Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Circular Lever Gripless Shrug: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever gripless shrug is performed on a leverage machine to target the trapezius muscles by elevating the shoulders without gripping the handles. This isolates the traps and minimizes forearm involvement.

Primary muscles
Traps
Secondary muscles
Forearms , Shoulders
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the circular lever gripless shrug
Front view: muscles worked by the circular lever gripless shrug. Primary: traps. Secondary: forearms and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the circular lever gripless shrug. Primary: traps. Secondary: forearms and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the circular lever gripless shrug

  1. Step 1: Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the leverage machine.
  2. Step 2: Grasp the handles with your palms facing inwards and your arms fully extended. Perform with circular intensity.
  3. Step 3: Keeping your back straight, exhale and elevate your shoulders as high as possible.
  4. Step 4: Hold the contraction for a brief moment, then inhale and slowly lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the circular lever gripless shrug by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Circular Lever Gripless Shrug alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

More traps exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.