Need advice on strengthening a weak lower trap. [Forum Archive]

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Need advice on strengthening a weak lower trap.

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Posted by: Downtown Guy

I have a rotator cuff problem - just a strain I think. The physical therapist tells me I have a weak lower trap that needs to be strengthened to help line the shoulders up properly. I had no clue my back was "out of balance." I always thought it was fairly strong - top to bottom.

Other than seated rows and dumbell rows, any suggestions for concentrating on the lower traps?

Posted by: Luke8395

Shrugs?

Posted by: P-funk

shoulder retraction (horizontal and vertical). not shrugs (upper traps). low rows.

Posted by: Downtown Guy

Thanks Funk man! You've got a bodacious back! If I had a back like yours, I wouldn't be asking such a question.

The PT has me on a very limited range of motion vertically - eyes to shoulders. Horizontally, I'm working the low row HS machine with a big 5 second squeeze at the end of each rep. I just hope I can be back on the bench in 3 months. Thanks again!

Luke, thanks for the suggestion. But as P-Funk says, Shrugs are for upper back. And the PT won't allow it due to the rotator cuff strain.

Posted by: Dale Mabry

I used to do scapular retraction on a cable row machine. I would always be sore as hell in the lower traps for a couple of days. I feel alot more stable sicne doing those. Not in the type of stability that Vieope lacks, which is psychological and emotional, I feel more mechanically stable.

Posted by: Tommy

Stupid question here!!!! but were is the seperation point between upper and lower trap's? I guess I just assumed that you were working both while doing shrugs.

Posted by: Downtown Guy

Good suggestion, Dale. I've always considered it redundant to do the cable row machine as well as the Hammer Strength low row machine in the same workout. So it has always been one or the other.

But since I can't do deads, I may actually incorporate both of these in the same workout. Usually, back is a killer workout. But without deads, it just ain't the same.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tommy

Stupid question here!!!! but were is the seperation point between upper and lower trap's? I guess I just assumed that you were working both while doing shrugs.

different attachments sites. the fibers run differnet ways. upper running diaganol up, Middle running almost parallel to the floor and lower running almost diagonal down.

Posted by: DrChiro

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-funk

shoulder retraction (horizontal and vertical). not shrugs (upper traps). low rows.

Do you do these exercises regularly...and if so, did you find them to be very beneficial in you rback development?

I was doing scapular retraction exercises for a while and I guess I just forgot about them till you mentioned it.....I was just wondering if you thought they were worth putting in a back routine regularly.

Posted by: P-funk

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrChiro

wow, I was loking for something (a post I made awhile back) and I found this....lol, so getting back to it now.

Yes, I do retraction regularly. Usually in the form of YTA's on a stability ball or cuban presses on the stability ball.

I don't know what they did for my back development. I don't really do them for that. I do them more for just general strengthening of the scapular stabalizers and prehabilitation. I defenitly think they are worth putting into any routine. You can never have to strong lower/mid traps or rhomboids.

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