Cable Seated Horizontal Shrug

The Cable Seated Horizontal Shrug targets the upper trapezius muscles to enhance shoulder stability and strength.

  1. Adjust the cable machine to a low setting and attach the appropriate handle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your back straight and feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grab the handle with both hands, palms facing each other.
  4. With a slight bend in your elbows, pull the handle towards your shoulders while shrugging your shoulders upward.
  5. Hold for a moment at the top, then slowly lower back to the starting position.

How to perform the Cable Seated Horizontal Shrug

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Cable Seated Horizontal Shrug using your cable.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your latissimus dorsi.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your latissimus dorsi rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Cable Seated Horizontal Shrug

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