Leverage Shrug

How to do the Leverage Shrug

1. Load the pins to an appropriate weight. Position yourself directly between the handles.
2. Grasp the top handles with a comfortable grip, and then lower your hips as you take a breath. Look forward with your head and keep your chest up.
3. Drive through the floor with your heels, extending your hips and knees as you rise to a standing position. Keep your arms straight throughout the movement, finishing with your shoulders back. This will be your starting position.
4. Raise the weight by shrugging the shoulders towards your ears, moving straight up and down.
5. Pause at the top of the motion, and then return the weight to the starting position.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	traps
Secondary	forearms
Equipment	machine
Difficulty	beginner
Type	isolation

No 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 Barbell Shrug Behind The Back Barbell Standing Dumbbell Upright Row Dumbbell Barbell Shrug Barbell

Harder than the Leverage Shrug

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

Superset the Leverage Shrug with

Opposing chest work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Butterfly chest Decline Smith Press chest Leverage Chest Press chest Leverage Decline Chest Press chest

Common questions

What muscles does the Leverage Shrug work?

The Leverage Shrug primarily works the traps, with the forearms as secondary movers. Barbell Shrug Behind The Back, Barbell Shrug, and Cable Shrugs train the same muscle, across 7 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Leverage Shrug?

A Machine. Without a 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 Leverage Shrug suitable for beginners?

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

Where should the Leverage Shrug go in a workout?

Late — the Leverage Shrug is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Butterfly and Decline Smith Press cuts session time without extra rest.

Similar exercises

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