Barbell shrugs are the best exercises for the trapezius! Exercises for the back: shrugs with a barbell Shrugs on parallel bars

Shrugs with a barbell are the only isolated exercise aimed at developing the trapezius. A thin neck and dead trapezoids spoil the entire aesthetics of a pumped up body. If you are already thinking about working out this muscle group, then take up shrugs.

Shrugs with a barbell. Official Mutant TV channel

Many bodybuilders prefer to work this technique with a heavy load. This approach will bring results, but not for working the trapezius.

As for such a common exercise as shrugs, many people limit its effectiveness by using excessive weights. As a result, in the last sets they involuntarily narrow the amplitude, meanwhile, the total “mass” of the trapezius can be increased only due to a large amplitude of movement.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

What muscles are involved?

When performing shrugs, the upper part of the trapezius muscle takes a large load. Also, during work, the rhomboid muscles are activated, and additional load is transferred to muscle groups that act as a stabilizer, such as the deltoid muscle and forearms.

Standing shrugs with a barbell

This exercise is an isolating exercise, in which the trapezius is targeted.

Place the barbell on the power rack supports so that it is slightly above your knees. This will remove the strain on your back when lifting the unit. If you have problems with your back or lower back, try it.
Holding the bar with your hands, slightly wider than your shoulders, turn your palms towards the body.
The back should be straight and tense. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and look up.
The shoulder blades are retracted.
Remove the unit by lowering your shoulders down, doing a trapezius stretch.
As you exhale, begin lifting the barbell up until it stops.
Stay at the highest point for a couple of seconds.
As you inhale, return to the starting position.

To fully pump the upper trapezius and rear deltoids, use a lighter weight when working.

The barbell is installed in a power frame above the knees.
Turn your back to the frame, palms facing your torso.
The back is straight, the gaze is directed upward. The legs are spaced slightly less than shoulder width apart.
Grab the barbell and perform a quick lift. At the peak, hold for a couple of seconds.
The descent should be slow. Control the work of the trapezius by maintaining the deflection of the elbow joint. Hands should not be used during movement.

On a horizontal bench

The work takes place on the anterior and middle deltas and upper trapezius. The chest muscles are also involved to a small extent.

Place the barbell on the racks and lie horizontally with your back on the bench.
The feet should be on the floor.
To perform a press, the pins should be installed about 10 centimeters from the starting position.
Grasp the unit with a vertical shoulder grip.
When removing weights from the racks, your arms need to be tense at the elbow joints. This will become the starting position.
Keeping your arms tense, squeeze your shoulder blades together and press your shoulders into the bench. At this moment the unit will lower slightly.
As you exhale, spread your shoulder blades and lift your shoulders slightly off the bench.
Make sure that your arms do not bend at the elbows, and that your head and upper back do not rise from the bench.
When raising your shoulders, you need to tense your chest muscles and bring them together.
Important. When reaching the peak, the unit should be about 8 centimeters higher than with a classic bench press.
If difficulties arise in keeping the unit in the correct position, then the pins will hold it in place.

To lift the barbell vertically correctly, your arms must work simultaneously when working.

In Smith's car

If this is your first time doing shrugs, the Smith machine allows you to lift the barbell along a fixed path. However, you still need to consider safety precautions and make sure you can return the unit to the stands when the set is finished.

The bar is set at a height slightly above the knees, with the desired weight.
Starting position: grab the unit and straighten up completely.
Make sure your back is straight and your shoulders are as low as possible under the weight, stretching the trapezius muscles.
As you exhale, slowly raise your shoulders so that the trapezius muscle contracts.
Hold this position for two seconds.
As you inhale, slowly lower your shoulders as low as possible.

In prone shrugs, the Smith machine is also used, but the technical side of the exercise should be created under a short amplitude.

Jumping shrugs with a barbell

This exercise pumps not only the trapezius, but also the smallest muscles in the upper back.

Yes, this is possible

The bar is taken at a distance slightly wider than shoulder width.
Your back is straight, your feet are shoulder-width apart.
With your knees bent, you want the bar to be at about mid-thigh level.
With a disruptive force, straighten up and push your body into a vertical momentum of movement, performing a synchronized pulling movement with your shoulders.
Then smoothly return to the starting position.

Explosive shrugs are performed with maximum working weight. For such an exercise you need to have a high level of preparation.

Advice. The movement of the shoulders is important for explosive shrugs, since you cannot pause at the top point; you must immediately lower the weight to the starting point.

Pros and cons of performing shrugs with barbells and dumbbells

The positive side of performing a shrug with a barbell is, first of all, the opportunity to work with heavy weights, giving the exercise a basic nature, which helps to develop the mass of the upper back and strengthen the spine.
Using the shrug, dumbbells will give the exercise targeted pumping of the trapezius, and will also increase the range of motion. You can place the dumbbells in a comfortable position on the sides or in front. The only downside is that you are working with light weight.

Features of performing shrugs with a barbell

You should pick up the projectile, holding it below with straight arms.
When raising your shoulders, do not bend your elbow joints.
Having reached the peak, you need to hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
Use a curved bar when working with a barbell
During operation, the weight is held firmly, in constant tension.
During the approach, make sure that your back is straight, keep your spinal and abdominal muscles tense.
Choose the right weight to do the perfect 10 reps for 3 sets.
When performing exercises, you need to feel the trapezius working.

Advice. Regardless of the choice of exercise, the main thing is to eliminate rotation in the shoulder joints. Also, do not relax your shoulders at the bottom point; allow all the weight to be transferred to your outstretched arms.

What exercises are best to do shrugs on the same day?

Two options will be acceptable:

The trapezius muscle must be worked with deltoids.
Here is a small list of exercises compatible with shrugs: standing dumbbell press, dumbbell up and down, bent over butterfly.
Joint back workout.

Performing shrugs on delta training days is the right decision. Since arm raises and presses put stress on the upper trapezius, shrugs will be just a direct hit.

On back training days, the middle part of the trapezius takes on additional load, therefore, shrugs will not be very effective.

However, to achieve a combination of a massive front trapezius with a back, you need to combine training days with deltoids and back twice a week.

Be sure to read about it

Standing barbell shrugs- a simple and effective isolation exercise designed to train the trapezius muscles of the back, especially in the upper part. There are several variations of this exercise, among which I would like to mention shrugs with a barbell in front of you or with a barbell behind your back, shrugs with dumbbells in a standing or sitting position, as well as shrugs with dumbbells on an incline bench. Today we will take a closer look at the correct technique and discuss the features of performing the exercise “shrugs with a barbell while standing in front of you.”

It would seem that there is nothing simpler than shrugs with a barbell. Take a barbell or dumbbells in your hands and do shrugs. However, many beginners manage to perform this exercise completely incorrectly, dispersing the load throughout the body, while the main task in this exercise is to concentrate on the work of the trapezius muscles.

Shrugs with a barbell are an isolating exercise, so you need to do it in such a way that the entire load falls on the trapezius, and is not dispersed throughout the body. So, how to do barbell shrugs correctly? Follow the simple instructions:

Grasp the barbell with a straight, medium grip. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the barbell in front of you with your arms down. Keep your head straight. This will be your starting position.
As you exhale, with an accentuated effort of the trapezius muscles, raise your shoulders as high as possible, as if trying to reach your earlobes with them. When you reach the top of the range of motion, pause briefly while maintaining a peak trapezius contraction. Then, under control, lower your shoulders and the barbell to the starting position, while inhaling.

Notes:

Do not bend your elbows or rock back and forth, using your back and arm muscles to help lift the weight. Try to ensure that when performing a shrug with a barbell, the entire load falls on the trapezius muscles.
Use wrist straps and a belt if you have difficulty supporting the weight of the barbell when lifting heavy weights.
Bend forward slightly to engage not only your upper but also your middle trapezius muscles.
To minimize the possibility of cheating, perform dumbbell shrugs while sitting on a bench, or dumbbell shrugs while lying on an incline bench. The latter option contributes to a more even distribution of the load over the entire surface of the trapezius back muscle.
It is best to perform shrugs on the day of your back or shoulder workout, at the end of your workout. To stimulate muscle growth, perform 3-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions.

Exercise shrugs with a barbell used to strengthen the neck and also develops the muscles of the shoulder girdle, including the trapezius and upper back muscles. Shrugs are considered the most effective exercise for developing the trapezius muscles (both thickening and widening).

Initial position

Stand straight, straighten your shoulders and chest. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, gaze directed forward. Take the barbell in your hands with an overhand grip (palms facing back), the distance between your palms is slightly wider than your shoulders. Hold the barbell at the hips with straight arms.

Trajectory of movement

Inhale and lift your shoulders up, as if trying to touch your ears. Shoulders should be raised as high as possible. At the end of the movement, slowly move your shoulders back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. At the top point, tighten your trapezius and stay in this position for a while, then, without bending your elbows, exhale and slowly lower the bar to its original position.

Implementation options

Perform shrugs with a barbell using different grips. A medium grip loads the trapezius muscle. A wide grip also engages the deltoid muscle. During the exercise, you can slightly change the position of the body, this will distribute the load on the trapezius differently. When bending slightly backward, the upper bundle of the trapezius muscle (neck region) is loaded, and when bending forward, the middle bundle (shoulder region). If you perform this exercise while keeping your body straight, the trapezius muscle is worked evenly.

There is also an option to perform this exercise while holding a barbell behind your back. In this case, the shoulder blades rotate more strongly and the shoulders spread, which forces the area of the trapezius muscle located closer to the spine to work with greater effort.

Shoulders should move straight up and down. If you tighten your forearms and focus on rotating your elbows forward, you will achieve even greater muscle contraction. The higher the shoulders rise, the more effort the muscles work.

Execution technique

Take the barbell with a straight medium grip and lower it in front of you with straight arms.
Tightening your arms, raise your shoulders as high as possible.
Slowly lower your shoulders to the starting position, stretching the trapezius muscle.

To get good results, men who are developing their body must include different exercises in their workouts to effectively work all muscle groups. Shrugs are the best for pumping up your trapezius.

What are shrugs?

An exercise that is used in strength training to pump up the upper trapezius muscle is shrugs. Its meaning is to raise and lower the shoulders under load, while rotations and other movements are completely excluded. The shrug exercise can be performed at different angles, starting from vertical to horizontal, and in different body positions: lying down or sitting. Thanks to this, the muscles are worked as thoroughly as possible. Beginners do not need to include this exercise in their complex.

Shrugs - what muscles work?

The trapezius consists of three parts that need to be worked out with different exercises. For those who are interested in what shrugs are for, they are included in the workout to increase the volume of the part of the trapezius muscle that is located on top. In addition to it, the rhomboid muscles and the muscles that raise the scapula are also involved in the work. Experts recommend performing exercises with different equipment to thoroughly work out muscle groups.

Shrugs - what weight to take?

To train effectively and minimize the risk of injury, you need to choose the right load.

Many people make the serious mistake of performing shrugs with heavy weights. As a result, the effectiveness of the exercise is limited and the risk of spinal injury increases significantly.
If the additional weight is large, then the load will not be concentrated on the desired muscle group, but will be divided among all the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
When doing shrugs, it is important to select the working weight so that you can do 10 ideal repetitions in three approaches. When the task is easy, you can increase the weight.

How to do shrugs?

The selected projectile must be held with straight arms below.
When figuring out how to perform shrugs, it is worth pointing out that the movements should be carried out only with the shoulders, without bending the arms at the elbow joints.
When using a barbell, you can use either a straight or curved bar.
During training, it is important to hold the weight firmly, keeping the body constantly tense.
When doing shrugs standing or sitting, remember that the spine should be straight, for which you should also tense your abs.
It is important during training to feel how the trapezius is loaded.
It is recommended to include the exercise in a complex aimed at working out the back. Please note that shrugs are an auxiliary movement that must be performed after the base.

Shrugs with dumbbells

The simplest and most accessible version of this exercise involves the use of dumbbells, which are sold in the store or can be easily made yourself. Thanks to this equipment, you can keep your body in a straight position, which is impossible when using a bar. Dumbbells make it possible to concentrate the load on the trapezius. There is a diagram on how to do shrugs correctly:

Take dumbbells and stand straight. Lower your arms down so that your palms point toward your hips.
Inhaling, lift the dumbbells as high as possible, but only do it through your shoulders. At the end of the movement, stop, and then return to the IP while inhaling.

Shrugs with a barbell

When using this sports equipment, it should be taken into account that for correct technique it is necessary to slightly move the pelvis back and move the body slightly forward. As a result, part of the load is shifted to the back, but without this it will not be possible to perform the exercise correctly. There are instructions on how to do shrugs with a barbell:

Take a barbell and secure it with your feet at shoulder level. Hold the bar so that the distance between your hands is slightly greater than shoulder width. Bend your knees slightly, move your pelvis back and lean forward. This is necessary for free movement of the bar.
When doing shrugs in bodybuilding, as you exhale, raise your shoulders up, as high as possible. Stop for a couple of seconds and lower the projectile to the starting position while inhaling.

You can perform the exercise not only by holding the barbell in front, but also from behind. Please take into account the following features:

Grasp the barbell so that it is at your back. The palms should face in the opposite direction from the body. The distance between your hands can be slightly wider than your shoulders.
Then the exercise is performed according to the same scheme as in the case of the front position of the barbell.

Shrugs with kettlebells

Take a kettlebell each and hold them at your sides near your hips, with your palms facing your body.
When performing shrugs with a kettlebell, raise and lower your shoulders while keeping your torso stationary.
Do everything slowly, and pause at the end of the movement to concentrate the load.

Shrugs on uneven bars

You can also work your trapezius muscles on the uneven bars, which are available not only in the gym, but also in the courtyard on the playground. Shrugs with a wide grip, that is, your hands will be slightly wider than your shoulders, are performed according to the following scheme:

Grasp the bars and lift your body, straightening your arms. The legs should be bent and crossed, which will avoid loosening of the body.
Maintaining the position of your body, lift your upper body, lowering your shoulders down. The movement should look like the person is shrugging their shoulders up/down.
Make a stop at the end, and then slowly return to the IP. It is recommended to increase the duration of the pause over time, which will help increase the load.
It is important not to bend over while doing shrugs on the uneven bars.

Shrugs in Smith

The gym has special installations that are suitable for pumping up the trapezius. Shrugs in the Smith machine are easier to perform than just with a barbell, since the projectile will move only along one trajectory, so the stabilizer muscles will not work, and the trapezius muscles will receive the entire load.

First you need to install the bar correctly so that it can be held at arm's length. The palms should face down, and the distance between them should be the width of the shoulders.
Remove the bar from the machine, relaxing your shoulders and arms. The back should be in a straight position.
Inhaling, lift the bar as high as possible through the movement of your shoulders. At the end of the movement, stop for a couple of seconds. Make sure that your biceps are not involved in the work.
As you inhale, return the bar to its original position.

You can find other setups in the gym that are suitable for performing shrugs.

To perform the exercise on the lower block, attach the handle to the lower cable of the machine. Take it in your hands so that the distance between your palms facing down should be the width of your shoulders.
Standing straight, relax your shoulders and arms, and then, while inhaling, lift the bar as high as possible by moving your shoulders. Having fixed the position at the end point for a few seconds, return to the IP.

The third option involves using a machine to train the lower leg.

It is necessary to place the emphasis on the vertical ankle machine on the shoulders. It is important that in the initial position the shoulders are not tense.
Raise and lower your shoulders, holding at the end of the movement for a couple of seconds.

Shrugs are harmful

It may seem that the exercise is safe, but in fact there are some subtleties. When thinking about whether to do shrugs or not, you need to take into account existing contraindications.

It is forbidden for people who have problems with the spine to train with additional weight.
It is important to follow the correct technique, as you can seriously stress your joints, and this is not safe.
In order not to load or injure the spine, it is necessary not to round your back during the exercise.