Sports & Fitness vocabulary · Muscles & the Body

Trapezius

Meaning in sports & fitness, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In sports & fitness, trapezius means: A large upper-back and neck muscle that helps move, rotate, and stabilize the shoulder blades and support posture.

In Turkish: trapez kası

How it is used

Used in anatomy, physiotherapy, and training. People mention the trapezius when discussing posture, shrugging, upper-back tension, or pulling exercises.

Example sentences

  1. After hours at the laptop, my trapezius felt tight, so the physio added posture drills and lighter rowing work.

    Here, trapezius refers to the upper-back area that often becomes tense from posture and repetitive desk work.

  2. In the strength session, the coach said my trapezius was taking over during pull-ups because my shoulder control was poor.

    This example shows the trapezius as a specific muscle that can compensate when movement mechanics are not ideal.

Common collocations

  • upper trapezius
  • tight trapezius
  • trapezius muscle

More terms: Muscles & the Body

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