My traps? are weak.

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Piss weak in fact. Weaker than American beer. At least I think they are.

Been seeing a physio for a while now - short(ish) story is started seeing her to rehab a partial supra tear, then I developed lower back pain (turned out to be a tight piriformis) - now it’s sternum pain (turns to agony if I try dips or even light benching)

I’ve got the usual issues - inwardly rotated shoulders, tight anterior muscles, tense posterior. The chest/back muscle imbalance is there too although not too bad given the supra tear = no benching for ages.

Anyway last visit I was told my traps were weak. Physio had me lying on my stomach, arms straight above my head (as though swimming or flying like superman)

Then she moved my arms up (ie increasing shoulder flexion) - passive range of motion was fine but my strength was weak/non existant. I couldn’t even hold them in position at the top of the motion.

The exercise I was given was basically a replica of the above movement - lie on stomach arms outstretched, hold light weights and raise the arms.

Even with a ridiculously light weight I was struggling.

So here’s my question - what muscles are predominantly used for this? Is it normal to be relatively weak here? I’m wondering if this is a naturally mechanically weak position given that the muscles I would expect to be responisble for shoulder flexion aren’t as weak in a different range of motion (say with a front raise) I’m also confused as this doesn’t seem like a typical trap movement (ie I can’t see there being any elevation of the scapula as with shrugs)

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

2

The movement would be hitting your serratus anterior, delts and traps.
remmember that the traps not only elevate and depress the scapulae but are involved in retraction/protraction and rotation aswell.
sounds like there is either heaps wrong with you and you need to rearrange you training to accomodate some more pressing issues or your physio is taking you for a ride and milking you for all your worth.
what are you training for?

3

The problem is you’re not drinking enough American beer!

Maybe this article will help http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/215weak.html
Look at the lower and mid trap raises.

You said you didn’t think the exercize they had you doing worked the traps? Look at figure 1 on http://t-mag.com/html/body_144shrug.html . Your traps are more than just the muscles near your neck.

Whatever you do, take it easy with that injury!