That muscle between your shoulder and your neck

[Aimeley]

How do I avoid making that bigger? On guys it looks like a hump and that's all well and good, but not very feminine. What exercises are used to make that bigger so I know what NOT to do?

 

Thanks

[Cold Fission]

Shrugs.

 

And upright rows to a degree.

[Jason X]

that's a really tough muscle to get to grow significantly, even on guys. I don't think you'll need to worry too much about it.

[medman]

You're talking about the traps (trapezius). It takes so much work (and eating and testosterone) to get insane traps, that I can guarantee you that a girl will never get them "by accident". For female bodybuilders to get even close, they're injecting steroids and working harder on their traps than you ever will.

 

Cold Fission is right, shrugs are the main exercise people use specifically for their traps, though other things like deadlifts work them (but not in isolation). You don't have to do shrugs, but to avoid something like the deadlift for fear of Brock Lesnar-type traps would be unnecessary. There are plenty of women on this forum who rock the deadlift and have never struggled with looking masculine

 

I can't remember which thread it was in, but there was a good post regarding women and weightlifting, which attacked the myth that it will make you bulky and masculine. You're a woman, and unless you start injecting steroids, you will continue to look like one no matter how much you work out!

[xCx]

Those are your trapezius muscles (also known as traps in the interwebs). basicly, what they do is they secure the shoulder girdle, and this has many implications that should be obvious to anyone who is aware of how his/her body functions. neglecting to train the upper part of your back can give you a lot of problems of which the consequences can be severe.

 

But, as it has already been said, your traps wont grow huge just over night, it requires hard and heavy training over a long period of time, so don't worry about your traps growing freakishly big by doing upper back work.

[coroho]

I can't remember which thread it was in, but there was a good post regarding women and weightlifting, which attacked the myth that it will make you bulky and masculine. You're a woman, and unless you start injecting steroids, you will continue to look like one no matter how much you work out!

I think I missed that thread, but here's a pretty good article on the subject:

http://www.stumptuous.com/strength-without-size-how-to-get-stronger-without-getting-bulky

[Aimeley]

Thanks for your replies and that article was really interesting. However, I started this thread because I noticed mine actually getting bigger and I want it to stop.

[VeganEssentials]

Aimeley,

 

You might notice a bit of a visible "pump" in the trapezius after a workout that will incorporate them, but to ask, do they stay visibly larger at all times? If it's just a temporary thing, then do not worry about it, as any muscle can seem visibly larger for a time frame after it has been worked directly or indirectly. However, trapezius muscles are typically VERY difficult to grow more than a small amount for most people, so you're NEVER going to get big, blocky traps from lifting unless you spend plenty of time training heavy and doing work that intentionally will make them larger over a long period of time. If it were easy to get them larger, I'd have traps the size of Texas, but mine only want to grow back behind me, not upward

 

You won't see perpetual growth in them that keeps coming consistently. You might have experienced a bit of growth if you hadn't previously done any weight training, but again, nobody has ever grown mammoth trapezius muscles unintentionally from doing moderate workouts. A little bit of growth is possible, but it won't just keep on building without you trying to make it happen with everything in your power.

[Aimeley]

Oh. Phew! Thanks