Barbell Wide Shrug

How to do the Barbell Wide Shrug

1. 1Load a barbell and set it on the floor or in a rack at upper-thigh height.
2. 2Take an overhand grip wider than shoulder-width, hands roughly level with the outer edges of your thighs.
3. 3Stand tall with the bar resting against your thighs, feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
4. 4Brace your core, pull your shoulder blades down, and let the bar hang with your arms straight.
5. 5Shrug your shoulders straight up toward your ears, lifting the bar by elevating your traps only.
6. 6Squeeze the upper traps hard at the top without rolling your shoulders forward or back.
7. 7Lower the bar under control until your shoulders are fully relaxed at the bottom.
8. 8Complete your reps, then set the bar back down or re-rack it with a flat back.

Form tips

• Move the bar straight up and down; keep the motion vertical and avoid rolling the shoulders in circles.
• Pause and squeeze for a beat at the top to maximize tension on the upper traps.
• Use lifting straps if your grip gives out before your traps do, so you can train the target muscle fully.
• Keep your chin tucked and neck neutral rather than craning your head forward as you lift.
• Set safety pins or lift from a rack at thigh height when using heavy loads to protect your lower back on the setup.

Common mistakes

• Rolling the shoulders forward or backward instead of shrugging straight up, which adds shear stress to the shoulder joint without working the traps harder.
• Bending the elbows to curl the weight up, which shifts work onto the biceps and shortens the range for the traps.
• Using so much weight that you barely move, cutting the range of motion and losing the squeeze at the top.
• Jutting the head and neck forward under load, which strains the cervical spine.
• Rounding the lower back when picking the bar up off the floor, risking a lower-back injury.

Frequently asked questions