Shoulder
Middle Trapezius exercises
Scapular retraction and posture control.
81
Exercises
66
Primary target
Related exercise guides
Home equipment tiers prioritize bodyweight, walls, chairs, towels, bands, and household loads before gym-only equipment.
Backpack Row
Use a weighted backpack to do bent-over rows at home. Practical strength training with household items.
Band Face Pull
Pull a band toward your face to strengthen the back of your shoulders. Great for fixing rounded shoulders.
Band Face Pull
Pull a band toward your face to strengthen rear shoulders and upper back. Excellent for countering forward head posture.
Band Pull-Apart
Hold band in front and pull it apart by squeezing shoulder blades. Simple but effective.
Band Pull-Aparts
Hold a resistance band in front of you and pull it apart to chest level. Simple but effective for posture and shoulder health.
Band Row
Pull a band toward your body like rowing a boat. Builds back strength.
Band Row
Pull a resistance band to strengthen mid-back and help support neck posture. Keep neck long throughout the movement.
Band Row - Standing
Pull a resistance band toward your body while standing. Builds upper back strength which helps posture and reduces back strain.
Band Shoulder Press
Press a band overhead while standing on it. Builds basic shoulder pressing strength.
Banded Scapular Retraction
You stand with one arm through a resistance band that is anchored to a wall at shoulder height. You pull your arm back and squeeze your shoulder blade toward your spine, then return. You repeat on the other side.
Behind-Back Shoulder Stretch
Clasp hands behind back and lift to stretch front of shoulders and chest.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
Hinge at the hips and row dumbbells to your ribs. Fundamental free-weight back exercise.
Bent-Over Reverse Fly
Bend over and raise dumbbells out to sides. Works rear shoulders and upper back.
Bent-Over Row
Bend forward and row two dumbbells or barbell. Major back builder.
Bird-Dog
From hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg. Classic core and back stability exercise.
Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Hold
Hold kettlebell upside down overhead. Extreme stability challenge for shoulder and grip.
Bulgarian Bag Bent-Over Row, Main Handles
You stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hinge at the hips with slightly bent knees, holding the main handles of a crescent-shaped bag. You pull the bag toward your torso, then lower it.
Cable Face Pull
Pull cable rope toward face with elbows high. Great for rear shoulders and rotator cuff.
Cable Seated Row
Use a cable machine to perform seated rows. Gold standard gym exercise for mid-back strength.
Cable/Band Row
Horizontal pulling exercise for upper back and trunk stability. Improves posture and trunk stability for SI joint protection.
Cat-Cow with Shoulder Focus
Classic cat-cow movement with extra focus on shoulder blade movement and chest opening.
Cervical Retraction on Foam Roller
Practice chin tuck while lying on a foam roller to improve thoracic extension and neck control simultaneously.
Cervical Retraction with Shoulder Squeeze
Combine chin tuck with shoulder blade squeeze for comprehensive posture correction.
Chest-Supported Row
Row on incline bench with chest supported. Takes low back out of the equation.
Corner Pec Stretch
Stand in a corner and stretch both pecs at once. Great for opening up the chest after long periods of sitting.
Counter Push-Up
Push-up performed against a counter or elevated surface. Intermediate step between wall and floor push-ups.
Counter-Top Push-Up
Push-up against kitchen counter or sturdy surface. Progression from wall push-ups, more wrist loading.
Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch
Pull arm across your body to stretch back of shoulder. Classic shoulder stretch.
Cuban Press
Three-part movement: upright row, external rotation, then press. Advanced rotator cuff exercise.
Dumbbell Row - Supported
Row a dumbbell while supporting yourself on a bench. The support takes stress off your back while building upper body pulling strength.
Face Pull
Pull a rope or band toward your face with elbows high. Top exercise for rear delts and upper back posture muscles.
Front Squat
Barbell squat with bar in front rack position. Emphasizes quadriceps and requires upright torso.
Full Can Raise
Raise arm to side with thumb up (like holding a full can). Safer variation of empty can raise.
Inverted Row
Row your body up to a bar while lying under it. Like a reverse push-up.
Kettlebell Bent-Over Reverse Fly
You hold a kettlebell in each hand, bend your knees slightly, and hinge at the hips so your torso leans forward. You raise both arms out to the sides, then lower them.
Kneeling Reverse Fly With a Cable or Band
You kneel tall on a mat with a handle in each hand and your arms extended in front at shoulder height. You breathe out and pull your arms backward and downward in a wide arc to hip level with your palms turned up.
Landmine Meadows Row
Stand side-on to an anchored landmine bar with one leg in front. Grip the thick end of the bar overhand. Pull the elbow wide and high to row it toward your ribs, then lower it under control.
Lat Pulldown
Pull a bar down to chest level. Builds lats and overall back width.
Leverage Iso-Lateral Row
Sit at a lever row machine with the handles at chest level. Pull the handles toward your torso, bending the elbows and squeezing the shoulder blades together. Pause, then return the handles slowly.
Lying T-Bar Row on the Machine
Lie face down with the chest on the pad of a T-bar row machine. Lift the lever bar off its rack, extend the arms, then pull the handles up toward the chest.
Prone I Raise
Lie face down and lift arms straight overhead in an I shape. Activates lower trap muscles.
Prone I-Y-T-W Raises
Comprehensive upper back strengthening combining four arm positions. Excellent for postural support.
Prone T (Upper Back)
Lie face down and lift arms in a T position to strengthen mid-back muscles that support neck posture.
Prone T Raise
Lie face down and lift arms out to sides in a T shape. Strengthens middle back muscles.
Prone W Raise
Lie face down with arms in W shape and lift. Great for rotator cuff and lower traps.
Prone Y (Lower Trap)
Lie face down and lift arms in a Y position to target lower trapezius muscles. Important for shoulder blade control.
Prone Y Raise
Lie face down and lift your arms in a Y shape. Builds strength in your upper back and back of shoulders.
Prone Y Raise
Lie face down and lift your arms in a Y shape above your head. Targets lower trapezius and serratus for overhead reaching.
Reformer Rowing
You kneel upright on a reformer carriage facing the headrest with your knees against the shoulder blocks and one hand behind your head. With the other hand you pull a strap back, then return. You repeat on the other side.
Reformer Rowing - Front 1
A seated rowing move on a Pilates reformer. You sit tall holding a strap in each hand with elbows tucked, then extend your arms forward to just above shoulder height and bring them back down.
Rowing 1
You sit tall on a Pilates cadillac facing the arm springs, with your legs straight and squeezed together. You hold your fists at breastbone level and round your back toward the mat while the springs open.
Rowing 3 From the Chest With Arm Springs on the Pilates Cadillac
You sit tall on a Pilates cadillac with your back to the arm springs and your legs straight and together. You hold the handles at chest level, press your arms straight at a diagonal, and reach them down and up, then wide to the sides.
Rowing 3 on the Pilates Arm Chair
You sit tall with your back against the arm chair, the soles of your feet together and your knees apart. You hold the handles at chest height, reach your arms to a high diagonal, then lower the straight arms toward the floor.
Rowing 4 Hips With Arm Springs on the Pilates Cadillac
You sit tall on a Pilates cadillac with your back to the spring end, legs long and together, and your hands on the mat by your hips under the springs. You round up and over your legs, sliding your hands along the mat to your feet, then lift your arms.
Rowing 5
A seated overhead press on a Pilates arm chair. You sit with your back on the backrest, soles of the feet together, hands behind your head, then reach your hands up toward the ceiling against the springs.
Rowing 5 Shave With Arm Springs on the Pilates Cadillac
You sit tall on a Pilates cadillac with your back to the springs, ankles crossed and hands behind your head with elbows wide. You reach your arms up and slightly forward against the springs, then bend your elbows and resist the springs closed.
Rowing 6 Hug With Arm Springs on the Pilates Cadillac
You sit tall on a Pilates cadillac with your back to the springs and your ankles crossed, arms wide with the handles straight up and down. You hug your arms toward each other with soft elbows, then open them wide to the sides.
Rowing 6 on the Pilates Arm Chair
You sit up tall with your whole back against the arm chair, the soles of your feet together and your knees apart. You hold the handles in front of your chest and reach your arms wide to the sides with soft elbows, keeping your shoulders on the chair.
Rowing Front 2 Round on the Pilates Reformer
A seated forward reach on a Pilates reformer. You sit tall with legs straight and palms on the carriage, stretch your spine forward and slide your hands into the well, then lift your arms overhead and circle back.
Sandbag Bent-Over Row
You stand bent forward at the hips with a straight back, holding a sandbag hanging below your chest. You pull the sandbag up toward your body, then lower it.
Scapular Retraction (Squeeze Shoulder Blades)
Pull shoulder blades back and down to strengthen muscles that support good neck posture. Foundation exercise for neck health.
Scapular Setting
Learn to control your shoulder blades by gently pulling them down and back. The foundation of all upper back exercises.
Scapular Squeeze
Simply squeeze your shoulder blades together. Basic exercise for posture and upper back.
Seated Band Row
Sit on the floor and pull a resistance band toward your ribs. Builds mid-back strength for better posture.
Seated Cable Row
Perform seated cable rows with focus on maintaining good neck posture. Builds back strength to support the cervical spine.
Seated Row, Chest-Pad Selectorized Machine
You sit with your chest against a pad and hold two handles with straight arms. You pull the handles toward you by bending your elbows, then return slowly.
Seated Tall-Sit Timer
Simply sit with good posture for timed periods. The most practical posture endurance exercise for desk workers.
Seated Thoracic Rotation with Towel
Hold a towel in front of you like a steering wheel and rotate your upper body side to side. Great for desk workers.
Shotgun Row on the Low Cable
Stand a couple of feet back from a low pulley in a wide staggered stance with one arm extended. Row by pulling the shoulder back and bending the elbow while turning the palm up. Pause, then return the handle under control.
Single Arm Dumbbell Row
Perform single arm row with focus on maintaining neutral neck position throughout the movement.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Row one dumbbell at a time while supporting yourself with other hand. Classic back exercise.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Row a dumbbell with one arm while supporting yourself with the other. Great for building unilateral back strength.