# @thedorianyates on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWhG5l4jIlR
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/62656071-thedorianyates-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cb0dbcf795.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-30T17:43:12.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Dorian Yates (@thedorianyates) — https://gondola.cc/thedorianyates

## Caption

Dumbbell shrugs to failure!

Over the years I did use dumbbells, barbells and even a few machines for shrugs to target the traps. Yeah you can go much heavier with barbells and especially machines for shrugs, but I always felt that dumbbells were the best option for me.

They allowed me to shrug not just directly up, but backwards too. The traps run down your back and the way target them fully is by shrugging up and back, this will engage the mid and lower traps too as well as the upper.

Lean slightly forward too rather than standing straight.
That’s not to say that barbell and machine shrugs don’t have their place, they do and I did do them quite often throughout my career - I actually recently came across a pic from 1997 of me doing barbell shrugs which ill share soon.

So back to this video from Blood & Guts, we set the dumbbells up on a bench for ease and I did use straps on this exercise… I did work up to 100kg dumbbells - I had to get them made for myself!

A big squeeze at the peak contraction and all the way to failure, you can see I did do a partial rep or two at the end aswell.

#MrOlympia #Bodybuilding #Gym #Training #Traps

## Stats

- **Views:** 78,226
- **Likes:** 33,471
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 103

## Tags

mrolympia, training, traps, gym, bodybuilding

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