Upper Trapezius Muscle Anatomy
& Exercises 101: The Upper Back

This lesson on the upper trapezius muscle fibers includes the anatomy, functions and upper traps exercises.

The upper traps are the protruding muscles that rise above your collar bone, between your neck and shoulders.

Their most basic function is to "shrug" the shoulders by raising the scapula (shoulder blades); its other important functional roles include various neck movements.

The upper fibers are typically thought of as the "traps muscles." But they are actually the smallest part of the trapezius muscle group, which also includes the lower trapezius and middle trapezius.

At the end of the page, you will find a helpful glossary. It's filled with definitions of all the anatomical terms on this page to help with your understanding of the material.

Use links in the table of contents (TOC) to navigate through this guide.

Upper Trapezius Anatomy

1st Head of the Upper Fibers

• Origin
  • External Aspect of the Occipital Protuberance of the Skull
  • The Medial Third of the Superior Nuchal Line of the Skull
• Insertion
  • Posterior Aspect of the Lateral Third of the Clavicle
• Function
  • Scapular Elevation
  • Extension of the Cervical Spine (Neck)
  • Bilateral Flexion of the Cervical Spine (Neck)
  • Rotation of the Cervical Spine (Neck)

2nd Head of the Upper Fibers

• Origin
  • Posterior Neck Ligaments of the Ligamentum Nuchae
• Insertion
  • Posterior Aspect of the Lateral Third of the Clavicle
• Function
  • Scapular Elevation

^ up to TOC

Upper Trapezius Muscle Exercises

Exercises. Below is a list of the exercises that most directly workout this muscle.

• Deadlifts
• Dumbbell Shrugs (Seated or Standing)
• High Pulls
• Shrugs
• Upright Rows

^ up to TOC

Related Back Muscles

Related Muscles. Muscles that perform similar functions include the following:

• Lower Trapezius Fibers
• Middle Trapezius Fibers
• Rhomboids

^ up to TOC

Glossary

Functions

• Bilateral Flexion of the Cervical Spine (Neck). Bending of the neck toward the left and right.
• Extension of the Cervical Spine (Neck) . Pulling the head backward by bending at the origin of the cervical vertebrae (neck bones).
• Rotation of the Cervical Spine (Neck). Turning of the neck to the left or right, on a horizontal plane.
• Scapular Elevation. Raising the scapula upward.

Anatomy

• Aspect. The side of a body part that faces a given direction.
• Cervical Vertebrae. The backbones in the cervical spine (neck region).
• Clavicle. Collar bone.
• Ligamentum Nuchae. A powerful ligament that supports the head without muscular effort. It extends from each spinous process in the cervical spine to the crest on the occipital bone (i.e. occipital crest).
• Medial. On, or extending toward, the inside.
• Occipital Bone. A curved bone found on the lower, posterior aspect of the base of the skull.
• Occipital Protuberance. A bony prominence on the external surface of the occipital bone.
• Scapula. Shoulder blade.
• Superior. Above, or higher; located closer to the head, away from the feet.
• Superior Nuchal Line. The third highest (of four) curved lines on the outer surface of the occipital bone.

^ up to TOC

Share |

^Top of Page