Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Smith Machine Shrug
The Smith machine shrug trains your upper traps by raising your shoulders while holding a bar on fixed rails. The guided path lets you focus on a controlled shoulder lift.
- Beginner
- Isolation
- Low injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Set the bar at mid-thigh height.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with the bar close to the front of your thighs.
- Take an even, overhand grip just outside your thighs.
- Unhook the bar using the machine’s rotating catches.
- Raise your shoulders toward your ears.
- Lower your shoulders slowly to their starting position.
- Rotate the bar securely into the catches after your final rep.
Form cues
- Let your arms hang straight.
- Pause briefly at the top.
- Keep your knees and torso still.
Common mistakes
- Rolling your shouldersMove your shoulders vertically rather than circling them forward or backward.
- Pushing your head forwardKeep your head aligned over your torso with your gaze straight ahead.
- Rushing into the bottomControl the descent instead of letting the weight yank your shoulders downward.
Safety
Excessive weight or jerking can strain your neck and shoulders. An incompletely hooked bar can drop when you release your grip.
- Set the safety stops just below the bottom of your range.
- Practice the catch mechanism with an unloaded bar before adding weight.
- Confirm both catches are engaged before releasing your hands.
- End the set if your grip begins to slip.
If you have ongoing neck or shoulder pain, get advice from a physiotherapist before adding loaded shrugs.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Smith Machine
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–15 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Choose a weight that leaves you able to complete 2–3 more controlled reps at the end of each set.