Kettlebell Shrug

How to Perform the Kettlebell Shrug

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand at your sides with a neutral grip.
Let your arms hang straight down with the kettlebells at the sides of your thighs.
Stand tall with your chest up, shoulders back, and core braced.
Elevate both shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as possible, squeezing the traps at the top.
Hold the peak contraction for 1-2 seconds, focusing on maximum trap engagement.
Slowly lower your shoulders back to the starting position under control.
Avoid rolling the shoulders forward or backward; move them straight up and down.

Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion

Shrug straight up and down only; rolling adds no benefit and can stress the shoulder joint.

Using momentum by bouncing or jerking the weight

Use a controlled tempo with a distinct pause at the top; if you need momentum, the weight is too heavy.

Bending the elbows to curl the weight up

Keep your arms straight throughout; the movement should come entirely from elevating the shoulder blades.

●Focus on lifting the shoulders as high as possible to achieve maximum trap contraction.
●Use a 2-second hold at the top to increase time under tension.
●The neutral grip of kettlebells is often more comfortable than barbell shrugs for those with wrist issues.

Strength

4-5 sets of 6-8 reps at 80-85% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 10-15 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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