The traps

The trapezius covers the whole upper back, and its three portions pull the shoulder blade three opposite ways. Shrugs train one of them.

PrimarySecondaryNot worked

What it is

Upper traps elevate the scapula and help it rotate upward — the portion shrugs load. Mid traps retract it toward the spine. Lower traps depress it. An upper back trained only at the top ends up with raised shoulders and blades that never stabilise.

How to load it

Ten to twenty sets a week, spread: loaded shrugs for the upper, horizontal pulls with elbows wide for the mid, and an overhead movement for the lower. The hold at the top matters more than the load here.

The recurring mistake

Rolling the shoulders during shrugs. The scapula goes straight up and down — rotation adds nothing and puts the joint at stake.

All 6 exercises in the catalogue

Names are the ones the app uses.