Incline Dumbbell Shrug

How to perform the Incline Dumbbell Shrug

1. Set a bench to a steep incline and lie face-down against it with a dumbbell in each hand hanging straight down.
2. The chest-supported incline angle changes the line of pull to bias the mid and lower traps more than a standing shrug.
3. Let the arms hang straight so the shoulder blades protract and the traps stretch at the bottom.
4. Retract and elevate the shoulder blades, drawing them up and back toward the spine along the bench angle.
5. Squeeze the mid-traps at the top without shrugging the neck, then lower under control to the stretch.
6. Keep the forehead resting near the pad and the neck neutral throughout the set.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Describing or performing it as an upper-trap standing shrug when the incline biases the mid and lower traps.
• •Shrugging the neck up toward the ears instead of retracting the shoulder blades along the bench.
• •Lifting the forehead off the pad and craning the neck to see the dumbbells.
• •Bending the elbows to row the dumbbells rather than moving from the shoulder blades.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.