Barbell Shrug
The point of Barbell Shrug is muscle you built on purpose; heavy bilateral barbell loading is how it gets there.
How to do Barbell Shrug
- Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands in front of you using a pronated grip (palms facing the thighs). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for a better grip. This will be your starting position.
- Raise your shoulders up as far as you can go as you breathe out and hold the contraction for a second. Tip: Refrain from trying to lift the barbell by using your biceps.
- Slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Barbell Shrug Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
The other half of the week
First plan free
Training is half the prescription
A session tells your traps to adapt. The week you eat decides whether they can. FitFocus writes that week against your own calorie and macro numbers, in about a minute, for free.
- Included: Seven days solved against your calorie and macro targets
- Included: Diet type and allergies applied before the plan is written
- Included: Built from the same profile as your workout plan, on one account
- Days
- 7
- Meals / day
- 3-6
- Diet types
- 5
- Exclusions
- 6
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Common Barbell Shrug Mistakes
Gripping off-centre so one side carries more load
Set both hands on matching knurl marks before each set.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Chasing load before the pattern is grooved
Spend the first few weeks making every rep look the same.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Shrug
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Barbell Shrug — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Shrug?
Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands in front of you using a pronated grip (palms facing the thighs). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for a better grip. This will be your starting position. Raise your shoulders up as far as you can go as you breathe out and hold the contraction for a second. Tip: Refrain from trying to lift the barbell by using your biceps. Slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Shrug work?
The Barbell Shrug primarily targets the traps. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Shrug should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Shrug good for beginners?
Yes. The Barbell Shrug is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Shrug?
Try the Lever Gripless Shrug V. 2, Scapula Dips or the Dumbbell Shrug. Each trains the traps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
