Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBarbell
- MechanicsIsolation
- Force TypePull (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Shoulders, Upper Back
Target Muscle Group
Traps
Snatch Grip Barbell Shrug Overview
The snatch grip barbell shrug is a variation of the barbell shrug and an exercise used to isolate the traps.
The main difference in a snatch grip barbell shrug is the hand placement used. By utilizing the wider than shoulder width hand placement, you’ll create slight more tension on the muscles of the traps. This is a great strategy to help build the traps as the traps are a muscle group that responds particularly well to time under tension.
Snatch Grip Barbell Shrug Instructions
- Position the safeties just below waist height in a rack.
- Assume a standing position with the bar in front of your body.
- Hinge forward, inhale, and grab the bar well outside of shoulder width with a double overhand grip.
- Stand up tall and ensure your spine remains neutral.
- Contract the traps to elevate the shoulders. Squeeze hard at the top and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Snatch Grip Barbell Shrug Tips
- Looking slightly up while shrugging may enhance the contraction as traps help to control movement of the skull. This motion should be smooth and controlled, as a ballistic movement could result in a neck injury.
- The traps tend to respond well to high reps and explosive movements (e.g. snatch grip high pulls) so program your accessory work accordingly.
- Limit momentum and excessive jerking or bouncing of the weight. No one cares about how much you shrug.
- Don’t allow the head to jut forward excessively as you squeeze the traps, this can put the neck in a compromised position and result in an injury.
- Adding a pause at the top of the movement can help to enhance the mind muscle connection.
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