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Shoulder shrug
A very short movement that almost nobody does in full. The traps lift your shoulder toward your ear and that's it: anything you add is noise.
What it works
- Upper trapezius, the muscle that runs from your neck to your shoulder
- Levator scapulae and the rest of the traps, which come along
- Your forearms, which get tired from holding the weight before your traps do
How to do it
- 1Grab the weight and let it hang
Barbell in front, dumbbells at your sides or a trap bar. Arms straight, shoulders relaxed and down.
- 2Raise your shoulders toward your ears
Straight up, without bending your elbows. As far as it goes, which is less than it looks.
- 3Hold for a second at the top
Squeezing. That pause is what makes the exercise worth something, because the range is very short.
- 4Lower all the way
Let your shoulder stretch down before the next rep. No bouncing.
The mistakes you see most
- Rolling your shoulders. Making circles with your shoulder adds nothing and puts the joint in an awkward position under load. Just up and down.
- Bending your elbows. If your elbows bend, your biceps and back are helping and your traps get less work.
- A two-finger range of motion. With too much weight, your shoulder barely moves. Lower the load and go for the full range.
- Your grip giving out before the muscle. It's normal with a barbell. Lifting straps solve the problem without changing anything else about the exercise.
Variations
- With dumbbells. At your sides: the range is a little bigger and your wrists are more comfortable.
- With a trap bar. The weight stays in line with your body, not in front. It's the most comfortable version of all.
- On a machine or cable. The tension isn't lost at the bottom and you can fine-tune the load.
- With a long pause at the top. Three seconds squeezing on every rep. With half the weight you feel it twice as much.
Frequently asked questions
Should I roll my shoulders?
No. The traps raise and lower your shoulder; rolling it adds no useful range and puts the joint in a worse position under load.
How many reps?
Ten to twenty, with a pause at the top. It's a muscle that handles repeated work well, and very heavy loads only take away range.
Do I need to train them separately?
Your traps already work in the deadlift, the row and the farmer's carry. If you want them to stand out, one or two dedicated sets per back session are enough.
Barbell in front or behind?
In front is the norm. Behind changes little and forces a shoulder position that doesn't suit everyone.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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