Form cues
- Shoulders straight up
- Arms stay long
- Chest tall
- No rolling
Exercise
Barbell Shrug
Back, barbell
A standing trap exercise where you hold a barbell at your thighs and lift your shoulders straight up and down.
Target: traps. Also works: shoulders.
Steps
- Stand tall with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
- Let your arms hang straight, brace your torso, and keep your chest up.
- Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears without bending your elbows or leaning back.
- Pause briefly at the top and squeeze your upper traps.
- Lower your shoulders under control until they return to the starting position.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows to curl the bar upward.
- Rolling the shoulders forward or backward at the top.
- Leaning back and swinging the torso to move the bar.
- Letting the head jut forward as the shoulders rise.
Breathing
Inhale before each rep, exhale as you shrug your shoulders up, and inhale as you lower back down.
In the app, search for Barbell Shrug and add it to a workout.