Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Trap Bar Shrug
The trap bar shrug trains your upper traps by raising your shoulders while holding a trap bar at your sides. The neutral grip also challenges your grip strength.
- Beginner
- Isolation
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Stand in the center of the trap bar with your feet hip-width apart.
- Lower yourself by bending your hips and knees to grasp the middle of each handle, palms facing inward.
- Lift the bar to a fully upright standing position.
- Raise your shoulders straight toward your ears.
- Lower your shoulders slowly to their starting position.
- After your final repetition, lower the bar to the floor by bending your hips and knees.
Form cues
- Keep your head over your ribs.
- Brace your midsection.
- Keep your knees quiet during each shrug.
Common mistakes
- Rolling the shouldersUse a vertical shoulder path without circling forward or backward.
- Bending the elbowsLet your arms hang straight rather than curling the handles upward.
- Using more weight than you can shrugReduce the load until you can complete a comfortable shoulder rise without bouncing.
Safety
A heavy pickup or set-down with a rounded back can strain your lower back. Grip fatigue can cause the bar to slip or tilt unexpectedly.
- Start light enough to lift the bar from the floor without rounding your back.
- Load both sides evenly and secure the plates with collars.
- End the set before your grip starts to open.
- Keep your feet clear of the frame when setting it down.
If picking the bar up causes back pain, choose a machine shrug; seek professional advice if shrugging causes neck or shoulder pain.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar (optional)
- Lifting Straps (optional)
- Trap Barbell
- Weight Plate (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–15 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Finish each set with about two controlled repetitions still possible.