Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined
Traps
Stand tall with the bar in front of your thighs, gripping at shoulder width with palms facing you.
Lock the elbows straight, chest up, eyes forward.
Shrug both shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as you can without bending the elbows.
Hold 1-2 seconds at the top and squeeze the traps.
Lower the shoulders slowly until you feel a stretch at the base of your neck.
Do not roll the shoulders; the path is straight up and straight down.
Rolling the shoulders back at the top, which adds no benefit and stresses the joint.
Bending the elbows so it becomes a half upright row.
Bouncing with the knees to throw the weight up.
Barely moving because the load is far too heavy.
Use straps when your grip fails before your traps do.
A 2-second hold at the top beats adding another 20 kg.
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