This exercise involves sitting on a bench with a barbell in front of you, and shrugging your shoulders up towards your ears while holding onto the barbell. It primarily targets the trapezius muscles in the upper back and shoulders.
Type
Strength
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Key Benefits
- Strengthens the trapezius muscles in the upper back and shoulders
- Improves posture and reduces the risk of neck and shoulder pain
- Increases grip strength and forearm endurance
- Can be easily modified to target different areas of the trapezius muscles
- Can be performed with relatively heavy weights, making it an effective exercise for building muscle mass
How to perform
- Start by sitting on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Bring the barbell up to shoulder level, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, holding the barbell in place.
- Hold the shrug for a few seconds, then slowly lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
FRONT VIEW
BACK VIEW
Traps
Primary
Back
Primary
Upper Back
Primary