How to Do a Short Rear Delt Back Shoulder Shrug

Despite its name, the standard shoulder shrug doesn’t really engage the primary shoulder muscles, called the deltoids. The shoulder shrug works the trapezius muscles, which span from the neck to the top of your shoulder blades. With a simple modification the shrug can engage a broader assortment of muscle groups. This variation is called the rear delt back shoulder shrug. The form is similar to the standard shrug, a fluid and low-impact lift that helps develop the upper body.

  1. Muscles Worked

    • The rear delt back shoulder shrug targets the trapezius, like a regular shrug, but it also incorporates the lateral and posterior segments of the deltoid, as well as the upper portion of the latissimus dorsi. The standing exercise also engages the forearms, core, erector spinae, gluteals, hamstrings and calves as stabilizers. The rear delt back shoulder shrug does not engage the anterior portion of the deltoid, though. Pair this exercise with a military press or a dumbbell shoulder press for complete deltoid engagement.

    Equipment Options

    • Unlike the traditional shoulder shrug that can be done with dumbbells, kettlebells or a weighted barbell, the rear delt back shoulder shrug must be performed with either dumbbells or kettlebells. This is due to the form of the exercise, which requires the weight to be held behind you. Dumbbells provide a better grip, but kettlebells allow you to hold the weight in a neutral-wrist position, diminishing fatigue. In a pinch, you can also use a couple of free-weight plates for the exercise.

    Form

    • To begin the exercise, stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Grip the weight overhand and lean slightly forward. Pull your arms back so they are behind you, but still at your sides. Keep your arms straight with your elbows locked. Shrug your shoulders upward as high as possible, lifting your arms and the weight. The angle of your body and the position of your arms will engage the rear deltoids to assist.

    Considerations

    • The important thing to remember about shoulder shrugs of any type is that they are a complementary exercise. This means you don’t want to lift too heavily, or do too many repetitions of the exercise. Even though the rear delt back shoulder shrug engages a broader range of muscles, the isolation form works best in conjunction with compound exercises that more fully target the upper body, such as the clean and jerk, high pull and bench press. Avoid overtraining and allow plenty of time for recovery between shoulder workouts.