Barbell Shrug Behind The Back
How to do the Barbell Shrug Behind The Back with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Traps
Forearms, Mid Back
Barbell
How to do the Barbell Shrug Behind The Back
- 1
Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands behind your back using a pronated grip (palms facing back). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for 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. The arms should remain stretched out at all times.
- 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 Behind The Back 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 Behind The Back: common questions
What muscles does the Barbell Shrug Behind The Back work?
The Barbell Shrug Behind The Back primarily works the Traps. It also recruits the Forearms and Mid Back as supporting muscles.
Is the Barbell Shrug Behind The Back suitable for beginners?
Yes. The Barbell Shrug Behind The Back 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 Behind The Back?
To do the Barbell Shrug Behind The Back you'll need a barbell.
Is the Barbell Shrug Behind The Back a compound or isolation exercise?
The Barbell Shrug Behind The Back 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 Behind The Back with correct form?
Stand up straight with your feet at shoulder width as you hold a barbell with both hands behind your back using a pronated grip (palms facing back). Tip: Your hands should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You can use wrist wraps for this exercise for better grip. This will be your starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Barbell Shrug Behind The Back 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 | , |