Shoulder Shrug

The shoulder shrug (usually called simply the shrug) is an exercise in weight training used to develop the upper trapezius muscle. The lifter stands erect, hands about shoulder width apart, and raises the shoulders as high as possible, and then lowers them, while not bending the elbows, or moving the body at all. The lifter may not have as large a range of motion as in a normal shrug done for active flexibility. It is usually considered good form if the slope of the shoulders is horizontal in the elevated position.