Dumbbell Incline Shrug

Lie face down on an incline bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your arms fully extended and let the dumbbells hang down towards the floor. Raise your shoulders up towards your ears by shrugging, using the muscles in your upper back and shoulders. Hold the shrug for a moment, then lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Dumbbell Incline Shrug

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Incline Shrug using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your trapezius.
  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 trapezius 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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