One method can help you say goodbye to round shoulders and hunchbacks! I strongly recommend you try it

When it comes to the trapezius muscle, many people always have a "full of negative" impression, such as "big trapezius muscles make the back look thick and fat", "big trapezius muscles make clothes look ugly", and many people believe that their neck and shoulder pain are caused by the trapezius muscles... Therefore, not only do people deliberately avoid trapezius muscle training during fitness exercises, but there is even a pathological trend of injecting botulinum toxin to eliminate the trapezius muscles and quickly create "right-angled shoulders".

But in fact, this idea is totally wrong.

The trapezius muscle is not a "burden", but a "health guardian" that shapes the shoulder and neck lines, participates in sports, protects the shoulder and neck, and maintains health. If the trapezius muscle is insufficient or has abnormal tension, it will not only cause shoulder and neck pain and stiffness, round shoulders and hunchbacks, but may even cause sports injuries.

What people on the Internet think about the trapezius muscle

The trapezius muscle is really important.

The trapezius muscle is a large, triangular muscle that covers the back of the neck, shoulders, and upper back. From a functional anatomy perspective, it can be divided into the upper, middle, and lower trapezius muscles.

The upper trapezius muscle (upper fibers) originates from the base of the skull and the nuchal ligament and inserts on the lateral third of the clavicle.

Middle trapezius muscle (middle fibers): originates from the spinous process of the upper thoracic vertebra, extends toward the shoulder and inserts at the scapular spine.

Lower trapezius muscle (lower fibers): originates from the spinous process of the lower thoracic vertebra, runs toward the scapula and inserts on the medial edge of the scapula.

Diagram of the trapezius muscle. Source: Reference [1]

Due to the different shapes of the shoulder blades, each part has its own unique functions:
The main function of the upper trapezius is to elevate, upward rotate and retract the scapula, and at the same time assist in flexing the head to the same side and rotating it to the opposite side when the head is nearly fixed; the function of the middle trapezius is to bring the scapula closer to the spine; the main function of the lower trapezius is to descend and upward rotate the scapula.

Moreover, because the trapezius muscle covers a large area and connects to many parts of the body, when the trapezius muscle works together as a whole, it can be said to be truly "the more capable, the more work". Not only does it exert a lot of effort in movements such as lateral head flexion, shrugs, and arm raising, it also assists in scapular movement, stabilizes the shoulder complex, and ensures the coordinated work of related muscles. Therefore, when the trapezius muscle itself has a "problem", it is easy to cause changes in related muscle tissues and movement patterns, and even cause injuries.

For the trapezius muscle, the most common "condition" is muscle imbalance (as shown in the picture). This muscle imbalance will directly lead to changes in the "length-tension" relationship of muscle fibers in different positions of the trapezius muscle, and the muscles will change from mutual coordination (that is, helping each other) to mutual inhibition (that is, the upper trapezius muscle is overactive and stiff and fatigued, while the middle and lower trapezius muscles are underpowered and atrophied and weak), which will cause changes in the movement patterns of the neck and shoulders involved in the trapezius muscle, increased pressure on adjacent joint tissues, and ultimately lead to injury.

Muscle imbalance. Image source: Reference [2]

Muscle imbalance not only brings about movement pattern disorders, but also causes a series of posture problems from the outside, including round shoulders, hunchback, and hunchbacks, which are all caused by tight upper trapezius muscles and weak middle and lower trapezius muscles.

For example, rounded shoulders and hunched back posture are caused by the excessive tension and contracture of the upper trapezius muscle, which aggravates the shrugging and internal rotation of the shoulders. Visually, it is a hunched back posture with a shortened neck and forward extension. The formation of the wealth hump is more complicated. Due to the long-term bad posture of rounded shoulders, hunched back and forward extension of the head, the fascia in the cervical and thoracic area is damaged, hyperplastic and hardened, and the insufficient supply of tissue fluid and blood aggravates the accumulation of metabolic waste and fat there, forming a vicious cycle.

How to train the trapezius muscle

The solution to the above problems should respect the principles of scientific training: **Stretch and relax the upper trapezius muscles more, and strengthen the middle and lower trapezius muscles more. **Only through a two-pronged training approach can the trapezius muscles return to a healthy state of "relaxation and tension".

Here are two targeted training movements.

1

Upper trapezius stretch exercise

Right upper trapezius stretch :

Sit on a chair with your feet apart, your torso neutral, and your back and abdomen slightly tightened. Keep your head upright, hold the edge of the chair with your right hand, hold your head with your left hand, and gently pull your head to the left, while looking diagonally downward. Feel a noticeable stretch in the right side of your neck, right shoulder, and right upper arm, and continue to stretch the muscles for 10-15 seconds.

Repeat this movement 2 to 3 times, alternating between left and right. If you feel any stinging in your neck and shoulders, stop immediately.

Illustration of upper trapezius muscle stretch. Source: Reference [3]

2

Middle and lower trapezius TYW Fly

Lie prone on the yoga mat with your arms extended forward, and complete the three stages of Y, T, and W in sequence - Y-shaped arms raised to 120 degrees (palms facing each other, shoulder blades adducted and sunk), T-shaped arms stretched out like a flying bird (shoulder blades pressed toward the midline of the spine), W-shaped elbows bent and retracted to the sides of the waist (elbows against the ribs, imagine "stuffing shoulder blades into trouser pockets").

The picture comes from the Internet

Avoid shrugging your shoulders and arching your waist throughout the whole process. Do 8-12 times per set, and feel the back force rather than the arms lifting. Repeat 2-3 sets at each angle, and as your ability improves, you can use elastic resistance.

References

[1] Clay, JH, Pounds, DM (2017). Basic clinical massage therapy: the integration of anatomy and therapeutics. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House.

[2] Source: NASM-CES National Academy of Sports Medicine Corrective Exercise Guide, by Michael A. Clark et al., People’s Posts and Telecommunications Press

[3] PRESCRIPTIVE STRETCHING: Pain Relief and Injury Prevention by Kristian Berg, translated by Wang Xiong and Yang Bin, Posts and Telecommunications Press

Planning and production

Author: Yang Yizhuo, lecturer at the Sports and Medical Integration Innovation Center of Capital Institute of Physical Education

Review | Ji Gang, deputy chief physician of orthopedics, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin