There are several other great unilateral trap exercises that can complement single-arm dumbbell shrugs:
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Single-Arm Farmer's Walks
Holding a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell at your side and walking for distance or time engages the traps isometrically to help stabilize the load. -
Single-Arm Farmer's Carry Shrugs
Add a shrugging motion at the end of each Farmer's Walk step to really fatigue the working trap. -
Single-Arm Seated Dumbbell Shrugs
Performing seated shrugs with one arm removes leg drive and forces the traps to do more work. -
Single-Arm Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows
Focus on really squeezing the trap at the top of each single-arm row rep. -
Single-Arm Upright Rows
The upright pulling motion targets the traps along with the deltoids. -
Single-Arm Dumbbell Reverse Flyes
This rear delt exercise also involves trap activation to stabilize the scapula. -
Single-Arm Dumbbell Face Pulls
Pulling the weight straight back towards your face emphasizes trap engagement.
The key is to alternate which arm is working from set to set to ensure balanced trap development. Start light, focus on form, and gradually increase the weight over time. Mixing in these unilateral trap exercises can be an effective way to complement your single-arm shrug work.