45 Minutes Beginner Traps Workout with Cable Machine
A 45 minutes muscle building workout targeting your traps using cable machine equipment. 3 exercises, 10 total sets, designed for beginner lifters.
45 Minutes
Duration
10
Total Sets
8-12 reps
Rep Range
~525
Est. Calories
The Workout
Start with this as your primary movement. Warm up with 2 lighter sets first.
Form cues
- Attach a straight bar to a low cable and stand close to the machine.
- Pull the bar up along your body by leading with your elbows — they should point to the ceiling.
- Stop when your elbows reach shoulder height to avoid impingement.
Stand between two high cable pulleys, gripping a handle in each hand.
Form cues
- Stand between two high cable pulleys, gripping a handle in each hand.
- Start with your shoulders shrugged up by the weight.
- Pull your shoulders down and back by depressing the scapulae.
Finish strong — take the last set close to failure.
Form cues
- Stand between two high cables or under a lat pulldown bar with arms fully extended overhead.
- Without bending the elbows, depress your shoulder blades — pull your shoulders away from your ears.
- Hold the depressed position for a two-count, then slowly allow the shoulders to elevate.
Why This Workout Works
This workout is built around the principles of muscle building training. Use moderate loads (65-80% of your 1RM) with controlled eccentrics and full range of motion. Prioritize progressive overload by adding reps before adding weight. Train each muscle group 2x per week with 10-20 hard sets per muscle per week.
Training Parameters
- Rep Range: 8-12 reps — the hypertrophy sweet spot for maximum muscle growth
- Rest Periods: 60-90 seconds — long enough for quality reps, short enough for metabolic stress
- Sets Per Exercise: 3-4 sets — optimized for muscle building
Traps Training Tips
- *Heavy shrugs build the upper traps but neglect the mid and lower traps — add face pulls and prone Y-raises.
- *Hold the peak contraction for 1-2 seconds on shrugs instead of bouncing the weight.
- *Deadlifts and rack pulls are underrated trap builders — heavy isometric loading is very effective.
Get this traps workout personalized for you
Revy's AI will analyze your training history, recovery status, and strength levels to customize every set, rep, and weight for maximum muscle building results.