Form cues
- Arms stay long
- Shrug straight up
- Keep chest on pad
- Lower with control
Exercise
Dumbbell Incline Shrug
Back, dumbbell
A chest-supported shrug on an incline bench using dumbbells to target the upper traps with minimal body momentum.
Target: traps. Also works: shoulders.
Steps
- Set an incline bench to about 45 degrees and sit with your chest supported against the pad.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang straight down at your sides with your palms facing in.
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor and keep your chest against the bench.
- Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears without bending your elbows.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower your shoulders back down under control.
- Repeat from a dead hang each rep.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows and turning the rep into a row
- Rolling the shoulders forward or backward at the top
- Lifting the chest off the bench to move the weight
- Using momentum and dropping quickly between reps
Breathing
Inhale at the bottom, exhale as you shrug your shoulders up, then inhale as you lower back down.
In the app, search for Dumbbell Incline Shrug and add it to a workout.