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Dumbbell Incline Shrug

A shrug performed prone on an incline bench that trains the upper and middle traps through a long range with the torso fully supported.

BackDumbbellScapular elevation
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-incline-shrug

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Trapezius

Secondary

RhomboidsLevator scapulaeForearms

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Scapular elevation

Setup

  1. 01Set a bench to roughly 30 to 45 degrees.
  2. 02Lie prone with the chest on the pad and arms hanging straight down.
  3. 03Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
  4. 04Let the shoulder blades drop into a full stretch to start.

Execution

  1. 01With straight arms, shrug the shoulders up and slightly back toward the ears.
  2. 02Squeeze the traps at the top for one to two seconds.
  3. 03Lower slowly to the full stretch.
  4. 04Keep the chest on the pad and the elbows locked throughout.

Checkpoints

  • -Movement comes only from the shoulder blades.
  • -Full stretch at the bottom, hard squeeze at the top.
  • -Neck stays neutral, eyes toward the floor.
  • -Torso stays glued to the bench.

Common mistakes

  • -Bending the elbows and rowing the weight.
  • -Loading so heavy the shrug becomes a twitch.
  • -Craning the neck up during the squeeze.
  • -Dropping the eccentric instead of controlling it.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with a top pause.
  • -The incline angle biases the mid traps more than a standing shrug; use it to build upper-back thickness.
  • -Slot it at the end of a pull day when the grip is still fresh enough to hold the dumbbells.

Related exercises

Dumbbell Decline Shrug

Dumbbell / Back

Dumbbell Incline Y-Raise

Dumbbell / Back

Smith Shrug

Machine / Back

Lever Shrug

Machine / Back

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