Your grip strength can easily limit your trapezius development. This exercise eliminates the grip from trap work, allowing you to use much more weight than you normally could. Your traps may be capable of lifting 2 to 3 times more weight than your forearms can hang on to!
If you have back pain, you know that shrugs can place a lot of stress on your back. This variation virtually eliminates that problem by totally removing the downward pull of the weight on your spine. This is accomplished by placing yourself flat on the floor.
For complete trapezius development, you need to work the lower traps. Ordinary shrugs don’t even touch this area but this exercise directly targets the lower trap area. It is a small but effective movement that can help you bring out muscular detail in your back.
This shrug variation hits the middle traps by adjusting your body position to what looks like the flying position of a ski jump. Your body and arm position also works to force your elbows further behind your back, enhancing the effect of the exercise.