Downloading the Trapeze

Swinging the trapeze: raising your shoulders with dumbbells in your hands

The trapezius muscle is one of the largest muscles in our body, stretching from the back of the head to the middle of the back and elevating the shoulder blades. It plays an important role in maintaining correct posture and stability of the shoulder girdle. Various exercises can be used to develop this muscle, including shoulder raises with dumbbells in your hands.

Performing the exercise

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take dumbbells in your hands, palms should be facing your body.
3. Look straight ahead, shoulders back, chest straight.
4. Inhale, hold your breath and raise your shoulders as high as possible (kusham), without bringing them forward.
5. Hold the tension for 1-2 seconds and exhale.
6. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position, relaxing your muscles.
7. Repeat the exercise several times.

Participants of the movement

Raising your shoulders with dumbbells in your hands activates the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and rhomboid muscles. The trapezius muscle completely covers the upper mid-back, starting at the base of the skull, extending to the shoulders and ending in the lower third of the back. The rhomboid muscle is located under the middle part of the trapezius, converging from the edge of the scapula to the spine. The levator scapulae muscle is located under the upper part of the trapezius, from the cervical vertebrae to the upper angle of the scapula.

Work of muscles and joints

When performing the exercise, the levator scapula muscle pulls it up, forming a straight line, the upper trapezius performs a similar job, raising the collarbone and rotating the scapula. The rhomboid muscle plays an important role in the initial phase of the movement and determines how close the shoulders rise to the ears. The trapezius muscle and the levator scapulae muscle each strive to rotate the shoulder in their own direction and compensate for the rotational action of each other.

Subtleties of execution

To work with maximum amplitude, before starting the exercise you need to thoroughly stretch your shoulders, hang in a relaxed state on the bar, do partial pull-ups (10-15 cm), completely relaxing between repetitions. During the exercise, the back and abdominal muscles should be tense to ensure correct posture. The dumbbells should be held straight, without spreading them to the sides, and not raised above shoulder level. When lifting your shoulders, you need to hold them in a given position for 1-2 seconds to maximize muscle activation.

Indications for performing the exercise

Raising your shoulders with dumbbells in your hands is recommended for people who are involved in fitness, as well as for those who want to strengthen the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle. This exercise is especially useful for people who spend a lot of time at the computer or driving a car, as everyday stress can lead to weakness and tension in the muscles of the shoulders and back.

Contraindications

Shoulder raises with dumbbells in your hands are not recommended for people with chronic diseases of the shoulder girdle, middle and lower back, or for those who have problems with the cardiovascular system. If you have any health problems, you should consult your doctor before starting this exercise.