Calf-Machine Shoulder ShrugMuscles Worked
The calf-machine shrug isolates your upper traps. Because a standing calf raise machine loads your shoulders through its pads, grip strength never cuts the set short, so your traps can handle heavier loads than with dumbbells or a barbell.
PrimaryTraps
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Set the shoulder pads of a standing calf raise machine so you can get under them with your knees soft and your body upright.
- Stand with your feet flat on the platform rather than on the edge, and let your arms hang by your sides.
- Let the pads press your shoulders down into a full stretch, keeping your chest up and your neck neutral.
- Shrug your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as you can, without bending your knees or rising onto your toes.
- Hold the top for a moment, then lower slowly back into the stretch.
Form tips
- Keep your heels down and your legs still so the lift comes only from your shoulders, not from a calf raise or a knee bounce.
- Move straight up and down rather than rolling your shoulders, since rolling adds nothing for the traps.
- Aim for a deep stretch at the bottom and a real squeeze at the top rather than moving a heavy load only a few inches.
Why it made the list
No. 8 of 12
Best Trap Exercises
Using the calf raise machine for shrugs. Allows very heavy loading with no grip limitation.
More trap exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug sets in KasMaker and watch your traps fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
