Dumbbell Seated Gittleson Shrug

The Dumbbell Seated Gittleson Shrug targets the upper trapezius muscles while seated, providing stability and focus on form.

  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing your body.
  3. Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
  4. Raise your shoulders towards your ears, squeezing the traps at the top.
  5. Lower your shoulders back to the starting position.

How to perform the Dumbbell Seated Gittleson Shrug

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Seated Gittleson 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 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.

Build a free routine

Stage exercises here, then sign up to save them as a real Fitly routine — synced to web and mobile.

View staged routine (0)

Related exercises

0 exercises staged Save your routine — sign up free.