Barbell Shrug

beginner · isolation

Setup

Deadlift the barbell up from the floor (or take it from rack hooks at thigh height) with an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, letting it hang in front of your thighs.

Execution

Keep your arms straight and relaxed for the whole set; the force comes from the shoulders only.
Exhale and shrug both shoulders straight up as high as you can, toward your ears.
Hold for a beat at the top, squeezing the upper traps hard.
Inhale and lower your shoulders slowly through the full range, without letting them drop.
Do not roll the shoulders forward or backward during the shrug.
At the end of the set, bend your hips and knees together to set the bar down on the floor (or back on the rack hooks) instead of dropping it.

Breathing

Exhale as you shrug up, inhale as you lower, and do not hold your breath at the top. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, a hernia or you are pregnant, never hold your breath: exhale on every shrug and use a lighter load.

Quick cues

Shrug straight up, no rolling.
Arms just hold the bar.
Hold one beat at the top.
Lower slow through the full range.

Common faults

Fault: Rolling the shoulders in a circle during the shrug
Fix: Shrug in one straight vertical line, up and then down.
Fault: Bending the elbows to help pull the bar up with the arms
Fix: Keep the arms straight and the elbows locked for the whole set, letting only the shoulders move.
Fault: Shrugging fast and jerking at the top
Fix: Drop the weight and hold a controlled beat at the top before lowering.
Fault: Only lowering halfway before shrugging again
Fix: Lower all the way until the shoulders are fully relaxed before the next rep.

Equipment

barbell

Muscle groups

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