The Physics of Fitness

Chapter Nineteen
Latissimus Dorsi
& “Upper Back” Muscles

In bodybuilding “jargon”, people usually classify the Lats and other muscles of the upper
back, collectively, as the “Back”. For example, when someone asks, “What are you
working today?”, the answer would be something like “Chest and Back”, or “Back and
Biceps”. What’s important, of course, is to know the individual muscles of the “Back”,
and to understand their distinct functions, so that we can determine which exercises are
BEST for each of those muscles.

Most people are familiar with the Latissimus dorsi - the “Lats”. Beyond that, however,
most bodybuilders - and even most trainers - do not know the names nor the exact

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functions of the other muscles of the upper back. How do I know this? Because
virtually no one exercises their BACK muscles “correctly”. This will be very obvious in
short order.

- - - - - - - -
The “Lats”
The origins of the Latissimus dorsi are located on the lower two-third of the spine
(Thoracic 7 through Lumbar 5), and on the lower 3rd and 4th ribs, and on the bottom tip
of the scapula, and on the upper-posterior part of pelvis (the iliac crest). All of these
fibers then insert onto the upper-inner part of the humerus, just below the humeral head.

Common exercises for the Lats include Chin-Ups, plus various types of Pulldowns (wide
grip with a straight bar, narrow grip with an A-bar handle, etc.), as well as various
Rowing movements (One Arm Dumbbell Row, Seated Cable Row, etc.). Let’s see if
these are actually good exercises for the Lats, or if there are better exercises.

We will use our three “clues” to determine what the ideal motion for the Lats would be:
1) the origin and insertion of the muscle; 2) the direction of the muscle fibers; and 3) the
apparent design of the shoulder joint.

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The most immediately obvious clue is the direction of the Lat fibers. As you can see,
they are mostly diagonal. That alone would suggest a diagonal movement, and a
diagonal direction of resistance. None of the exercises I mentioned above are
“diagonal” movements with a diagonal resistance. Chin-Ups and Pulldowns are vertical
movements with a vertical resistance. They’re better than Rowing movements (for the
Lats), but they are still not quite ideal.

The second most obvious clue is the origins and the insertion of the Lats. The origins
are mostly all on the spine, and on the upper-inner part of posterior pelvis. Since
“muscles always pull toward their origin”, the ideal concentric anatomical motion for the
Lats would be a movement that causes its operating lever (the humerus / upper arm
bone) to move inwardly, toward the spine, and toward the upper part of the posterior
pelvis.

The next question should be: “FROM which direction should that motion come?”.
Naturally, it should come from a direction that is opposite the concentric motion. Since
the concentric motion is headed toward the spine (in a diagonally downward angle), it
should come from a place that is directly away from the spine - away from the fiber
origins that are on the spine. That would point to a “location” that is diagonal, upward of
the torso at an angle of approximately 30 or 40 degrees. Also, it should come from an
angle that is slightly in front of the torso - approximately 30 degrees to the front - in
order to prevent excessive external humeral rotation, when the arm in the descended
position and the elbow is bent.

Lastly, let’s look at the shoulder joint for a minute, and see what that tells us about the
ideal motion of the Lats.

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In the illustration above, focus your attention on the right humerus (upper arm bone),
which is pointing almost straight up. Now, look at the attachment of the Latissimus, on
that humerus, when then humerus is at that angle. Do you see the Mechanical DIS-
advantage there? The arm must rotate outwardly (see curved arrow), but the Lats
cannot pull in that direction. From this angle, they must pull downward.

When the humerus is elevated that high, the Latissimus is forced to pull on the humerus
from a mostly parallel angle. That is the most extreme angle of Mechanical DIS-
advantage. The force requirement when this occurs is approximately six times greater
than what it would be if the muscle were able to pull on the bone perpendicularly. For
this reason, starting a Chin-up or a heavy Lat Pulldown with a humerus that is angled
that high (80 - 70 degrees), has a fairly high risk of injury.

Below, you can see what this looks like during an actual Chin-up. From this starting
position, the first 40 degrees of the humerus’ trajectory experiences a significant
Mechanical Disadvantage. However, when the upper arm is about 30 degrees from
horizontal (see dotted marker on the protractor, below right), the Lats are able to pull on
the humerus more perpendicularly. That is the point at which the Lats can pull on the
humerus from a Mechanical Advantage, and pull the upper arm toward the spine -
toward the Latissimus origins - making it more productive and more safe.

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Chin-Ups and Pulldowns engage the Lats better than do any of the Rowing movements.
But Chin-Ups and Pulldowns are still not quite “perfect” for the Lats. They both typically
begin their range of motion too high (because the vertical resistance comes from
straight above), and then they complete their trajectory too soon (because the hands
are gripped widely onto a straight bar).

If you use a wide grip (when doing either Chin-Ups or Pulldowns) you reduce the
Mechanical Disadvantage when the arms are fully extended upward. However, the
wide grip then limits your ability to bring the humerus all the way down and inward -
which prevents complete contraction of the Latissimus. If you use a narrow grip, you’d
be able to bring your humerus farther inward (alongside your torso) - which provides a
better Latissimus contraction - but the narrow grip then results in a more severe
Mechanical Disadvantage when the arms are up.

The Chin-Up is further problematic because it forces you to use your entire bodyweight
*. You don’t have the variety of resistance options you should have. Ideally, you should
be able to warm up with a resistance that is light enough to do 20 or 30 repetitions,
without too much effort. Then, you would gradually increase the resistance, until you’re
only able to perform 6 to 8 challenging repetitions, with good form.

Note: * A Chin-Up Machine, which provides “assistance” (“weight” pushing upward on your
feet) “subtracts” from your body weight, and eliminates the problem of the resistance being too
heavy. However, there are still two additional problems with Chin-Ups, which also need to be
considered.

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Another problem with Chin-Ups is that it forces your body to hang vertically, which then
causes the humerus to pull from a less-than-ideal angle. Ideally, the humerus should
pull from a slightly forward angle. This can be achieved when doing Lat Pulldowns,
simply by leaning back about 20 degrees. But angling your torso 20 degrees from
vertical is impossible during Chin-Ups. And adding weight (additional resistance) by
way of a belt or chain around your waist exacerbates this problem.

For these two reasons - 1) “more resistance options” and 2) “better direction of humeral
movement relative to the torso” - Lat Pulldowns are a better option than Chin-Ups.
However, the direction of resistance is still not quite perfect with Pulldowns, and we also
still have the problems caused by the “wide grip versus narrow grip” issue.

Again, the ideal anatomical motion for the Lats would be a movement that has the
humerus (upper arm) starting at about 30 above the shoulder, and angling toward the
front about 30 degrees. This starts the movement from a point where the Latissimus is
substantially elongated, but does not require it to experience much Mechanical
Disadvantage or cause any possible shoulder impingement.

Then, the concentric movement would bring the humerus downward and inward, toward
one’s side (photo above-right). This allows the humerus to move toward the Latissimus
origins on the spine and also on the upper-rear part of the pelvis. The movement ends
with the elbow almost touching the hip bone - for full Latissimus contraction. This
represents the most pure, most natural Latissimus function, without shoulder joint strain.

That ideal direction of movement, combined with the ideal direction of resistance, is best
achieved with a One Arm Lat Pull-In, shown above.

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In contrast, the direction of movement that is performed when we do any kind of Rowing
exercise, is straight back - posteriorly. However, the Lats do not directly produce a
“straight back” direction of “pull”. The typical Rowing motion fails to move the operating
lever of the Lats (i.e., the humerus / upper arms) toward the Latissimus origins on the
spine. Also, the “straight forward” direction of resistance which is typically present
during most Rowing exercises, is not directly opposite the Latissimus origins, nor is it
parallel to the Latissimus fibers.

Instead of working mostly the Lats, Rowing motions work mostly the Posterior
Deltoids. The Lats do participate to a degree, but the Lats are not able to do the
majority of the work because neither the motion, nor the direction of resistance, are
correct enough to qualify as “good” for the Lats.

- - - - - - - -
Ideal Direction of Resistance for the Lats
As you know, the direction of resistance determines the “resistance curve” of an
exercise. It also plays a role in alleviating (or exacerbating) a Mechanical
Disadvantage, depending on how one manipulates it.

The Latissimus attachment on the humerus is similar to that of the Biceps brachii on the
radius (forearm bone). When either of these muscles are fully elongated, they are
forced to pull on their operating levers from a more parallel angle. This increases the
force requirement to a degree that could be dangerous. Therefore, in both cases -
when working the Biceps or the Lats - it is better to provide a direction of resistance
that is mostly parallel to the operating lever, at the beginning of the range of motion.
This reduces the resistance where the risk is the highest.

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In the illustration above, I’ve placed an arrow pointing from the shoulder joint, pointing
upward at a 30 degree angle. If you were to begin the movement with your humerus at
that angle, with the direction of resistance also at that angle, they would be parallel.
Technically, this would make the humerus a “neutral lever”. However, since the Lats
would be pulling on the humerus from a significant Mechanical Disadvantage, at that
starting point, the increased force requirement from this would compensate for the
mostly “neutral” angle of the humerus, relative to the direction of resistance.

This is very much like starting a Standing Barbell Curl with a neutral forearm. When we
start the motion, even the slightest “perpendicular-ness” to that forearm is magnified
tremendously because of the Mechanical Disadvantage. In other words, the fact that
the operating lever is “less active” (mostly parallel to gravity), is offset by the fact that
force requirement is dramatically increased by the Mechanical Disadvantage (the angle
of the Biceps’ pull, relative to the forearm / lever).

This same thing happens when doing One Arm Pull-Ins, with the direction of resistance
recommended above - as the operating lever (the humerus) moves downward and
inward, it becomes more “active” (more perpendicular with the cable). This allows the
Latissimus to pull on its operating lever from more of a Mechanical Advantage. This
balances out the resistance curve nicely. As we get “stronger” (i.e., as we gain
Mechanical Advantage), the humerus becomes more “active” (i.e., more perpendicular
with resistance), and therefore “heavier”.

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Another benefit of this particular exercise (“One Arm Lat Pull-Ins”) - using only one arm
at a time, with a resistance that comes from the above recommended angle - is that we
can pull our upper arm “down-and-inward” farther than we would be able to during
standard Lat Pulldowns. This provides a more ideal range of motion: less at the top,
where it’s risky, and more at the bottom, for a better contraction.

- - - - - - - -
Now that we know the ideal anatomical movement that engages the Lats, as well as the
ideal direction of resistance that should accompany that anatomical movement, we can
clearly see why Rowing movements are not very good for the Lats.

Let’s look at one particular Rowing exercise that is even less useful (for Latissimus
development) than most of the other traditional Rowing exercises - One Arm Dumbbell
Row.

Remember the goal is to have the operating lever of the Lats (i.e., the humerus) moving
toward the Latissimus origins on the spine, during the concentric phase of the
movement….and away from the Latissimus origins during the eccentric phase of the
movement. Also, the direction of resistance should come from a place that is directly
opposite the Latissimus origins on the spine.

The first problem is that the typical angle of the torso during One Arm Rowing is to have
the resistance (gravity) pulling more from below the shoulder, rather than from above
the shoulder. So, instead of pulling concentrically downward (toward the poster part of
the pelvis), the concentric pulling is moving toward the upper-middle Trapezius.

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In the illustrations above, the “A” arrow indicates the direction of “pull” that could
theoretically engage the Latissimus, because that would move the humerus more
toward the Latissimus origins. However, having the torso angled like this - which is the
typical angle assumed during One Arm Dumbbell Rowing - causes the humerus to
move more upward (the “B” arrow), toward an area where there are no Latissimus
fibers. This is in addition to the fact that the Lats pull more inward (from an “outside” /
lateral angle), than they do backward.

In addition, when doing a One Arm Dumbbell Row (shown below), people usually rotate
their torso in a direction that is away from the downward pull of the dumbbell.

In the photos above, we can see that the direction of his arm movement is toward
12:00, but the origin of his Lats are on his spine - where I’ve placed that dot. Obviously,
he’s not moving his arm toward that dot (the spine). And by the time he finishes the
repetition (the conclusion of the movement), he has rotated his torso such that his spine
is even farther away from the trajectory of the arm. When he starts (photo above-left),
the dot is higher than his shoulder (10:00 position), but by the time he finishes the
repetition (photo above-right), it is lower than his shoulder (8:00 position).

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Yes - the Latissimus is participating, but not much. Rather than having the humeral
movement heading toward the origin of the Latissimus, it is heading toward the
Posterior Deltoid and the Teres major.

But, even if the person does not rotate his torso, the direction of resistance is still
compromised, assuming his intentions are to work the Lats. For maximum efficiency,
“Opposite Position Loading” requires that the direction of resistance come from a
“place” that is directly opposite the origins of the target muscle. That would require that
the resistance come more from the side, and higher than his shoulder, while the
humerus is pulled in a direction that is downward and inward, toward the bottom two-
thirds of his spine.

Almost all standard Rowing exercises (T-Bar Rowing, Seated Cable Rowing, One-Arm
Dumbbell Rowing, etc.) have a straight forward-pulling direction of resistance. As we
discussed in Chapter 8 (“Opposite Position Loading”), whatever muscle origin is directly
opposite resistance will be the most loaded, whether that is our intention or not.

If a muscle origin is NOT directly opposite resistance, it will NOT be the most loaded by
that resistance.

For this reason, most Rowing exercises (certainly all the ones that have a forward-
pulling direction of resistance) would rate a “4” or a “5”, in terms of efficiency for
Latissimus training. An “unsupported” Rowing exercise (like Low Pulley Rowing, or
Bent Over Barbell Rowing) would rate even lower, because of the additional lower back
strain.

- - - - - - - -
Muscles of the “Upper Back”

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As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, most people cannot identify the muscles
of the “back”, beyond the Lats. And, those who can identify some of those muscles,
often don’t fully understand what action those muscles produce. This includes, by the
way, most competitive bodybuilders and most Personal Trainers - even though they
devote vast amounts of time and effort doing “back” exercises, or teaching people
“back” exercises.

More importantly, most people never question whether or not the exercises we’ve been
told to do, are “maximally productive” for the development of those upper back muscles.
In fact, most of the traditional “upper back” exercises are NOT as productive as we have
been lead to believe. You’ll soon see this for yourself.

In the illustration below-left, we can see that the middle Trapezius is the second most
prominent muscle of the back - second only to the Lats. It covers nearly a third of the
entire back - from the base of the neck, down to the mid-spine, and from the outer edge
of one scapula to the outer edge of the other scapula. In the photo below-right, we can
see how significant the Trapezius are in this “Back Double Biceps” pose by legendary
bodybuilder Mike Quinn.

Now, let’s look at two of the other muscles of the Upper Back - the Teres major (below-
left) and the Infraspinatus (below-right). The Teres major is that triangular section,
just above the outer part of the Lats. The Infraspinatus is in the middle, between the
Trapezius, the Posterior Deltoid, the Teres major and the Latissimus. The only
remaining muscle of the upper back is the Teres minor, which is very small and cannot
be seen in these photos. Nonetheless, we’ll review it in a moment. We’ll also see
where the Rhomboids are.

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Now that we know what the primary “upper back” muscles are called and where they
are located, let’s examine what they do - in terms of anatomical movement. Then, we’ll
ask ourselves the most important question: “Are we doing the right exercises for these
muscles, given their functions?”.

Middle Trapezius

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The origins of the Trapezius are situated on the upper two-thirds of the spine,
beginning at the base of the skull (the occipital bone), down to the lower thoracic
vertebrae (T6 through T12). Its fibers then extend laterally, converge and attach onto
the outer portion of scapula (the shoulder blade), as well as the outer portion of the
clavicle (collar bone). None of the Trapezius muscle fibers attach onto the
humerus (the upper arm bone). This is important to note, as you’ll soon see.

The direction of the Trapezius fibers are indicative of the muscle’s actions. The upper
Trapezius fibers pull the scapula and the outer end of the clavicle, upward. The middle
fibers pull the scapula backward and inward - toward the spine. The lower fibers pull
the scapula downward and inward.

The Trapezius is assisted by the Rhomboid major and minor. The Levator scapulae
also assists the Trapezius in pulling scapula upward. The Rhomboids and the Levator
scapulae - shown in the illustration below - are beneath the Trapezius, so they cannot
be seen on a person, even if that person is very lean.

Both of these - the Rhomboids and the Levator scapulae - are smaller muscles (than
the Trapezius), with very little capacity for growth. Notice also that they attach to the
inner edge of the scapula, whereas the Trapezius attaches to the outer edge of the
scapula. Therefore, they have less leverage on the scapula, so they cannot play as
strong a role in elevating the scapula - as compared with the Trapezius. They are not
muscles with which we need concern ourselves because they participate anytime we
engage the Trapezius, and they play a fairly small role functionally as well as visually.

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Getting back to the development of the middle Trapezius, let us ask ourselves this
question: “How much do you think the middle Trapezius can participate during a
Rowing exercise, given that the middle Trapezius does NOT connect to the arms?”
Rowing exercises require mostly arm movement.

Next time you’re at the gym, watch people as they perform “Seated Cable Rowing”, or
“One Arm Dumbbell Rowing”, or “T-Bar Rowing”, or any other type of Rowing exercise -
including Rowing machines. What you’ll see is that a Rowing movement is about 90%
arm motion. But the Trapezius (the largest muscle of the “upper” back) cannot pull on
the arms, because it is not connected to the arms. The Traps play NO role whatsoever
in the arm-part of a Rowing motion. The middle Trapezius can only pull the shoulders
(the scapula) backward and inward - toward the spine. That is the Trapezius’ primary
function (…and also to stabilize the scapula while the arms are pulling backward).

Despite Rowing exercises being considered among the most “primary”, standard and
traditional movements for bodybuilding, they are clearly not “ideal” for the Lats, nor
“ideal” for the middle Trapezius. The Trapezius and the Lats are the two largest, most
prominent muscles of the “Back”, but neither of them gets fully activated, nor fully
loaded, by a Rowing motion.

As we discussed in Chapter 8, the Rowing motion is performed mostly by the

Of course, some people try to “squeeze” their shoulder blades together when they
perform Rowing exercises, in an effort to flex (contract) the middle Trapezius. That’s
fine, but that’s an incidental part of a Rowing exercise, despite one’s best efforts. When
the resistance is pulling your arms straight forward, the automatic thing to do is to pull
in the opposite direction of that forward pull. That would be a “straight back” direction
of movement.

Squeezing the scapula together requires a different direction of movement - one that is
“inward” - NOT “straight back”. It is physically and psychologically difficult to add that
secondary motion, in a slightly different direction, when a heavy resistance is pulling you
straight forward. Even if you’re able to do it, it’s still not good enough - because the
origins of the middle Trapezius are not positioned directly opposite the direction of
resistance. So they’re not fully loaded.

You’ll recall that - in Chapter 8 - we talked about when we throw a rope over a tree
branch, and then pull that rope straight downward (a 6:00 direction), that that force will
mostly load the 12:00 area of the branch. If you want to “load” (apply force) to the 2:00
part of the tree branch, you must pull the rope from an 8:00 direction.

The origins of the Trapezius fibers are all on the spine, and that is located at the 3:00
and 9:00 position, relative to each of the arms. The line of force, from a forward-pulling

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resistance, is opposite the back of the shoulders - the Posterior Deltoids and the Teres
Major. But those are not the target muscles of a Rowing exercise. The muscle origins
that are on the spine (the Trapezius, and also the Latissimus…which ARE the intended
target muscles of a Rowing exercise) are not positioned directly opposite the line of
force, of a forward-pulling resistance.

In the photo above-left, the arrows are pointing in the direction of the movement of the
arms, opposite the forward-pulling resistance of the machine’s cable. In the photo
above-right, the two arrows are indicating the actual movement that NEEDS to occur,
for the middle Trapezius to perform its designated function - pulling the scapula inward,
toward the spine. It is very difficult to move in both of these directions - with a
resistance that is only pulling in one direction.

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Now, let’s look at the photos below. The dots on the left photo show where the load of
the forward-pulling resistance goes - onto the Posterior Deltoids and Teres Major. The
dots on the right photo show where the load of a diagonal direction of resistance goes -
onto the middle Trapezius - because those origins are now directly opposite resistance.

“Opposite Position Loading” requires (for maximum efficiency) that the resistance come
from a direction that is mostly opposite the origins of the middle Trapezius fibers.
Since those origins are on the spine (the center of the torso), the resistance should
come from a more lateral (side) angle. The anatomical motion should then be mostly
scapular, because that is the only motion the middle Trapezius produces. The
emphasis should be on squeezing the shoulder blades together, with a lesser emphasis
on pulling with the arms.

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Note: The minimal arm movement that would occur here would be produced mostly by the
highest fibers of the Latissimus, assisted by the Teres major.

The “Scapular Retraction” exercise (shown below, from three angles) is the best
exercise for targeting the middle Trapezius of the upper back. It provides a resistance
that comes from an outward angle (parallel to one’s shoulders in terms of height), and
the anatomical movement of the scapula is inward, toward the spine - directly opposite
the direction of resistance. The shoulders blades should squeeze back and inward,
during the concentric phase - and then move forward and outward (laterally), during the
eccentric phase. Using the arms (bending the elbows) a little bit helps the scapula
move better, in addition to engaging some of the upper-most Latissimus fibers.

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Of course, some people don’t have access to this type of pulley system, which allows
you to adjust the height and the width of the two pulleys. If that’s the case, it’s
unfortunate. What’s even more unfortunate is that the gym equipment manufacturers
are not designing equipment properly. A machine that is designed like the set-up I’m
demonstrating above, should be in every gym - ready to use. But they’re not being
made. Instead, if you want to do this exercise, you have to set it up as shown above.

Note: Ironically - there are some “Rowing” machines that start narrow and end wide. This is
the opposite of “ideal”, because the motion is moving away from the spine, instead of toward it.

The fact that “Scapular Retraction” machines don’t exist yet, and that a person has to
set it up like this in order to do it, does not negate the fact that this is the correct
movement, and the correct direction of resistance, for best loading and contracting the
largest muscle of the upper back - the middle Trapezius. This type of exercise rates a
“10” for development of the middle Trapezius.

A standard Low Pulley Rowing would rate a “5”, at best. The middle Trapezius would
only be loaded with about 40% of the load. Also, the movement that naturally occurs
during a Low Pulley Row is NOT one that moves toward the spine - it moves straight
backward, toward the origins of the Posterior Deltoids.

In comparison, “Scapular Retractions” (with a lateral resistance) would load the middle
Trapezius with greatest percentage of the load, but would only load the Rear Deltoids
with about 20% of the load. The Lower Back would get about 30% less load than it

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would with a standard Low Pulley Row *. This provides us with more load on the target
muscle, and less load on the non-target muscles - which is ideal.

Note: * The lateral resistance of both arms combined, when the resistance originates from a 45
degree angle from the left and right sides, produce a composite forward resistance that is
approximately 70% of that which a straight forward resistance would produce.

In fairness, a standard Rowing machine that is chest supported is adequate for people
who are “low level” fitness participants. Equipment manufacturers would not have to
discontinue making simple Rowing machines, even though they are not “ideal”. But for
those of us who are motivated to pursue the absolute best result, there should be an
advanced-level “Scapular Retraction” machine that makes it easy to perform this
exercise without having to set it up each time we want to use it.

Teres major, Teres minor & Infraspinatus

It’s like a “mini-Latissimus” except that it originates on the scapula instead of on the
spine. Therefore, it pulls in a direction that is a bit more similar to the Posterior Deltoid,
than to the Latissimus. However, it also participate in Pulldowns, Chin-Ups, Lat Pull-Ins
and Rowing exercises, as well as Posterior Deltoid exercises. This muscle does not
need any focused attention, in terms of exercise. It gets plenty of work “peripherally”.

The Teres minor (below) is an even smaller muscle, and generally not considered a
“physique muscle”. It lies between and beneath the Teres major and the Infraspinatus.
It originates on the middle, outer edge of the scapula, and attaches onto the posterior
side of the humeral head. This is important to note because - since its attachment is so
high on the humerus - it has essentially no leverage on it. In other words, this muscle

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cannot participate much in “pulling” movements of any kind - whether they’re Pulldowns,
Chin-Ups or Rowing. The Teres minor wraps around the posterior side of the humeral
head, and then attaches onto the outer part of it. Its primary function is to rotate the
humerus externally. This muscle works in conjunction with the Infraspinatus.

The Infraspinatus (highlighted below-left on Mike Quinn, and shown in the illustration
below-right) is the primary external rotator of the humerus. As you can see, it originates
on the inner edge (posterior side) of the scapula, and then attaches onto the humeral
head - just above the attachment of the Teres minor. When it contracts, it rotates the
humerus “externally”. Like the Teres minor, it cannot participate much in Pulldowns,
Chin-Ups and Rowing, because its attachment is so high on the humerus.

Although the Infraspinatus looks as though it is one of the primary “Back” muscles (on a
bodybuilder), it does not participate much in any of the exercises we typically associate
with “Back exercises”. It participates more during Posterior Deltoid exercises, especially
if the alignment of that movement is not correct - ironically. In those cases, it works as
an isometric “external rotation” exercise.

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It is definitely worth exercising this muscle - along with the Teres minor (both external
rotators) - if for no reason other than function. The external shoulder rotators are
usually weaker than the internal rotators. This is because day-to-day activities usually
require inward shoulder rotation, but rarely require external rotation. For this reason,
the Infraspinatus is more vulnerable to injury. This muscle, as well as the other “Rotator
Cuff” muscles, will be further discussed in Chapter 25.

Although Chin-Ups, Pulldowns, T-Bar Rowing, Low Pulley Rowing and One Arm
Dumbbell Rows are not optimally efficient exercises, many people have been able to
achieve a respectable level of development of their Latissimus and middle Trapezius,
using these exercises. However, these exercises are not optimally efficient. Exercises
that are more efficient would produce results that are “as good” or better, while spending
less time and effort, and having a lower risk of injury.

- - - - - - - -

Upper Trapezius
The upper Trapezius fibers can be seen from front as well front the back - especially
when well developed. These fibers play an important role in the aesthetic of a physique
because they fill in the space between the neck and the shoulders. We can see this in
the illustration below-left (rear view) and in the photo of Frank Zane below-right (front
view).

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Depending on one’s genetics, these fibers can either grow quite a lot, or just modestly.
The degree to which this muscle grows is not entirely within our control. All we can do
is ensure that we are performing the correct movement, with the correct direction of
resistance, with sufficient range of motion and sufficient intensity. The rest is
determined by genetics.

In the photo below-left, we see a more massively developed upper Trapezius, flexed in
a typical “Crab” pose, by Dexter Jackson. In the photo below-right, I am hitting the
same pose, but with upper Trapezius that are much less massive. I have never been
able to develop much “thickness” in this particular muscle, as compared with other more
massive bodybuilders. I share a similar genetic structure to that of Frank Zane (seen
above-right), who also was known more for his symmetry than for his mass.

Some people “prefer” the aesthetics of a less massive upper Trapezius, while others
believe “the bigger, the better”. Either way, the way each of our individual body
develops - in terms of “thickness” and shape - is determined mostly by genetics, all
other factors being equal.

Anatomically speaking, the upper Trapezius fibers are easy to work, because their ideal
anatomical function is not complicated. They simply pull the shoulder carriage (i.e.,
scapula and clavicles) upward, and slightly backward. Most “Shrugging” exercises will
suffice. The “Scapular Retraction” exercise shown earlier in this chapter also works
these upper fibers, although to a lesser degree than a straight upward movement.

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In the illustrations above, you can clearly see that the origins of these fibers are all on
the upper part of the spine (cervical). Some fibers even originate at the base of the
skull - on the occipital bone.

All these upper fibers then attach to the upper ridge of the scapula (“A” below), and the
outer part of the clavicles (“B” below). When these fibers contract, they pull the scapula
and clavicle upward. Of course, this pulls the humerus up as well, because the
humerus is attached to the scapula and to the clavicles by way of tendons and
ligaments.

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The Trapezius muscle produces extremely divergent directions of movement. The
upper Trapezius fibers pull the scapula upward; the middle fibers pull the scapula
backward; and the lower fibers pull the scapula in a downward-backward direction.

Although all the fibers are collectively considered “one muscle”, it produces nearly 150
degrees of scapular / clavicular movement. No other muscle in the body produces such
a wide range of directional movements. The Pectorals are a distant second place, in
this regard. And these are the only two muscles that produce a range of movements,
because they are the only ones that are fan-shaped.

In terms of directions of movement for exercising the Trapezius, (function and physique
development), we need only concern ourselves - primarily - with TWO directions:
straight “up” (Upper Trapezius / 0 - 20 degrees) and straight “back” (Middle Trapezius /
90 - 100 degrees).

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The middle and lower fibers are best worked with an exercise that requires scapular
retraction, which was demonstrated earlier in this chapter. The upper Trapezius fibers
are best worked with a simple upward-shrugging exercise. It is not necessary to pull in
every single direction in which the Trapezius fibers run. A large percentage of the fibers
participate whenever either of the two directions of movement is performed.

The most common Upper Trapezius exercise is the Standing Dumbbell Shrugs (shown
below). This exercise is fine, and preferable over Barbell Shrugs, because using
Dumbbells allows the weights to be held alongside the torso and hips, which helps keep
the spine stable.

The photos below shows a person using a barbell for Shrugs. However, as you can
see, because the barbell is typically held IN FRONT of the torso and hips, it tends to pull
the torso forward to some degree. This is not a problem for most people, especially if
the weight being used is relatively light. However, if the weight being used is “very
heavy”, it could pull the spine forward - into a slight forward flexion - which would put
stress on the intervertebral discs. There is no advantage in using a barbell for this
exercise, so taking this risk is unnecessary. Holding a barbell behind one’s back
restricts freedom of movement, due to the Gluteus blocking the upward movement of
the barbell.

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My personal preference, for the Upper Trapezius, is the Standing Cable Shrugs (shown
below). This allows you to keep the resistance alongside of your hips - as if using
dumbbells - so there is no strain on the lower back. Plus, because I can set the pulleys
wider than my shoulders, I don’t have to deal with dragging the dumbbells (or my
hands) against the side of my legs, on the way up and down.

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Also, I like being able to step slightly forward, or slightly backward, depending on how I
am feeling on any given day. This allows me to adjust for spinal comfort and also to
“aim” the resistance straight upward, or slightly backward.

If I step back a bit (see photos below), it directs the resistance slightly more toward the
Trapezius fibers at 80 and 70 degrees (due to “Opposite Position Loading”). Notice that
I can also lean back as I do this, which would not be possible while using dumbbells.
This allows me to protect my lower back, by using my bodyweight as a “secondary
resistance” to offset (reduce) any forward load on my lower back.

Leaning backward like this is not necessarily “better”, in terms of directing the resistance
more toward the posterior Trapezius fibers. Those fibers will get a significant load even
when doing a straight vertical Shrug, with a straight vertical resistance. But it is fun to
play with this feature a bit, and - again - it helps find an angle that allows more lower
back comfort.

Even though the Trapezius is able to pull the scapula in various directions, it would be a
mistake to pull the shoulders upward, and then ROLL them backward - believing that
that will engage some of the middle Trapezius fibers. Anatomical movement should
always move directly opposite resistance. Since the resistance is straight downward,
the direction of movement should be (exclusively) straight upward. Rolling the

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shoulders backward is mostly useless, because the middle Trapezius are not being
loaded by a front-pulling resistance. One direction of resistance - one direction of
movement.

It is best to perform Shrugs with both arms / scapula simultaneously, even when using
dumbbells or cables. Since this movement typically allows a significant amount of
weight to be used (often as much as 80 pounds per side), loading only one side at a
time could increase the risk of injury to the spine. Performing both sides of Shrugs
simultaneously would provide balance and stability, very much like engaging both arms
simultaneously during Supine Dumbbell Press.

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