Barbel Shrugs
The barbell shrug is a simple isolation exercise: you hold a loaded bar at arm's length and lift your shoulders straight up towards your ears. It builds the traps, the thick muscles across the top of your upper back, and works your grip as well. It suits beginners and experienced lifters alike, as long as you start light and keep the movement controlled.
Muscles worked
The Barbel Shrugs mainly works your traps, with your forearms and anterior delts helping.
Setting up
- Set the bar on a rack at about mid-thigh height, or pick it up from the floor if you are comfortable lifting it safely. Load it lightly to start, as the weight adds up quickly.
- Take an overhand grip just outside your thighs, roughly shoulder-width apart or a little wider, so the bar hangs in front of your hips with your arms straight.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, chest up and eyes looking straight ahead. Keep your ribs down rather than leaning back.
How to do the Barbel Shrugs
- Stand tall with the bar resting against the front of your thighs, arms straight and shoulders relaxed down.
- Take a breath in and brace your midsection lightly so your body stays still.
- Without bending your elbows, lift your shoulders straight up towards your ears as high as you can.
- Pause for one to two seconds at the top and squeeze the muscles across the top of your upper back.
- Lower the bar slowly over about two seconds until your shoulders are fully relaxed at the bottom.
- Breathe out as you lift or lower, and repeat for your reps without letting the bar swing.
Form tips
- Think of your arms as hooks. The bar is lifted by your shoulders rising, not by your elbows bending.
- Move straight up and straight down. Aim your shoulders at your ears, not backwards or forwards.
- Keep the bar close to your thighs the whole time so it travels in a straight line.
- Keep your head still and your chin level. Your head should not push forward as the bar rises.
- If your grip gives out before your traps are tired, lifting straps are a sensible option. Otherwise, use the exercise to train your grip too.
Common mistakes
Rolling the shoulders
Rolling in circles adds nothing and puts the shoulder joint through awkward positions under load. Keep it a clean up-and-down movement.
Bending the elbows
If your elbows bend, you are turning the shrug into a half curl or upright pull. Keep your arms straight and lock the elbows out. Lower the weight if you can't.
Going too heavy with a tiny range
Bouncing short reps with a heavy bar means your traps do very little of the work. Drop the weight until you can lift high, pause and lower fully every rep.
Leaning back or jutting the head forward
Stand tall with your ribs down and your head in line with your body. If you are leaning to move the bar, it is too heavy.
Sets and reps
| Build strength | 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps with a heavier weight, 2-3 minutes rest. Pause for a full second at the top of each rep. |
|---|---|
| Build muscle | 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, 60-90 seconds rest. Use a weight that leaves you 1-2 reps short of failure. |
| Fat loss and general fitness | 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps with a light to moderate weight, 45-60 seconds rest, as part of a full-body session. |
Pick a weight where the last rep or two of each set is hard but your form stays clean. When every set feels easy, it's time to go up.
Barbel Shrugs alternatives
Machine taken, or want some variety? These work the same main muscles.
Barbel Shrugs FAQs
How heavy should I go on barbell shrugs?
Pick a weight you can lift with a full range of motion and a pause at the top. Beginners often do well starting with just the bar or a light load. Add weight in small steps once you can complete all your reps cleanly.
Should I roll my shoulders when I shrug?
No. Rolling does not make the exercise more effective and adds needless stress to the shoulder joints under load. A straight lift up, a pause and a controlled lowering is safer and works the traps well.
Are barbell shrugs better than dumbbell shrugs?
Neither is better; they are just different. A barbell lets you load more weight easily, while dumbbells let your arms hang at your sides, which some people find more comfortable. Try both and use the one that feels best for you.
Track your Barbel Shrugs progress
GymTracker builds your plan, pre-fills the weight from last time and tells you when to go up. Free.
Start free