. I rate the incline shrug as the most important shrug for regular inclusion in
your training. You could substitute the regular standing shrug for an occa-
sional spell. Use a rep target that you feel most comfortable with, e.g., , ,
or , or vary the reps from cycle to cycle.. Build up your shrug poundage and you will build the strength needed for
the top part of all variations of the deadlift (when you especially need to
keep your shoulders pulled back). is will help increase your deadlift
poundages. Strength developed from incline shrugs will help you to keep
the very important flat back while deadlifting and squatting. ere are other
important benefits, including strengthening the shoulder girdle, helping to
keep your torso more solid, and putting muscle on your traps where you
place a bar for squatting.. e incline shrug in particular will help improve posture for people who
have rounded shoulders. In extreme cases where deadlifts cannot be done
properly because of poor posture, incline shrugs need to be done until suf-
ficient strength has been built to improve posture. en, perhaps a few
months later, the deadlift can be introduced and performed in good form.Bench press alternatives
. e parallel bar dip works more muscle than does the bench press. Prior to
bench pressing benches becoming standard fare in gyms, in the fifties, the
parallel bar dip was a very popular exercise (as was the strict overhead press).
ereafter the bench press became a hugely popular exercise. e bench
press is a very good exercise, but its degree of popularity today is excessive
relative to the merits of the exercise. e parallel bar dip is potentially an
excellent exercise, and one that does not require spotters or safety bars.. ough not working as much muscle as the parallel bar dip, the incline press
(or incline bench press) should be considered as an alternative to the bench
press, especially if only one pressing movement is included in a program.. e developmental effects of the bench press in your particular case should
also be a consideration in exercise selection. If you find that you get overly
heavy lower pecs from the bench press (or dip), the incline press should be a
preferred choice.