Muscles Worked: Trapezius
Spotter Required: No
Minimum Equipment required: Standard adjustable dumbbells
The Best Equipment to Use: Fixed or Olympic dumbbells
Warming up: I personally warm up with Barbell Shrugs so I don’t need to warm up with dumbbell shrugs, however if you are warming up perform 15 – 20 repetitions with a light to moderate weight.
How often should I perform this exercise: Shrugs are the best exercise you can do to increase mass in your trapezius muscle, so I perform dumbbell shrugs with every shoulder workout.
When should I perform this exercise: I perform dumbbell shrugs as my second to last exercise, after Barbell Shrugs and before Reverse Barbell Shrugs.
How to do the exercise: Standing with your knees slightly bent and your head facing forward, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with palms facing in. Begin to lift the dumbells using your trapezius muscle, keeping your arms straight at all times, when you reach the top try and make your deltoids touch your ears (of course this isn’t physically possible but doing so ensures a good contraction at the top) hold for ½ a second and then lower the dumbbells back to the start position.
Because the range of motion is short and your traps are generally strong you will be able to lift heavy dumbbells. When lifting heavy you may find your forearms give out before your traps do, if this is the case try a pair of lifting straps to help improve your grip. An improved grip will help your forearms grip the dumbbells for longer, meaning you can complete dumbbell shrugs effectively.
Mentality: When you contract your trapezius at the top it can feel quite strange, sometimes even slightly painful. So make sure your concentrate at the contraction part and make sure your head is facing forward throughout the exercise.
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