Dumbbell Shrug

Intermediate

Owen Jones

17 Sep 2024

A dumbbell Shrug is the best exercise for toning your upper back muscles, building big traps, and improving your posture.

Step 1
Get into a standing position with dumbbells on either side of your body. Lean forward, inhale and pick up the dumbbells in a neutral grip.
Step 2
Stand up straight and make sure your spine remains neutral.
Step 3
Tighten the traps to raise the shoulders. Squeeze strongly at the top point and slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Dumbbell Shrug targets Shoulders, Traps, Upper Back as seen below.

Looking up slightly during the shrug can increase the contraction because the traps help control the movement of the skull. This movement must be smooth and controlled, as ballistic movement can cause neck injury.
Traps tend to respond well to high reps and explosive movements (such as high snatch grip rows), so program your assistance work accordingly.
Limit momentum and excessive jerking or bouncing of the weight.

Advanced

Advanced

Owen Jones

17 Sep 2024