45 Minutes Intermediate Traps Workout with Dumbbell
A 45 minutes muscle building workout targeting your traps using dumbbell equipment. 3 exercises, 10 total sets, designed for intermediate 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
- Lie face down on an incline bench set to 30-45 degrees, holding light dumbbells.
- Start with arms hanging straight down, thumbs pointing forward.
- Raise the dumbbells up and out to form a Y shape, leading with your thumbs.
Stand with dumbbells at your sides, arms straight.
Form cues
- Stand with dumbbells at your sides, arms straight.
- Shrug your shoulders straight up toward your ears.
- Squeeze the peak contraction for 2 seconds.
Finish strong — take the last set close to failure.
Form cues
- Grip the bar with a shoulder-width or slightly narrower grip.
- Pull the bar straight up along your body, leading with your elbows.
- Raise until the bar reaches chin level or your elbows reach shoulder height.
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.