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The trapezius (aka the traps) is a broad kite shaped muscle that runs from the base of your skull and the tips of the vertebrae out to the collar bone and shoulder blade. The traps help to stabilize and move the shoulder blade, and strong trapezius muscles contributes to improved upper body strength and less risk for shoulder injuries. Many people neglect working the trapezius muscle, but a few simple trapezius exercises can make a huge difference in overall upper body strength. If you ask body builders or power lifters what is the number one exercise for building the traps, most of them will say barbell shrugs, and I agree with them. If you want to build up your traps, you definitely need to include barbell shrugs in your workout. It's an easy move to execute because all you have to do is grab a bar and then shrug your shoulder up towards the ceiling. Barbell shrugs work on the upper trapezius, and shrugging motions are the most popular way to work the traps, but you must also w...