How to Do the Barbell Shrug

“THE BARBELL SHRUG seems simple, and in many ways it is,” Samuel says. You’re simply standing upright and raising your shoulders while holding a bar loaded with plates. There is more to it than you’d think. Here’s a step-by-step guide for cues how to do the movement.

Benefits of Barbell Shrugs

When we think of the barbell, we often think of big, explosive movements that move the bar and weight plates a fair distance. Whether it’s the deadlift or the bench press, the movement itself is impressive. However, the barbell shrug is all about getting a big bang out of a very small movement—the simple shrug.

Just shrugging weight is a terrific way to develop your traps especially, and give you a healthier upper back overall. The barbell is particularly useful for this because you can load up a ton of weight onto your traps.

Since both sides of your body are working together to move the same load, you’re going to be able to move a lot more. And as we all know, the more weight we move, the more gains we experience. The barbell shrug hits all the markers for a necessary lift if you’re looking to develop your upper back.

Trap Development: Builds size and strength in the trapezius muscles, contributing to a stronger, more defined upper back.

Improved Posture: Strengthening the traps helps with better posture and can reduce the tendency to slouch.

Grip Strength: Holding the barbell improves forearm strength, which is important for many other lifts.

You can also load the barbell shrug way heavier than you might be able to in a kettlebell or dumbbell shrug—a major benefit if you’re looking to really build your traps.

How to Barbell Shrug

Although free weight exercises always add a bit of added difficulty to working out, the barbell shrug is a pretty straightforward lift to perform. It is, after all, called a “shrug.” However, there have been relatively recent changes in how to optimally perform the barbell shrug. With a rotation and 30 degree adduction of the shoulders, it was found that there was better muscle activation with the lower and upper traps.

  • Set up the rack so that the bar hits just above your knee. Walk up to it like you’re going to perform a quick rack pull:
  • Bring your knees close to the bar, grab it with an overhand grip with your hands at about shoulder-width, push your butt back, and keep your back flat.
  • Rotate the pits of your elbows forward as you grip.
  • Inhale and squeeze your glutes to return to standing.
  • Think about driving your pinkies out to ‘break the bar’, and rotate the shoulders back.
  • Raise your shoulders up towards your ears without leaning forwards. Don’t let your hips help you. Hold for a second before slowly lowering down to full stretch on the traps.

Step-by-Step Guide for Barbell Shrugs

1.Set Up:

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with both hands in front of you.
  • Your grip should be shoulder-width apart, palms facing your thighs (overhand grip).
  • The barbell should be at thigh level, and your arms fully extended.

2.Body Position:

  • Keep your back straight, chest up, and core engaged.
  • Let your shoulders hang naturally, keeping your arms relaxed but holding the barbell firmly.

3.The Shrug Motion:

  • Raise your shoulders directly upwards towards your ears, like you’re trying to touch your shoulders to your ears.
  • Focus on squeezing your traps at the top of the movement.
  • Keep your arms straight throughout the motion—don’t bend your elbows or swing the weight.

4.Lower the Bar:

  • Slowly lower your shoulders back to the starting position, allowing your traps to stretch at the bottom.
  • Maintain control of the barbell during the lowering phase.

5.Reps & Sets:

  • Perform 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps.
  • Use a weight that allows you to complete the reps with good form, but still provides enough resistance to challenge your muscles.

Who Should Do Barbell Shrugs?

“ARE BARBELL SHRUGS a move everyone needs to do? Absolutely not. That’s doubly true if you have shoulder issues,” Samuel says. The shrug emphasizes moving the shoulder blades upwards—a movement we don’t typically want to do. It creates a lot of tension through our neck and shoulders, which can lead to issues in the long term.

In fact, it benefits us more to train the opposite—moving the shoulder blades down and back, into what’s called scapular depression.

Pro Tips for Perfect Barbell Shrugs

  1. Controlled Movements: Avoid using momentum or jerking the barbell up. Focus on slow, controlled movements to maximize trap engagement.
  2. No Head Involvement: Keep your head in a neutral position—don’t tilt your head forward or back while shrugging.
  3. Breathe: Inhale as you lower the barbell and exhale as you shrug your shoulders upwards.
  4. Range of Motion: For maximum effectiveness, focus on achieving a full range of motion by lifting your shoulders as high as possible and allowing them to lower fully.
  5. Grip Strength: If your grip weakens, you can use lifting straps to help hold the barbell during heavier sets, allowing you to focus on your traps.

Tips and Tricks

While the barbell shrug is a relatively simple movement, the fact that you can use a lot of weight means that optimizing form is important to avoid injuries and make the workout more efficient. One key is paying attention to the positioning of your head. For one, you don’t want to allow your head to come too much forward when you squeeze the traps. Doing this will compromise the position of the neck, potentially resulting in injuries further down the road.

Shrugging Your Way to Wellness and Strength

The barbell shrug proves that good things can come in small packages. Although the shrug is a humble movement, it can have amazing consequences for the overall development of our upper bodies. The key is to support this development with enough sleep, proper nutrition, and a well-rounded workout plan.

If you’re looking to turbocharge your trap gains, implement barbell shrugs into your workouts and you’ll have a stronger, bigger, and more resilient upper body.

Controlling the Weight

Most form breakdown comes down to choosing a weight that’s way too heavy. If you find yourself relying on momentum and jerking the weight around, it’s time to choose a lighter load.

You also won’t be able to get through the full range of motion, which will impede your development and possibly lead to injury down the road. A good indication of using too much weight is bouncing the bar once you get to the top of every rep.

You want to be focusing on the contraction instead of relying on momentum.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Bending the Elbows: Avoid bending your elbows or turning this into a bicep curl. The focus should remain on the traps.

Rolling the Shoulders: Don’t roll or rotate your shoulders while performing shrugs. The movement should be straight up and down.

Using Too Much Weight: Start with a manageable weight to maintain proper form. Using too much weight can lead to improper technique and injury.

Conclusion

Incorporating a well-rounded, structured workout routine like the 7-day workout plan ensures you target all key muscle groups, promoting strength, endurance, and overall fitness. By dedicating specific days to different muscle groups and types of training (such as push, pull, lower body, core, and cardio), you can enhance muscular development, prevent imbalances, and avoid overtraining.

  • Push/Pull Balance: Alternating between push and pull exercises ensures your muscles develop evenly, preventing injuries and improving functional strength.
  • Lower Body Focus: Targeting the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves builds a solid foundation of strength and improves athletic performance.
  • Cardio & Core: Incorporating cardio and core work enhances endurance, cardiovascular health, and core stability, contributing to better posture and overall performance.
  • Progressive Overload: Continuously challenging your body through increased weight, reps, or intensity is key to seeing ongoing improvements in strength and muscle growth.

Whether you’re looking to build muscle, burn fat, or improve your overall fitness, this balanced approach keeps you on track to reach your goals. Make sure to prioritize rest, recovery, and proper nutrition to support your body’s development and performance.

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