Perform the barbell behind the back shrug to target your upper trapezius muscles effectively.
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a barbell behind your back with both hands, palms facing your body.
- Keep your arms straight and shrug your shoulders upward, squeezing your traps at the top.
- Lower your shoulders back to the starting position and repeat.
How to perform the Barbell Behind The Back Shrug
- Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Behind The Back Shrug using your barbell.
- Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your trapezius.
- Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.
Coaching cues
- Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
- Drive force through your trapezius rather than momentum.
- Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.
Common mistakes
- Using too much weight and losing positional control.
- Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
- Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.
Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.
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