Weights are often used, either in the hand or as a bar braced across the trapezius muscle or rear deltoid muscle in the upper back.

The spinal accessory nerve provides motor innervation from the central nervous system to two muscles of the neck: the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the trapezius muscle.

The suprascapular artery gives of the acromial branch, which pierces the trapezius muscle and supplies the skin over the acromion, anastomosing with the thoracoacromial artery.

The ligamentum nuchae and trapezius muscle attach to it.

It lies deep to the trapezius muscle and can be palpated as firm round muscle mass just lateral to the cervical spinous processes.