• All
  • Back / Lats
  • Biceps
  • Chest
  • Coaches Corner
  • Delts
  • Exercise Execution
  • Hormones & Physiology
  • Legs
  • Nutrition
  • Premium Articles
  • Supplements
  • Training
  • Triceps

Interview Q&A Series with Ben: Hormones

Question: “Will taking simple carbs after a workout negate the effect of growth hormone production from your workout and kill ...

Read More

The Effects of Carbohydrates on Insulin – Part 3: Post Workout Carbohydrates

What you need to know in review: Carbs have a direct effect on the release of insulin Insulin is considered ...

Read More

Vitamins: The Forgotten Factor Holding You Back

Even a slight vitamin deficiency can halt muscle gain in its tracks... the scary thing is, you're probably deficient already! ...

Read More

Glutamine: Super Supplement? Or Overhyped and Worthless? Cutting through the Bull

One of several so called, “super-supplements”, to have hit shelves over recent decades is glutamine, the most abundant amino acid ...

Read More
muscle fiber anatomy

Myofibrillar vs. Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy: Two Ways to Grow

We've all seen the Bruce Lee-types, the small men with profound strength, and the contrary, muscle men that are all ...

Read More

The Young and The Restless: Weight Training for Special Populations

Is it true that resistance training stunts growth in adolescents? And can lifting really reverse the ageing process in older ...

Read More
  See More

Shrugs


General guidelines for all shrugging movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)

  • use lifting straps if desired, particularly for working sets
  • take a shoulder-width-grip ideally
  • chest up, head / neck neutral, elbows / triceps locked-out (unless stated otherwise)
  • if standing, lock out quads and contract glutes and abs (don’t let hips come back and forth)
  • pull everything back / retract scapula (not to an extreme, but to avoid any roll forward)
  • begin by retracting from around the mid-back
  • shrug right to the top of the neck and really squeeze
  • push / protract on the way downward to lower the weight (don’t let it drop).

Standing Shrugs – Dumbbell or Barbell

‘Beside body’ variation depicted

    Exercise Specific:

  • Be sure to keep everything pulled-back throughout with the weight(s) held (constantly) just slightly in front.
  • Dumbbell Optional Variations:
       > Hold DB’s Behind body: this is the position in which you will be weakest
       > Hold DB’s Beside body: hold with a neutral grip (palms facing) and pay extra attention not to rest during this variation in order to maintain constant tension.

 

Prone Incline Shrugs – Dumbbell or Barbell

Note how the shoulders are correctly down and back, not raised and forward

    Exercise Specific:

  • Actively resist the urge to let the shoulders rise up and sag forward during the movement.

 

Shrug + Upright Row Combination

    Exercise Specific:

  • once at the top, bend elbows and pull / row them upwards about 3 inches further.