Doing Olympic lifts, heavy deadlifts and shrugs are some of the best traps exercises to get bigger traps. However, these are gym-based exercises.
Here I’m showing how to get bigger traps, fast, at home with the best home exercises for traps.
Specifically, this at home traps workout shows you how to get bigger upper traps using only NT Loops and a pair of light dumbbells.
The Best Traps Exercises At Home for Mass
You may think effective traps exercises need heavy weights. You won’t believe the insane trap pump from these home exercises.
Here’s how to do each home exercise for traps, followed by the bigger traps home workout plan.
Make sure you watch and listen to each of the exercise tutorial videos for important form details for how to build bigger traps.
NT Loop Traps Pull-Apart
Band pull-aparts are done with the band pulled more horizontally to involve the posterior shoulder and scapula musculature. I develop this band pull apart variation as an exercise to hip the upper traps.
I recommend using the Red NT Loop band for this exercise because it works best with a lighter resistance and higher reps.
NT Loop Angled Upright Row
I developed this exercise to better hit the upper-traps than the traditional upright row. And, I promise, if you do this correctly, you’ve never felt your upper traps like this before.
Here’s a detailed tutorial of the exercise technique so you really feel it hitting your upper-traps when you’re doing it at-home with an NT Loop band.
Here’s how to do it in your home-workouts with an NT Loop anchored in a door.
You pull the band towards you at roughly 45-degree angle instead vertically. So, this exercise is much safer on your shoulders than normal upright rows because you’ve not only got a wider grip that doesn’t internally rotate your shoulders as much, but you’re also not driving your shoulders upwards in the same motion that risks nearly as much impingement stress on your shoulder tendons. (1,2)
Additionally, the wider grip is because it has been shown in research to both increase trapezius activity and reduce biceps brachii activity. (3)
I recommend using the Red NT Loop band for this exercise because it works best with a lighter resistance and higher reps.
Dumbbell Y Shrug
This is a very effective at home traps exercise with dumbbells. And, a pair of small dumbbells with give you a huge traps pump.
I recommend using 5 to 12lbs dumbbells, depending on your strength level.
NT Loop Zercher Shrugs
Serious lifters do barbell zercher shrugs because is such a great exercise for upper traps that some coaches think work better than normal barbell shrugs.
I recommend using the Blue NT Loop band for this exercise since you need a heavier band due to the small range of motion.
Bigger Traps Home Workout Plan
As you just saw, this home workout for trap size involves a trap exercise with light dumbbells and three traps exercises with NT Loop bands.
Here’s how many reps and sets to do of each upper trapezius exercise at home:
- NT Loop Traps Pull-Apart: 3 sets x 15-30 reps
- NT Loop Angled Upright Row: 3 to 4 sets x 20-30 reps
- Dumbbell Y Shrug: 3 sets x 15-25 reps
- NT Loop Zercher Shrugs 3 to 4 sets of 20 – 50 reps
At-Home Trap Workout Directions
- Take each set to form failure. That means, you can’t do anymore reps in good form.
- Use a dumbbell weight or tension on the NT Loop bands that allows you to get at least the minimum number or reps indicated, but leaves you unable to perform more reps than indicated.
- Rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
- To get bigger traps fast, perform this workout two to three times per week, with at least one day between workouts.
References:
1. Schoenfeld, B., Kolber, M. J., & Haimes, J. E. (2011). The upright row: Implications for preventing subacromial impingement. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 33(5), 25-28.
2. McAllister, M. J., Schilling, B. K., Hammond, K. G., Weiss, L. W., & Farney, T. M. (2013). Effect of grip width on electromyographic activity during the upright row. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(1), 181-187.
3. Handa, T., Kato, H., Hasegawa, S., Okada, J., & Kato, K. (2005). Comparative electromyographical investigation of the biceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, and trapezius muscles during five pull exercises. Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 54(2), 159-168.
