Unfortunately, this exercise isn't used much. In fact,
the name itself causes people to shrug! It's great for rehab
as it completely isolates the upper trapezius fibers without
involving the arms.
For those of you who have problems with grip during conventional
barbell or dumbbell movements (i.e. you can't hold on any
longer because your forearms feel like they're on fire)
and/or find your elbows constantly bending and absorbing
some of the load, take a step back and try this exercise
on for size. This will help focus your concentration on
your shoulders—the proximal joint—and not your
arms.
Also, the machine restricts you to one plane of motion—straight
up and straight down. It won't allow you to waste time and
energy by rolling your shoulders. Remember, gravity acts
vertically, not horizontally.
To do this movement, position yourself underneath the pad
of a standing calf machine as if you are about to do a set
for your calves. Raise your shoulders as high as you can
and pause at the top. Then control the pads as they lower—don't
just drop the weight down!
Three sets of 10-12 reps at a 2220 tempo with a one-minute
rest interval should do the trick.
It's very important to maintain proper form and perfect
posture for this exercise, so keep your abdominals braced
with a neutral spine to dissipate some of the weight from
your back and onto your slightly bent legs. Also, keep the
chest up and head straight—not poked forward!
Aim for full range of motion with your shoulders. Go as
high as you can at the top, and get a good stretch at the
bottom. Visualize Q-tips attached to your shoulders on an
angle, then try to poke out your eardrums.
When you've finished this and any other exercise that causes
spinal compression, i.e. squats or military presses, try
hanging on a chin-up bar for a while at the end of your
workout. This will help increase the intervertebral space
of your spine and instantly add a foot to your height. Caught
your attention? Okay, maybe not a foot, but it'll help.
As Charles Poliquin has mentioned in the past, shrugs will
also help to realign the position of the C5/C6 vertebrae,
thus improving your arm strength as the upper traps stabilize
the scapula when curling. Give this exercise a shot for
at least three weeks, then reassess your curling poundages.
If all goes well, you should also be able to curl more weight.
So now, when people ask you about calf machine shoulder
shrugs, you can let them know what they are by shrugging
your shoulders in the classic "I dunno" fashion.
>> Click here for Pete Sisco's Maximum Strength Training program >>
Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program
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