Muscles Worked: Trapezius Muscle
Spotter Required: No
Minimum Equipment required: 6ft or 7ft Standard weight barbell with weights
The Best Equipment to Use: 6ft or 7ft Olympic barbell with weights
Warming up: To warm up, perform 1 set of 15 – 20 repetitions of the exercise with minimal weight.
How often should I perform this exercise: Shrugs are the best exercise you can do to increase mass in your trapezius muscle, so I perform them with every shoulder workout.
When should I perform this exercise: I personally perform barbell or dumbbell shrugs at the end of my shoulder workout because the ROM (range of motion) is short, which means minimal energy is used to perform the exercise. However, shoulder shrugs can be performed before your shoulder workout, just make sure they are not performed during your shoulder workout (unless you are super setting).
How to do the exercise: Standing with your knees slightly bent to take pressure off your back, hold the barbell shoulder width with your palms facing towards you (overhand). Keeping your arms straight and head looking forward, begin to lift the bar up using your trapezius muscle, when you reach the top try to make your deltoids touch your ears and hold for ½ a second, then lower the weight back down to the start position.
The trick with shrugs is to make sure your arms do not provide the lift, if you find yourself bending your arms to lift the weight you are doing it wrong. Secondly because the ROM is short you should be able to lift a heavier weight (but don’t over do it). If like me you struggle with grip then a pair of lifting straps will really help you to lift heavier weights.
Mentality: Shoulder shrugs are a relatively easy exercise, the trick with shrugs is to make sure your trapezius is doing the lifting and not your arms, so make sure your arms remain straight during the exercise.
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