How to do it
- Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip, arms straight.
- Elevate the shoulders straight up, keeping the bar close to your body.
- Pause, then lower under control to a full stretch.
Cues that matter
- Use straps once grip becomes the limiting factor.
- Keep the chin tucked and the neck neutral.
Common mistakes
- Rolling the shoulders backwards at the top.
- Using the legs to bounce the bar upward.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Traps
- Upper traps
Also works
- Forearms
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Barbell Shrug in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the traps with different equipment — for a day the barbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.