At a glance
- Main muscle
- Traps
- Equipment
- Machine
- Rep range in Mitta
- 10 to 15 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 2.5 kg
How to do it
- Bar at hip height, grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Shoulders up toward your ears, arms straight.
- Hold briefly at the top; straps are fine.
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 A
Fixed path, so you can focus fully on the traps and load in small steps, with less stress on your lower back ( No growth study, so not an S.
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
- Calf-Machine Shrug · Machine · rating A
- Cable Shrug · Cable · 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 Smith machine shrug.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the Smith machine shrug with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
Smith machine shrug
What muscles does the Smith machine shrug work?
The Smith machine shrug mainly trains your traps.
How many reps of the Smith machine shrug should I do?
Mitta plans the Smith machine 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 Smith machine shrug?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the barbell shrug, calf-machine shrug and cable shrug.
Is the Smith machine shrug good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the Smith machine shrug have rating A?
Fixed path, so you can focus fully on the traps and load in small steps, with less stress on your lower back ( No growth study, so not an S.