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Exercise guide

Cable Shrugs

How to do the Cable Shrugs with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationCableBeginnerPull
Primary muscles

Traps

Secondary

Equipment

Cable

Step by step

How to do the Cable Shrugs

  1. 1

    Grasp a cable bar attachment that is attached to a low pulley with a shoulder width or slightly wider overhand (palms facing down) grip.

  2. 2

    Stand erect close to the pulley with your arms extended in front of you holding the bar. This will be your starting position.

  3. 3

    Lift the bar by elevating the shoulders as high as possible as you exhale. Hold the contraction at the top for a second. Tip: The arms should remain extended at all times. Refrain from using the biceps to help lift the bar. Only the shoulders should be moving up and down.

  4. 4

    Lower the bar back to the original position.

  5. 5

    Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Cable Shrugs set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your traps volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More traps exercises

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