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Dumbbell Shrugs

The Dumbbell Shrugs is a dumbbell exercise that primarily targets the traps. It is a staple in well-designed hypertrophy and strength programs when programmed with proper volume and progressive overload.

How to perform the Dumbbell Shrugs

  1. 1Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, arms straight, palms facing your body, shoulders relaxed, and feet about hip-width apart. Keep your chest up, look forward, and lightly brace your abs.
  2. 2Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as you can, squeezing your traps at the top for a second, then lower them back down slowly under control. Breathe out as you lift your shoulders up and breathe in as you lower them back down.

Coach tips

  • Avoid rolling your shoulders; move them straight up and down to protect your neck and keep the focus on your traps.
  • Choose a weight you can control without swinging your body or bending your elbows, so your traps do the work instead of momentum.
  • Keep your neck neutral by looking straight ahead, not up or down, to avoid strain.
Powered by Hypro

Train traps smarter

One rep, one set. Hypro turns the Dumbbell Shrugs into measurable progress, week after week.

Smart Progression

The right weight, every set

Hypro suggests your next Dumbbell Shrugs weight and reps based on what you actually lifted, your rest, and your fatigue. Choose weight-first or reps-first. The more you log, the sharper it gets.

Smart Progression screen suggesting weight and reps for the next set
Weekly Volume

See exactly how much traps you train each week

Every set you log counts toward weekly volume per muscle group. Spot imbalances, avoid junk volume, and program the same way IFBB Pros do.

Body heatmap showing weekly training volume per muscle group
Coach-Built Plans

Use this exercise inside an IFBB Pro plan

Pick a coach-made program, get a plan matched to your goals, and message your coach for form checks. The Dumbbell Shrugs fits right into proven hypertrophy and strength templates.

Library of coach-built training plans inside Hypro

Frequently asked questions

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