitting the hips back and bending the knees together.

Form cues

• Keep your arms long and relaxed.
• Stand straight up between the handles.
• Brace before each rep.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back at the bottom.
• Leaning back at the top.

Set up. Stand holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width apart or a little wider.

1. Pull the bar up along your body, leading with the elbows.
2. Stop when your elbows reach about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the bar close to your body.
• Keep the elbows above the hands.
• Use a grip wide enough to stay comfortable.

Common mistakes

• Using a very narrow grip.
• Pulling higher than the shoulders comfortably allow.

Take care. Stop at a height that feels comfortable, and widen the grip if the front of the shoulder pinches.

Set up. Squat down with a flat back and pick up one heavy dumbbell in one hand.

1. Stand up tall with the dumbbell at your side.
2. Walk forward with steady steps without leaning.
3. Set it down by squatting, then switch hands.

Form cues

• Stay upright.
• Keep the shoulders level.
• Grip hard.

Common mistakes

• Leaning toward or away from the weight.
• Rushing the steps.

Set up. Attach a straight bar or rope to a low cable. Stand close, holding it in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.

1. Pull the handle up along your body, leading with the elbows.
2. Stop when the elbows reach about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows above the hands.
• Stand tall.
• Use a grip wide enough to stay comfortable.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back to pull.
• Pulling higher than the shoulders comfortably allow.

Set up. Set the bar on the rack pins or blocks at about knee height. Stand close with feet hip width apart, hinge down and grip just outside your legs.

1. Flatten your back and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Drive the hips forward and stand tall.
3. Lower the bar back to the pins under control.

Form cues

• Keep the bar against your thighs.
• Keep your back flat.
• Finish standing straight, not leaning back.

Common mistakes

• Hyperextending the lower back at the top.
• Dropping the bar onto the pins.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet and grip it very wide, so the bar would sit in your hip crease when standing. Hinge down with a flat back.

1. Lift your chest and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Push the floor away and stand up, keeping the bar close.
3. Lower under control to the floor.

Form cues

• Keep the shoulders over the bar at the start.
• Keep the back flat.
• Use straps if grip limits the set.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the upper back under the wide grip.
• Letting the bar drift away from the legs.

Set up. Press a dumbbell overhead in one hand and lock the arm straight, biceps near your ear.

1. Brace your stomach and stand tall.
2. Walk forward with steady, normal steps.
3. Lower the weight under control at the end of the distance or time.
4. Switch sides.

Form cues

• Keep the arm locked and vertical.
• Keep the ribs down.
• Walk without leaning.

Common mistakes

• Letting the arm drift forward.
• Arching the lower back.