Shrugs, Barbells

An isolation exercise for the traps muscles performed by raising the shoulders upward while holding a barbell, followed by a brief pause and controlled lowering.

Instructions

1. Stand with a straight body and feet hip to shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a barbell with both hands at arm’s length in front of your body.
3. Use a neutral grip (palms facing inward) with hands approximately shoulder-width apart.
4. Keep your arms straight and your core engaged throughout the movement.
5. Lift the shoulders as high as you can by shrugging upward toward your ears.
6. Pause at the highest point for 1-2 seconds while squeezing the traps muscles.
7. Lower the barbell slowly and in a controlled manner back to the starting position.
8. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Maintain full range of motion throughout the set; do not abbreviate your movements.
• Keep the barbell close to your body to minimize shoulder joint strain.
• Do not bend your elbows; this is a pure shrugging movement of the shoulders.
• Move deliberately and resist momentum; control the weight on both the way up and down.
• When training with heavier weights, maintain strict form and full range of motion.