Dumbbell exercise

Shrug (Dumbbell) form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The dumbbell shrug is an isolation exercise primarily targeting the upper trapezius muscles. It is commonly used to develop upper back thickness and shoulder stability, often serving as a finishing movement in shoulder or back routines.

Shrug (Dumbbell) illustration

How to do Shrug (Dumbbell)

  1. 1Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides with a neutral grip.
  2. 2Keeping your arms straight, lift your shoulders as high as possible toward your ears in a vertical motion.
  3. 3Squeeze your traps at the top of the movement for a brief pause.
  4. 4Lower the weights slowly back to the starting position while maintaining a tall posture.
  5. 5Exhale as you shrug the weight up and inhale as you lower it under control.

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Shoulders · Dumbbell

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Back · Dumbbell

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)

Arms · Dumbbell

Track Shrug (Dumbbell) in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.