How to do it
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight at your sides.
- Shrug your shoulders straight up towards your ears as high as they will go.
- Pause at the top, then lower slowly to a full stretch.
Cues that matter
- Straight up and down — do not roll the shoulders.
- Hold the top position for a full second every rep.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing quick, tiny reps with far too much weight.
- Bending the elbows and turning it into a half-row.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Traps
- Upper traps
Also works
- Forearms
- Levator scapulae
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Dumbbell Shrug in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the traps with different equipment — for a day the dumbbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.