Barbell Shrug
How to do the Barbell Shrug with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Traps
,
Barbell
How to do the Barbell Shrug
- 1
Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands in front of you using a pronated grip (palms facing the thighs). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for a better grip. This will be your starting position.
- 2
Raise your shoulders up as far as you can go as you breathe out and hold the contraction for a second. Tip: Refrain from trying to lift the barbell by using your biceps.
- 3
Slowly return to the starting position as you breathe in.
- 4
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Log it, see it on your body.
Every Barbell Shrug set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your traps volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.
More traps exercises
Barbell Shrug: common questions
What muscles does the Barbell Shrug work?
The Barbell Shrug primarily works the Traps.
Is the Barbell Shrug suitable for beginners?
Yes. The Barbell Shrug is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.
What equipment do I need for the Barbell Shrug?
To do the Barbell Shrug you'll need a barbell.
Is the Barbell Shrug a compound or isolation exercise?
The Barbell Shrug is an isolation exercise, it targets the traps through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.
How do I do the Barbell Shrug with correct form?
Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands in front of you using a pronated grip (palms facing the thighs). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for a better grip. This will be your starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Barbell Shrug sets, free.
Waitlist members get TestFlight + Play Store internal-track invites and a founder badge on their profile.
The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.
Core tracking stays free forever, the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.
14-day free trial · no card to start
| Free | Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking, the climb and streaks | ||
| Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables | ||
| Muscle-league tiers | ||
| The AI coach | nudges | Full conversation |
| Worldwide leagues and challenges | , | |
| PR projections and deep analytics | , | |
| Unlimited crews | , | |
| Themes, export and higher AI limits | , |