Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug
How to do the Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.
Traps
Shoulders
Machine
How to do the Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug
- 1
With the bar at thigh level, load an appropriate weight.
- 2
Stand with the bar behind you, taking a shoulder-width, pronated grip on the bar and unhook the weight. You should be standing up straight with your head and chest up and your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
- 3
Initiate the movement by shrugging your shoulders straight up. Do not flex the arms or wrist during the movement.
- 4
After a brief pause return the weight to the starting position.
- 5
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before engaging the hooks to rack the weight.
Log it, see it on your body.
Every Smith Machine Behind the Back 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
Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug: common questions
What muscles does the Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug work?
The Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug primarily works the Traps. It also recruits the Shoulders as supporting muscles.
Is the Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug suitable for beginners?
Yes. The Smith Machine Behind the Back 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 Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug?
To do the Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug you'll need a weight machine.
Is the Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug a compound or isolation exercise?
The Smith Machine Behind the Back 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 Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug with correct form?
With the bar at thigh level, load an appropriate weight. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.
Log your Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug sets, free.
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