As he guided us through the seated Trap Row machine, the gigantic German explained that this exercise targets the enormous trapezius muscles that extend from the neck and shoulders to the mid-back. Increasing mass in the trapezius muscles creates a more compact appearance and helps define your entire back, so here’s how you can get involved.
How to correctly perform the seat step row
To demonstrate the details, Sommerfeld took another bodybuilder through the movements and advised him to grip the handles at the highest point. “Now, bring your chest to the pillow,” he explained. “Always keep your elbows up.”
The defending Arnold Classic Physique champion explained that the rowing action should be continued until the handles are as far back as possible for maximum retraction, adding that the pad can keep the body still when pulling with the arms.
“As you release the weight, open your shoulder blades,” suggests Sommerfeld. “Extend them,” and as you (pull), squeeze them.” To illustrate his point, the great man said that if you try to repeat these reps, you can imagine trying to crack a peanut between your shoulder blades. The key here is to open the back of the extended pullback and feel the stretch again as you bring the weight back. “Extend the full range of motion,” Sommerfeld guided. “That’s the key here.”
Sommerfeld used this move during his 2026 Arnold prep, noting that as you activate the muscle fibers, this is where the stimulus begins to grow huge traps. “Most people pull weight. Pros build muscle. Big difference,” the bodybuilder wrote in the caption of his video. “This move isn’t about how heavy you go. It’s about position. Scapular control. Range of motion. And true contraction,” the champion concluded. “This is how the thickness of the upper back is built up.”
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