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TRAP WORKOUT: THE 5 BEST TRAP EXERCISES FOR BUILDING MASS

Get an incredibly muscular physique with well-developed trapezius muscles. The trapezius muscles, or trap workout, sit at the top and center of your back. This three-part muscle attaches at the base of your skull and continues down to the middle of your spine. Exercises that specifically target this muscle group will add both size and definition to your back, and create a solid frame. Additionally, the trap workout not only look great when strong and defined, but they also improve your posture and help prevent shoulder injuries.
Upper Traps
The upper traps are the easiest section to target. They allow movement in the scapula and cervical spine, including upward rotation, as well as provide shoulder stability.
Mid Traps
The mid traps sit across the back of your shoulders. These muscles are responsible for the retraction of the scapula. They also support the function and movement of neighboring muscles.
Lower Traps
The lower traps assist in the upward rotation, posterior tilt, and external rotation of the scapula, and also provides stabilization for the scapula in other motions.
Best Trap Workout and Exercises
1. Barbell Shrug
Barbell shrugs are a great traps exercise for emphasizing the upper traps and building strength. To get the most out of your shrugs, you’ll want to focus on both your grip and shoulder blade retraction. Firstly, for your grip, make sure you hold the bar with a wide grip. By doing so, the direction of the movement reflects the direction of the fibers in the muscle. Secondly, for the shoulder position, focus on pulling your shoulder blades together, rather than just up. This will make sure you have maximum activation, and therefore results.
Steps
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold the bar in an overhand grip, wider than shoulder-width.
- Shrug the weight up, focussing on squeezing your shoulder blades together, activating that mid-trap section.
- Release the weight back down with control.
2. Dumbbell One-Arm Row
Engage your entire body, not just your traps, with a dumbbell one-arm row. One-arm rows are brilliant for working the whole back muscle region, including the traps, lats, and other stabilizing muscles. However, you can make one small change to shift the emphasis to the upper traps. This is done with a simple shrug to bring the arm into the row. Another benefit of the one-arm row includes identifying if you have a weak side and being able to work on that. You’ll also build core strength, as your abdominals engage to prevent twisting. Plus, because this exercise is done standing, is more athletic and requires full body activation.
Steps
- Stand facing the back of an incline bench so that you can hold on with one hand. Have your feet set wide with your toes pointing forward, bend your knees slightly and tilt at the hips, so your butt is sticking out.
- Hold the dumbbell in one hand, and brace yourself on the upright of the incline bench with the other.
- Keep your arm straight and shrug your shoulder up so that it pulls your arm up and back.
- Once your shoulder is shrugged, continue to pull the weight towards your chest, allowing your elbow to extend behind your body.
- Release the weight back down with control.
- Complete a full set on one arm before moving to the other.
3. Rack Pull
Rack pulls are a great way to build mass and maximize your upper trap activity. Starting the pull at knee height is the section of the lift where the upper traps have the highest level of engagement. Additionally, because the range of movement in this lift is small, this is also the perfect opportunity to increase your weight to overload the muscles. However, make sure to be loading within your relative capabilities, otherwise, you do risk injury. The final thing to note with a rack pull is to focus on your shoulder blade retraction, pulling them together to ensure your shoulders don’t round as you lift.
Steps
- Set yourself up with your barbell on the rack just above knee height.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, tilt forward at the hips, bend your knees slightly, and grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Pull the bar up, focusing on squeezing the shoulder blades together. As you pull, your body will straighten. The move should finish with the barbell in front of your thighs.
- Release the weight back down with control.
4. Face Pulls
Feel the burn throughout your upper back, build stability, and improve posture with a good quality face pull. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to do this exercise correctly. The first is equipment. Ideally, you would use a cable machine with ropes long enough to get a full extension of the arms. Additionally, you’ll need to be pulling from an anchor point above your head. Secondly, is your standing position. You should be square to the cable machine, in an athletic stance. The third is your grip. You want to use an underhand grip and lead with your thumbs, so they win the race to behind your head. Next, you want to pull to your face height — aim for your nose. Finally, don’t use too much weight — you want enough for a proper contraction, but not too much that you need momentum.
Steps
- Position yourself into an athletic stance, square to the cable machine. Your feet will be wider than hip-width apart, knees bent but shins vertical, hips moved back, and your chest up. Anchor the cable above your head.
- Hold the ropes in both hands, in an underhand grip.
- Pull the cables back towards your face, leading with your thumbs. At the back of the move, your traps should be fully contracted. Additionally, your arms will be out wide, with elbows bent at 90-degrees.
- Release the cables back with control.
- If you want to level up this traps exercise, at the back of the move, add a hands-up press to the ceiling to engage your lower trap muscles.

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When Can You Sue For Getting Cancer?

Being diagnosed with cancer can be devastating and affect anyone at any age. Several factors, such as genetics and lifestyle, can cause it. However, cancer can also be caused by the negligence of others. In such an instance, you can sue the people responsible for causing your cancer and claim compensation for the diagnosis and any associated damages.
Determining when and who to sue for getting cancer can be a complex process. So, it’s a wise idea to hire a lawyer to get you through the process and get the compensation you deserve. The attorney can advise you on when, how, and whom to sue for getting cancer.
With that said, here’s when you can sue for getting cancer:
- Product Liability
You can sue for getting cancer from a defective product. For example, in one hair product cancer lawsuit, a claim was made that a hair straightening product was causing uterine cancer in women. The defects in the hair product increase the risk of developing uterine cancer for whoever uses it. If you think you’re in a similar situation, you can sue the manufacturers if a certain product increases your risk of developing cancer.
However, proving your case and claiming compensation can be challenging. In such a case, you must prove the defective product caused your cancer to sue the manufacturer or retailer. You’ll have to request tests on the products to prove the defect and the relationship to cancer development. The product defect has to have caused your cancer diagnosis directly. One example is when the product has excessive amounts of lead. You’ll need to hire experts or resort to government authorities to investigate the product to prove this. This way, you have a piece of solid evidence to sue the product manufacturer.
- Medical Negligence
Medical negligence is one of the most common reasons to sue for getting cancer. You could sue for medical malpractice if the doctors, healthcare facility, hospital, or other medical professionals failed to offer the standard of care causing your cancer diagnosis. For example, if the doctor failed to order necessary tests or misdiagnosed your case resulting in cancer progression, you can sue for medical negligence.
To successfully sue for medical negligence, you must prove that the medical practitioner’s actions directly caused your cancer diagnosis. You must also show that you suffered damage because of the negligent actions of the medical practitioner. By doing so, you can claim compensation for treatment of progressing cancer, lost wages if you cannot work, and pain and suffering.
- Environmental Factors
Exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins is a common risk factor for cancer. Prolonged exposure to asbestos at the workplace, radiation, and other chemicals can increase cancer risk. If you can prove your cancer was caused by exposure to a certain environmental toxin like asbestos, consider suing the company or entity responsible for the pollutants.
Suppose a company’s activities produce excessive radiation that affects the population in a specific area and results in cancer. In that case, you can sue that company for exposing you to toxins that caused the development of your cancer.
Like the previous points, you must prove your cancer was directly caused by a specific substance you were exposed to. You’ll also have to show that the exposure was from the negligence of the company or entity you’re suing. Another aspect you must consider is the entity’s knowledge of the potential risks of exposing people to the toxin or substance. Since you’ll also claim that the company or entity was negligent, expose their bad practices that contributed to the development of your cancer.
Additionally, working in a hazardous environment may expose you to substances or toxins that can increase your cancer risk. For instance, if you’re a construction worker with constant exposure to asbestos, you’ll be at risk of developing cancer. Working as a firefighter can also expose you to asbestos and other carcinogenic substances that cause cancer.
You can sue your employer for getting cancer while working in a hazardous environment. To be successful, you must prove the cancer was caused directly by exposure to a specific chemical or substance at the workplace or in the line of duty. For example, getting cancer from asbestos exposure at a construction site.
In such a suit, you’ll claim compensation for the medical expenses covering the diagnosis and treatment, lost wages, damages for the pain and suffering caused to you and your family, and other associated costs.
Conclusion Getting a cancer diagnosis because of someone else’s negligence can be traumatizing and devastating. However, you can get a little relief through compensation for the medical expenses and other related damages, such as pain and suffering. The process of suing for getting cancer can be complicated, and it’d be best to hire an experienced lawyer to handle the litigation process. An attorney can also advise on the available legal options available and the compensation to seek.

Khalil ur Rehman is a proud born and raised in Abbottabad. Khalil has worked as a journalist for nearly a decade having contributed to several large publications including the Yahoo News and The Verge. As a journalist for The Hear Up, Khalil covers climate and science news. [email protected]om