Maybe you’ve seen him.

He’s the guy in the gym whose neck looks more like a triangular muscle fortress. His shoulders connect to his ears with little gap in between.

Maybe he moonlights as a stunt double for Tom Hardy’s Bane character from Batman or Bill Goldberg in whatever “B” movie the wrestler signs on for.

Those impressive beef wings just above the collarbones? Those are the trapezius muscles, or “traps,” and they’re among the most impressive “mirror muscles” out there. You’re excused for staring.

But traps aren’t just about looks.

Building trap muscles can help you be a better competitor, especially if you play a sport in which you throw a ball or shoot a puck.

Ever notice how hockey players have pretty thick necklines (no homo)? That’s because stickhandling, passing, and shooting all work a chain of musculature that starts at the hands and wrists, moves up the arms to the shoulders, and on to the traps.

The traps also play an important role in injury prevention. Strong traps better absorb blows to the shoulder area, and they also secure the neck during contact, reducing the potential for neck injuries and even concussions.

To build bigger, stronger traps, try the following three exercises. I recommend varying rep ranges in different workouts (that was edited out of the article).

Or watch the video below for one of my personal favourite shoulder / trap exercises (lock out at the top to incorporate the traps).