Dumbbell Shrug

Also called shrug and dumbbell shrugs.

Works

Traps

Equipment

Dumbbells

Level

Beginner

Type

Isolation

How to do it

Setup. Stand erect with a dumbbell on each hand (palms facing your torso), arms extended on the sides.

1. Lift the dumbbells by elevating the shoulders as high as possible while you exhale. Hold the contraction at the top for a second. Tip: The arms should remain extended at all times. Refrain from using the biceps to help lift the dumbbells. Only the shoulders should be moving up and down.
2. Lower the dumbbells back to the original position.
3. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Cues

• Straight up toward the ears.
• Hold the top for a count.
• Lower slow.

Common mistakes

• Rolling the shoulders.
• Bending the elbows.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.