Shrug

Difficulty: ⭐ Beginnerpull

Home Setup

Use heavy household items like loaded backpacks, water jugs, or shopping bags for resistance

Heavy backpackWater jugsLoaded shopping bagsPaint cans

💡 Pro tip: Hold items at your sides and focus on slow, controlled shrugs with a strong squeeze at the top for 2-3 seconds

Gym Setup

Dumbbells, barbell, or trap bar with appropriate weight plates; lifting straps optional for heavier loads

Safety: Avoid rolling shoulders backward or forward during the movement; keep the motion strictly vertical to prevent shoulder impingement

💪 Muscles Worked

Upper TrapeziusLevator ScapulaeMiddle TrapeziusRhomboidsErector Spinae

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Shrugs are essential for building impressive upper trap development and creating the coveted shoulder-to-neck aesthetic in bodybuilding. This isolation movement allows for heavy loading and high volume training to maximize hypertrophy of the upper back, while also improving shoulder stability and posture.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Resistance Band Shrugs

resistance bands

Lighter resistance with accommodating tension curve makes it easier to learn the movement pattern

2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Shrug

single dumbbell

Reduces total load and allows focus on one side at a time with better form control

3. Wall-Supported Shrugs

dumbbells + wall

Using a wall for back support removes stabilization demands and allows pure trap focus

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Barbell Shrug with Pause

barbell

Adding a 3-5 second hold at peak contraction increases time under tension and trap activation

2. Trap Bar Shrug

trap bar

Allows for heavier loading with better biomechanical positioning and reduced grip fatigue

3. Overhead Shrug

barbell + dumbbells

Performing shrugs with arms overhead dramatically increases difficulty and targets different trap fibers

↕️ Similar Movements

Upright Row

Combines shrug motion with elbow flexion for more complete upper trap and deltoid development

Face Pull

Targets middle and lower traps with horizontal pulling to balance upper trap work

Farmer's Carry

Isometric trap engagement under load while moving, building functional trap strength

Rack Pull

Heavy partial deadlift that involves significant trap engagement at lockout

High Pull

Explosive variation that combines shrug with full-body power development

Form Checklist

✓Drive shoulders straight up toward ears

✓Squeeze traps hard at the top for 1-2 seconds

✓Lower under control without letting shoulders roll forward

✓Keep arms straight throughout - no elbow bend

✓Maintain neutral neck position - don't look up or down

Common Mistakes

•Rolling shoulders in circular motion instead of straight up and down
•Using momentum or bouncing the weight instead of controlled movement
•Bending elbows and turning the movement into an upright row
•Inadequate range of motion by not fully elevating or depressing the shoulders
•Letting the head jut forward or hyperextending the neck during the lift

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can complete 4 sets of 12-15 reps with perfect form, a strong 2-second squeeze at the top of each rep, and controlled eccentric on every repetition without using momentum or body English