Middle Back Shrug

Mid backDumbbellIntermediateIsolation
Middle Back Shrug — start position
Start
Middle Back Shrug — finish position
Finish
Muscles worked
PrimaryMid back

How to do it

  1. 01

    Lie facedown on an incline bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your arms should be fully extended hanging down and pointing towards the floor. The palms of your hands should be facing each other. This will be your starting position.

  2. 02

    As you exhale, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold the contraction for a full second. Tip: This movement is just like the reverse action of a hug, or trying to perform rear laterals as if you had no arms.

  3. 03

    As you inhale go back to the starting position.

  4. 04

    Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

In the app

Middle Back Shrug appears when you own dumbbells and the day's window has room for it. Loads come from Rule 3 (Loads rise when earned, read from RPE, graded strong) and climb on the reps you actually did.

If a machine is taken the engine swaps a same-pattern movement and says why.

If you don't have dumbbells

Same movement pattern, same primary muscles — swap by what you have.

With barbell

More mid back exercises

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