Shrugs.

Description: Movement done when the arms are straight to strengthen the shoulder and its structures.

Motions trained: None

Main muscles used: Serratus anterior, trapezius.
Other muscles:

How to do it: Any place you do a bodyweight exercise in which you pull or push with the arms you may always lock your elbows and do shrugs. Here I list 4 basic ones.


Stand with two bells.	Raise your shoulder. Do not make circles!


Get on all fours. Hang onto bells or use your fists.	With your elbows locked, extend from the shoulders. You can also hold your body like a pushup. Another version of this is from a hanging row Holding your elbows stiff, pull your body up.


Lie on your back with two bells in the air, elbows locked.	Extend from the shoulders.

Get into a handstand and with elbows locked
extend from the shoulders.

You can also do the overhead shrug with dumbbells, but I really prefer them from a handstand.

How to work up to it:Lighter weights, as usual. If you cannot do a handstand, use bells for that.

Ramping it up: This is a maintainence move, not a power move nor is it a plyometric one. There is no need to ramp it up.

Do's and don'ts:Don't let your elbows bend and do not make circular motions with the shoulders. Body builders will tell you that circling is a great exercise for the shoulder and trapezius muscles and it is, but you are chewing up you shoulder joint in the process. Think of these as completing pushing and pulling movements (which is where you put them in combinations, at the ends of those.)

Comments: You should try to tack on at least a set of each in every workout. You don't need a lot of these, but they do keep the stabilizers in your shoulders happy.