Bent Dumbbell Shrug

Technique

How to perform Bent Dumbbell Shrug

1. Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells with a pronated grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Hinge forward at the hips until your torso is roughly 30–45 degrees above parallel to the floor, keeping a flat back, soft knees, and arms hanging straight down beneath your shoulders.
3. Brace your core and retract your shoulder blades slightly - this is your starting position.
4. Exhale as you shrug your shoulders straight up toward your ears along the line of your torso, not backward, squeezing your mid- and upper-trap muscles.
5. Avoid bending your elbows or jerking the weight.
6. Pause briefly at the peak contraction while maintaining the forward-lean angle and core stability.
7. Inhale as you lower your shoulders back to the starting position under control, preventing any rounding of the spine or momentum.
8. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions, keeping a consistent torso angle and controlled tempo throughout.

GymDaze demonstration

Watch Bent Dumbbell Shrug

Programming relevance

Muscles involved

Primary targets: Trapezius.