Barbell Behind the Back Shrug

How to Perform the Barbell Behind the Back Shrug

Set a barbell on a rack at approximately glute height, or deadlift it from the floor and rotate it behind you.
Stand with the barbell behind your body, gripping it with an overhand grip slightly wider than hip width.
Stand tall with your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged.
Shrug your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as possible, squeezing your traps at the top.
Hold the peak contraction for 1-2 seconds.
Lower the bar back down slowly and under control, letting your shoulders fully depress at the bottom.
Repeat for the prescribed number of reps without rolling your shoulders forward or backward.

Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion

Shrug straight up and down; rolling the shoulders adds no benefit and can stress the shoulder joint.

Using too heavy a weight with limited range of motion

Use a weight that allows you to achieve a full shrug at the top and full depression at the bottom.

Bending the elbows to assist the shrug

Keep your arms straight throughout; the movement should only occur at the shoulder girdle.

✓Targets the middle traps more effectively than standard front barbell shrugs.
✓Encourages scapular retraction, which can improve posture over time.
✓Allows heavy loading for trap development without the bar hitting the front of your thighs.

●Use a Smith machine or power rack if you have difficulty getting the barbell into position behind you.
●Hold the top position for 2 seconds to increase trap activation and time under tension.
●Keep your head neutral — do not look up or tilt your head during the shrug.

Strength

4-5 sets of 5-8 reps

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps

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