Cable Shrugs

How to do the Cable Shrugs

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. Stand erect close to the pulley with your arms extended in front of you holding the bar. This will be your starting position.
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. Lower the bar back to the original position.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	traps
Equipment	cable machine
Difficulty	beginner
Type	isolation

No cable machine? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Scapular Pull-Up Bodyweight Dumbbell Shrug Dumbbell Upright Row - With Bands Resistance Bands Standing Dumbbell Upright Row Dumbbell Barbell Shrug Barbell Barbell Shrug Behind The Back Barbell

Harder than the Cable Shrugs

Snatch Shrug intermediate · Barbell Upright Cable Row intermediate · Cable Machine Kettlebell Sumo High Pull intermediate · Kettlebell

Superset the Cable Shrugs with

Opposing chest work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Cable Crossover chest Cable Iron Cross chest Low Cable Crossover chest Single-Arm Cable Crossover chest

Common questions

What muscles does the Cable Shrugs work?

The Cable Shrugs primarily works the traps. Barbell Shrug, Barbell Shrug Behind The Back, and Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug train the same muscle, across 7 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Cable Shrugs?

A Cable Machine. Without a cable machine, Scapular Pull-Up, Dumbbell Shrug, and Upright Row - With Bands train the same muscle, and 1 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Cable Shrugs suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Cable Shrugs is rated beginner. Snatch Shrug, Upright Cable Row, and Kettlebell Sumo High Pull are the progressions from here.

Where should the Cable Shrugs go in a workout?

Late — the Cable Shrugs is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Cable Crossover and Cable Iron Cross cuts session time without extra rest.

Similar exercises

Barbell Shrug Barbell Barbell Shrug Behind The Back Barbell Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug Machine Dumbbell Shrug Dumbbell Leverage Shrug Machine Scapular Pull-Up Bodyweight