Dumbbell Shrug

How to perform

1. 01Stand erect with a dumbbell on each hand (palms facing your torso), arms extended on the sides.
2. 02Lift the dumbbells by elevating the shoulders as high as possible while you exhale. Hold the contraction at the top for a second. Tip: The arms should remain extended at all times. Refrain from using the biceps to help lift the dumbbells. Only the shoulders should be moving up and down.
3. 03Lower the dumbbells back to the original position.
4. 04Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Form cues

• —Lead with the elbows and finish by squeezing the target muscle.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.