At a glance
- Main muscle
- Traps
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Rep range in Mitta
- 10 to 15 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 2 kg
How to do it
- Shoulders straight up to your ears.
- Hold briefly.
- Don't roll.
Pick a weight you can lift for 10 to 15 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank.
Why rating B
Direct exercise for the upper traps, without a bar rubbing against your body. Grip and side delts often give out first, and advanced lifters outgrow the dumbbells; hence B.
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Barbell Shrug · Barbell · rating A
- Cable Shrug · Cable · rating A
- Smith Machine Shrug · Machine · rating A
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the dumbbell shrug.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the dumbbell shrug with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
dumbbell shrug
What muscles does the dumbbell shrug work?
The dumbbell shrug mainly trains your traps.
How many reps of the dumbbell shrug should I do?
Mitta plans the dumbbell shrug at 10 to 15 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the dumbbell shrug?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the barbell shrug, cable shrug and Smith machine shrug.
Is the dumbbell shrug good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the dumbbell shrug have rating B?
Direct exercise for the upper traps, without a bar rubbing against your body. Grip and side delts often give out first, and advanced lifters outgrow the dumbbells; hence B.