Barbell Shrug Video Guide
Exercise Profile
- None
- Strength
- Barbell
- Isolation
- Pull
- Beginner
Click to Enlarge
Click to Enlarge
Exercise Instructions
- Set up for the standing barbell shrug by loading up the weight you want to use on a straight bar or Olympic bar.
- Stand facing the bar with your feet about shoulder width apart.
- Grasp the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing down), with your hands about shoulder width apart.
- Bending at the knees only, pick the barbell up off the floor.
- Keeping the barbell close to your body, let your shoulders "sag" as far as possible. This is the starting position for the exercise.
- Slowly shrug your shoulders up as far as possible.
- Pause, and then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps.
Shrug Tips:
- Focus on lifting the weight with your traps and not your biceps.
- Pausing at the top of the barbell shrug makes the exercise more challenging and you'll get more out of it. Try and pause for a count of 1-3 at the top of each rep.
- There's no benefit to roll your shoulders forward or back when you shrug - that's a myth!
- Just raise the barbell straight up and straight down.
Comments (6)
Add a comment
Posted Wed, 05/23/2012 - 18:05
When I do these shrugs my manly part gets in the way. Is it okay to keep it not that close to your body?
Posted Sat, 06/09/2012 - 12:31
I'd recommend using dumbbells. The dumbbell shrug hits the same muscles and having two individual weights rather than a single bar, gives you better meanouvre-ing ability
Posted Fri, 10/05/2012 - 13:06
As I've gotten stronger doing these my hands and forearms haven't caught up. What can I do if the weight is too much for them?
Posted Sun, 10/07/2012 - 10:59
get some of them grip strengtheners the look like what you put on the end of a bench press bar to keep the weights on do some everyday untill you cant do any more and your grip and fore arms should get stronger
Posted Fri, 10/26/2012 - 05:17
Just let it brush against your manly parts. And use straps when weight exceeds grip strength
Posted Tue, 04/23/2013 - 14:30
This is decent form, however in my experience you get a better pump/activation of your traps by slightly rolling your shoulders back. This is the same motion you make when you want to show someone your traps so it makes sense to me.
Add new comment