Start Fixin Yo’ Sh!T - moveu.com/program-info
The dumbbell and barbell shrug are a common bodybuilding exercise for the Trapezius muscle. There really isn’t anything wrong this exercise UNLESS you are doing them in poor posture and are having neck or shoulder pain as a result. Notice how the traps can look MUCH bigger when the shoulder blade is rotated. My traps look ridiculous when the shoulders are rolled forward and rotated… if you have traps that look like that, it is most likely because of this rounded posture. As the shoulder blade rotates downward and you press the armpit forward, the upper trap becomes less engaged and the mid and lower trap start to activate more.
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Upper traps are cool looking and all, but it is important to have equal strength in your mid and lower traps as well. The rotation that I do in the video is created by activation of the upper, mid, and lower trapezius as well as the serratus anterior. This motion stabilizes the entire shoulder blade and puts it in the optimal position for shoulder movement.
I personally do not do “isolation” exercises like shrugs or bicep curls. I do full-body movements like squats, deadlifts, carries, pushups, overhead presses, bench press, pull-ups, running, olympic lifting, etc. I may not be MASSIVE like a body builder, but if your goal is to look and/or move more like myself, consider doing full body movements that will work dozens of muscles at once rather than one at a time! If this is a goal of yourself, it is important to pay attention to every little cue we say in our videos.
The upper traps can be worked effectively with carries and overhead motions.
-Written and Edited by Andrew Dettelbach @MoveUShirtlessDude
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Anatomy Art by Ashley Kay Art / ashleykayart