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Long Shoulder Shrugs

Muscles worked

  • Trapezius
  • External Rotators
  • Rear Shoulder
  • Lat
  • Side Shoulder

Equipment

Bands
Bands

Form Cues

  • Hold the weights with extended arms at your sides

  • Stand upright with slightly bent knees

  • Slowly and controlled, pull your shoulders up toward your ears

  • Hold the maximum contraction for 2-3 seconds

  • Slowly lower your shoulders back to the starting position

  • Keep your neck neutral and look straight ahead

  • Avoid using momentum to move the weights

  • Focus on moving the shoulder blades upward and together

Progressions

  1. 01

    Prone Supported Shoulder Shrugs

    Box / Bench / Step / Chair / etc.
    Box / Bench / Step / Chair / etc.

    • Lie face down on a bench with your chest and upper body supported, letting one arm hang straight down toward the floor with the palm facing inward.

    • Keep the working arm completely straight throughout the movement — all motion should come from the shoulder blade, not from bending the elbow.

    • Initiate the movement by retracting and depressing the shoulder blade, pulling it back and down toward your spine as if squeezing it into your back pocket.

    • Focus on isolating the mid-trap and rhomboids — you should feel the muscles between your spine and shoulder blade contracting with each rep.

    • Lower the shoulder blade back to the starting position with full control, allowing it to protract forward and slightly elevate before the next rep.

    • Maintain a stable torso position on the bench with your core engaged, avoiding any rotation or rocking during the movement.

    • Exhale as you retract the shoulder blade and inhale as you return to the starting position.

    • Perform all prescribed reps on one side before switching to the other arm, aiming for a controlled tempo of 2 seconds up and 2 seconds down.

  2. 02

    Loaded Prone Supported Shoulder Shrugs

    Dumbbells or Kettlebells
    Dumbbells or Kettlebells
    Box / Bench / Step / Chair / etc.
    Box / Bench / Step / Chair / etc.

    • Lie face down on a bench with your chest supported, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in the working hand, letting the arm hang straight down toward the floor.

    • Start with a light weight that allows you to perform the full scapular retraction with perfect form — the added load increases the demand on the mid-traps and rhomboids significantly.

    • Retract and depress the shoulder blade by pulling it back and down toward your spine, keeping the arm completely straight throughout the movement.

    • Focus on squeezing the muscles between the shoulder blade and spine at the top of each rep, holding the contraction for 1-2 seconds before lowering.

    • Lower the weight with full control, allowing the shoulder blade to protract forward before starting the next rep to ensure complete range of motion.

    • Keep your torso stable and pressed into the bench — avoid rotating or lifting your chest to compensate for the added weight.

    • Exhale as you retract the shoulder blade and inhale as you lower back to the starting position.

    • Only increase the weight once you can complete all prescribed reps with a full range of motion and without any compensatory movement.

  3. 03

    Band-Loaded Shoulder Shrugs

    Bands
    Bands

    • Anchor a resistance band at approximately chest height on a stable surface such as a door frame, rack, or post, and stand facing the anchor point with feet shoulder-width apart.

    • Grip the band with both hands, arms fully extended in front of you, and step back far enough to create moderate tension in the band at the starting position.

    • Initiate the movement by retracting and depressing both shoulder blades simultaneously, pulling them back and down toward your spine while keeping your arms straight.

    • Combine a slight rowing motion with the scapular retraction to maximally engage the mid-traps and rhomboids — the band resistance provides continuous tension throughout the range.

    • Squeeze the shoulder blades together firmly at the end of each rep, holding the peak contraction for 1-2 seconds before returning to the start.

    • Keep your torso upright and core braced throughout — avoid leaning backward or using momentum to pull the band, as this shifts the load away from the target muscles.

    • Exhale as you retract the shoulder blades and inhale as you allow them to protract forward to the starting position with control.

    • Perform all prescribed reps with a controlled tempo of 2 seconds pulling and 2 seconds releasing, and adjust band thickness or your standing distance to match the appropriate resistance level.

Common mistakes

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