Prone Trap-3 Shoulder Raise — top hold
The lower trap, which sets the shoulder blade for every overhead action and switches off first when the shoulder is sore
How to do it well
These are the cues the app shows on the exercise card, written for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
- Thumbs up, arms at 45°
- Lift to the top and hold there
- Lower slowly — the last inch is the exercise
- Tempo
- 4s to lower
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodybuilding | Pull — Back, Rear Delts, Biceps | 2 × 20s hold | Light DBs |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Shoulders
- Region
- Full body
- Classified as
- MOBILITY
- Prescribed in
- bodybuilding
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| DB Shrug | Upper-trap mass |
| Barbell Shrug | Heavy upper-trap overload |
| Smith Machine Shrug | Machine: stable bar path for heavy trap overload |
| Cable Shrug | Constant-tension traps |
| Trap Bar Shrug | Heavy neutral-grip trap loading |
| Farmer Carry | Traps + grip under load |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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