Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined
Traps
Cable Shrug
Beginner
Cable
Isolation
Traps
How to do it
-
Attach a straight bar to a low pulley and stand a step in front of it.
-
Grip shoulder-width, arms straight, chest tall.
-
Lift your shoulders straight up as if trying to touch your ears.
-
Hold for a second at the top, then lower slowly until the traps stretch.
Common mistakes
-
Rolling the shoulders backward — the path is straight up and down, not circular.
-
Bending the elbows, which turns it into a row.
Tips
-
The cable keeps tension at the top, unlike a barbell.
-
Pause at the peak — that is the part that matters most.
Secondary muscles
Log this exercise and watch yourself progress
Sign up free to log sets & weights, save favorite moves, add your own, and see your strength chart climb week after week.