Smith Machine Shrug
- Primary muscleTraps
- EquipmentSmith Machine
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeIsolation · Pull
- Secondary muscles
- Delts
- Body part
- Back
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Rails that carry the bar's balance let you shrug straight up with zero drift, and the hooks let you rack the weight instantly at any height - useful when pushing sets close to failure. You give up the stabilizer work of a free bar, a fair trade when pure trap loading is the goal.
How to do the Smith Machine Shrug
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your arms straight and your shoulders relaxed.
- Lift your shoulders up towards your ears, squeezing your traps at the top.
- Hold for a moment, then slowly lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Hold the top for two seconds and lower for three.
Muscles worked
Common mistakes
- Rolling the shoulders — a circular motion does nothing extra and irritates the shoulder; move straight up and straight down.
- Bouncing out of the bottom — let the shoulders drop fully at the bottom, pause, then shrug up from a dead stop.
- Pulling the head forward — keep the chin tucked and the head neutral, since jutting the head forward shortens the range.
- Too heavy to squeeze — if you cannot hold the top for a full count, the weight is too heavy for the traps to actually contract.
Sets, reps and where it fits
| Goal | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 10–15 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance / finisher | 2–3 × 15–20 | 45 s |
| Strength | Not ideal — pick a compound lift for the same muscle | — |
Shrugs go at the end of a back or shoulder session after the pressing and rowing. Superset them with a face pull or a rear delt fly on the same station.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without smith machine
Easier and harder
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Smith Machine Shrug work?
The Smith Machine Shrug primarily works the traps. It also involves the delts, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.
Is the Smith Machine Shrug good for beginners?
Yes. The Smith Machine Shrug is rated beginner: it uses a smith machine and the movement is simple to learn. Start light, focus on the full range of motion and add load once every rep looks the same.
What can I do instead of the Smith Machine Shrug?
If you cannot do the Smith Machine Shrug, try the Barbell Shrug, the Dumbbell Shrug or the Incline Bench Dumbbell Shrug. Each of them trains the traps through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.
How many sets and reps should I do?
It depends on your goal. For the Smith Machine Shrug, a sensible starting point is muscle growth: 3–4 × 10–15 with 60–90 s rest; endurance / finisher: 2–3 × 15–20 with 45 s rest. Do it after your compound lifts. It is a finishing movement, not the main event.
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