Shrugs with a barbell or dumbbells. Shrugs for training trapeze with dumbbells and a barbell

Trained trapezius muscles give the shoulder girdle massiveness and make their owner more self-confident. Shrugs are an exercise that will help you pump trapeze in a fairly short period of time. The main thing is to adhere to the correct execution technique and not to “play” with large weights.

When contemplating the bodybuilders who took the stage, the visual and aesthetic significance of the trapeze skyrockets. During competent posing, the trapezoid is the visual center of attraction for the athlete in the rear view. And even in frontal poses, this brutal muscle group can surprise with its power. The development of the trapezoid is also of great importance for achieving competitive results in other explosive sports, because the muscles are involved in all movements. shoulder girdle.

There is no universal tool for the complex development of trapezoids. The structure of the trapezius muscle is such that for its pumping it is necessary to simultaneously involve three different bundles in the work, and this cannot be done with more than one known movement.

3 functionally independent areas of the trapezium muscles - top, middle and bottom must be purposefully trained separately. The middle bundle of the trapezium is worked out when the athlete performs a variety of bent over rows. The lower beam is pumped by lifting the weight above the head. Workout upper muscles pass with the use of shrag.

Barbell shrugs are the most popular exercise for pumping the trapezius muscles. It is the basis for mass gain and an increase in the thickness of the top of the trapezium along with the neck. In bodybuilding and fitness, scars increase the volume of the upper back and neck, emphasize the muscles of the trapezius muscle and deltas, draw a clear separation between them during the drying period. There is another option -.

Shrugs are performed in different ways, but in any case, the lion's share of the load falls on the upper region of the trapezium, while others muscle groups, acting as stabilizers, receive an indirect load. The most famous option is shrugs with a standing barbell.

Shrugs with a barbell in front: execution technique

The essence of shrugs is to raise and lower the shoulders with weights without involving the muscles of the hands. The execution technique is simple and even a beginner can easily cope with it, but deviating from the prescribed action plan and recommendations, you can easily earn an injury.
Before starting the exercise, you need to do a good 10-15 minute warm-up complex so as not to tear the muscles and not provoke the stretching of the tendons.

Come to the bar, place your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly bent at the knees. This will be the starting position.
With a straight grip (from above), remove the bar from the racks, keeping the distance between the palms slightly wider than shoulder width. If the bar is initially on the floor, lift it with a deadlift.
Standing straight, straighten up, straighten your shoulders, bend a little in the lower back, push your chest forward.
Raise your chin to parallel with the floor and look straight ahead.
Inhale, hold your breath and without bending forward or backward, without bending your elbows, raise your shoulders as high as possible towards your ears. Imagine that you just shrug your shoulders, not knowing the answer to the question being asked.
At the top, exhale and hold a short two-second pause and return to the starting position.
Lower your shoulders as low as possible without moving other parts of your body. At the end point of the amplitude, the muscles should be as tense as possible.
Repeat the exercise with smooth movements required amount approaches (as a rule, it is 8-10 repetitions).

The technique for shrugs behind the back is similar to the technique for shrugs with a barbell at hip level. The difference is only in the location of the projectile and the amplitude of movements - it turns out to be less.

The muscles in this version will contract less, but this does not mean that shrugs behind the back are less effective. They are ideal for correcting posture, the position of which is aggravated by the appearance of "rounded" shoulders during the classic shraga.

It is very difficult to take the barbell on your own, so ask a neighbor to provide equipment and secure when approaching. Now you can start the exercise.

At the end of the repetitions, you can not relax your shoulders so that the weight of the load does not pull them down.

The main nuances of shrag

Trapeze training involves the use of medium weights in work in order to accurately pump the target muscle and not harm your posture with excessive weights. But you need to start with minimal loads in order to hone the execution technique to the ideal and only then gradually increase the weight. When pumping muscles with a very heavy projectile, it is advisable to use straps to confidently hold the weight in your hands.

Is it effective to work with large weights? Not all and not always. A very heavy barbell will not allow the maximum contraction of the back muscles and the efficiency in the set of “meat” will fall. The load from the trapezius muscles will be transferred to the muscles of the shoulder girdle. In addition, a large weight will involuntarily intend the athlete to round his back.

Whatever version of the shragi is used, you should never rotate your shoulders so that there is no trouble with the shoulder joints.

Shrugs are an isolation exercise that is more suitable for experienced athletes at a serious level of training, but beginners should also pay attention to their central back. Regular use of the barbell shrug in your training arsenal will thank you with a powerful neck and a distinctly arched upper back.

Video about shrugs with a barbell while standing - execution technique.

Shrugs are a weightlifting bodybuilding exercise. Its task is to develop the trapezius muscle (trapezium). This basic exercise to increase the mass and thickness of the trapezium.

The trapezius muscles always look impressive when they are well inflated. And shrugs are, in fact, the only exercise that has an isolated effect on this muscle group.

In addition to the trapezium, the rhomboid muscles and the muscles that raise the shoulder blades participate in shrugs. At the same time, the rhomboid and levator scapula muscles develop equally and work no less than the trapezius muscles.

It is necessary to stand at the bar and put your feet shoulder-width apart. After that, carefully remove the bar from the rack of the frame or, if the bar is on the floor, lift it with a deadlift.

The rod should be well fixed, while usually using a grip on the neck with straightened arms, palms are slightly more than shoulder width apart.

You need to straighten your chest and shoulders, straighten up and bend slightly at the waist, while the chin should be held horizontally, and the gaze is directed straight ahead.

On a slow exhale, pull your shoulders as high as possible. At the height of the movement, you should freeze for a few seconds. Then gently return to the starting position. Thus, we perform the intended number of repetitions.

Important:

Maintain a fixed posture while moving.. The back should be kept straight, and the shoulders slightly laid back. At incorrect execution exercises can cause injury to the shoulder joints.
Weight should be selected adequately, according to your capabilities.. Since too much weight will not allow you to perform the exercise with maximum amplitude, and a small weight will not help develop muscles and achieve the necessary relief.

You can see the exercise in action in this video:

Behind the back

This type of shrugs promotes formation of the upper part of the trapezius muscles with an unusual slope for our body.

The correct technique for performing such scars with a barbell:

The bar should be placed on the low holders of a special power rack or Smith machine frame for the correct execution of the exercise.
Wherein the height should be such that the hyphae is located slightly above the knees.
Near the rack you need to turn around with your back to the bar. The feet should be placed slightly narrower than the shoulders, and hands on the bar should be slightly wider than shoulders.
When doing the exercise usually use a "thumbs around the bar" grip. The palms are turned towards the torso, while the grip style can be combined in different approaches.
Before you lift the barbell, you should first tighten and straighten your back, and bring your shoulder blades together, your chin should be lifted up.
The projectile should be balanced, and then straightened. Keep your back upright at all times.
The cyclic shrug should be performed in the same way as with the classic shrugs.

After completing the exercises, they return to the rack and place the bar on the holders. The main thing is not to relax your back until the bar is in place. on the supports.

Shrugs can be performed by everyone, from beginner to professional. Shrugs are usually performed at the beginning of a trapezoid workout. Perform 3-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions. But before doing the exercises, you should warm up the upper belt thoroughly.

Video on how to perform shrugs with a barbell behind your back:

Shrugs are far from the only technique that pumps the back. Meet more efficient !

Need to dry the body and get rid of excess fat? Simple and effective exercises with a rope for weight loss will help -?

Lying on a horizontal bench

This exercise is performed while lying on your back. horizontal bench in the perimeter of the power frame. Put your feet on the floor or on special stands, just as you would for a regular bench press.

Limiters are set 10 cm below the point at which the elbows are usually extended during the bench press. Gotta grab the bar with a grip - palms shoulder width apart. Under normal wide grip can get hurt shoulder joints.

The neck is taken from the stops or directly from the frame limiters. And then they straighten their arms at the elbows. This position is the starting point. Then, without bending the arms at the elbows, they press the shoulder blades against each other, and the shoulders are completely on the bench. The neck drops a little. Now you should push the shoulder blades and slightly raise your shoulders from the bench as you exhale.

The arms remain straight, top part backs and head do not come off the bench. Now to compress pectoral muscles as if pressing them against each other.

Another version of the exercise lying down - on the stomach - is presented in this video:

Barbell shrugs are very simple and at the same time effective exercises that allow you to achieve results very quickly, the main thing is to know how to do them correctly.

Most frequently clients gym perform only favorite exercises and pump certain areas. Men try to work out the biceps and pectoral muscles, and women try to work out the abs and buttocks. It so happened that it is precisely the parts of our body that are the most advantageous that we try to pay the most attention to. Less visible areas are not at all focused on by many fans. strength training. One of these exercises, which are rarely performed by athletes, are shrugs with dumbbells. The presented exercise is rarely among the most frequently performed and beloved among athletes. Most often this happens due to the fact that not everyone has information about everything. positive properties load on the trapezius muscles.

To do this, you need to understand all the pros and cons, so that the opinion about this species the load will change for a large number of visitors to the gym.

Dumbbell shrugs are one of the standard exercises, the main task of which is the development of trapeziums, which are located in the upper back. Experienced athletes who follow the smallest nuances never forget about the presented exercise, as they know that it is especially important for the formation of a beautiful body.

Classes are carried out not only with the use of dumbbells, but also with a barbell, simulator or bars. With any variation of execution, excellent results can be achieved, but if all safety rules are taken into account. Classes using heavy weights are acceptable for athletes who have high level preparation. Beginners will be more suitable to perform basic classes, during which the muscles of the trapezium also receive a good load.

Why is it necessary to work out trapeziums

Initially, you need to figure out how this exercise can act on the muscles and what the athlete gets after doing it regularly. These exercises are aimed at developing the trapezius muscles, which are located on the back slightly below the neck.

This name was given to the muscles for the presence of a certain similarity with the geometric shape. Thanks to these muscles, a straight spine is maintained, and there is no stoop. The top of this muscle group slightly raises the shoulders and does not allow them to sag under the weight of the weight.

Very often, in many athletes, the trapezoid muscles are poorly developed precisely in the upper back! Shrugs with dumbbells will help not only athletes, but also office workers. When spending time behind the monitor screen, the muscles of the neck and back become numb. As a result, there are multiple problems with posture and with the spine. Regular exercise helps straighten a bent posture and relieve tension. Thus, you can keep your health in good shape.

Regular and complex training of this muscle group has a sufficient number of advantages, including:

The posture is aligned and stoop is noticeably reduced. Due to this, the shoulders look wider, and growth increases. It also improves gait, which is important for women. Thanks to a more even back, the gait is quickly transformed, since the person’s gaze is not directed to the bottom.
Extreme isolation of the trapezoids, due to which the volume of this particular area is significantly increased. The upper back becomes more voluminous and embossed appearance.
Athletes get great help during lifting heavy weight. This workout benefits not only in increasing the effectiveness of many other exercises for athletes, but also useful in Everyday life for simple tasks like carrying a heavy suitcase.
Thanks to the training of the trapezius muscles, it is possible to much better control the position of the neck, because it is located precisely in the trapezium region.
The appearance is significantly improved, as the developed shoulders and trapezium visually increase the massiveness, due to which the athlete stands out against the background of many athletes.

In addition to the trapezius muscles, the rhomboid muscles also participate in the exercise, due to which the shoulder blade rises slightly. By doing different techniques other muscle groups can also be involved.

Despite the usefulness of these exercises, it is still better to consult with medical staff before starting it. If there have been any previous injuries to the shoulders or neck, then some other method should be preferred. Another important warning is that it is better not to take heavy weights, because this can not only reduce efficiency, but also possible injuries to the spine, shoulders, and all kinds of sprains.

Technique for performing shrugs with dumbbells

Most often, training takes place in a standing position. Before starting classes, you should first study all the nuances of the exercise in order to train exactly the trapezius muscles. Performing the presented exercise is not at all difficult.

The only nuance that is very important to consider is that you need to start with a small weight. Only after you have thoroughly worked out exercises with low weight or no weight at all, you can proceed to more serious loads.

Since the movements are necessary quite natural, because we all perform shoulder shrugging in everyday life, there should not be any special difficulties in the process.

H In order to avoid any mistakes, it is necessary to take into account the rules that are given below:

First you should take dumbbells, and lower your arms to your sides. It is impossible at this moment to relax the shoulders and allow the shoulder girdle to sag under the weight. The athlete must exercise full control over his body. The legs should be placed shoulder-width apart, and the back should be straightened. The head must be kept straight.
As you exhale, you will need to raise your shoulders to a height that will be the maximum possible. They do not need to be pulled back or forward or make any other unnecessary movements. It only needs to be lifted vertically. Having reached the highest point, you need to linger in it for one or two seconds.
Then it is necessary without jerking and rather slowly lower your hands with dumbbells down. When throwing weight in jerks, it is fraught with dislocations and sprains. It is impossible to relax the muscles after lowering the weight down, because this can also cause injuries.
You need to do the specified number of repetitions of the above actions. Focus on your own fitness when choosing the number of repetitions. It is recommended to achieve a quick result to perform from ten to twelve repetitions in three sets.
It is also allowed to do shrugs with dumbbells - movably, without delays at the peak point.

Points to be taken into account

Although it may seem to many that the exercise does not have any difficulties at all, there are certain chips, thanks to the use of which you can perform it in the very at its best and improve efficiency. These nuances include:

Do not include additional work with your hands and bend them. In this case, they are only needed to hold the weight.
It is forbidden to move the shoulders back.
In order to better stabilize the back, you must initially statically tighten the muscles of the core.
Again, the main precaution should be recalled, which is that you should not throw your shoulders when you are at the highest possible point.
To achieve a faster result, you need to raise your hands to the top with an explosion, and lower them extremely slowly.
To better hold heavy weights, you can use volumetric tapes.

Exercise variations

In cases where there are no dumbbells that have the right weight, or in order to make your workout more varied, you can do it with a barbell instead of dumbbells. It is best to prefer a barbell that has a curved neck. A straight neck is uncomfortable to perform.

In order to properly perform this exercise using a barbell, you need:

It is necessary to completely control your body and not relax your muscles, because only in this way you can perform the exercise correctly and achieve a good result. If you relax, you can harm the joints and muscles.
While in this position, you will need to raise your shoulders to the top for a couple of seconds. Further, while maintaining control over your body, you need to gradually lower your hands down.

Important Points

Shrugs with dumbbells must be performed correctly, otherwise you can harm your health. You not only want to achieve good results and purchase great shape bodies, but also to remain safe and sound? Therefore, you should choose the weight for classes that is most optimal for you and adhere to certain requirements, including:

Joint movements should be avoided. There will be absolutely no benefit from such actions, but you can easily damage your shoulders.
You should not lift weight thanks to the biceps, because to get the greatest effect in the trapezium zone, the arms at the elbows should be straight, not bent.
When lowering the arms, avoid strong stretching of the muscles of the arms. Of course, the correct opinion is that with a strong stretching of the muscle, the amplitude of its movement increases. So she starts to work harder. However, you should still sacrifice amplitude in order to maintain your health and not get serious injuries.
The spine at each stage of the exercise should remain in a straight position.
The head should always be kept straight and not twisted in different sides. Because of this, you can create excessive load on the neck joint.
Weight for training should be selected individually, as there is a possibility of muscle rupture when taking more weight than is possible. Since shrugs are isolated exercise, the entire load falls on the trapezium.

Results

Judging by the foregoing, performing such an exercise as shrugs with dumbbells is useful not only for professional athletes, but also for every visitor to the gym. Most are engaged in simulators in order to maintain their figure in excellent condition. In this case, you should never forget about the back.

Thanks to regular classes shoulders acquire more volume, which is very important for men. Women in the exercise will also find a lot of useful things for themselves, because even posture and a flying gait are a significant advantage that will help you stand out from the crowd. That is, in order to have an excellent figure, pumped press and broad shoulders completely insufficient. All this will look most impressive if you have a flat back and healthy spine. Therefore, while performing exercises for pumping the main muscle groups, in no case should you forget about the trapezoid muscles on the back!

By the way, we recommend doing hyperextension and Australian pull-ups in combination with this exercise. These exercises will help you pump the trapezium and other back muscles as much as possible.

Shrugs with dumbbells effective exercise, which pumps the trapezius muscles of the back in isolation. In the article, we will consider how to perform it correctly, options for implementation and contraindications.

Shrugs help to strengthen the normal functioning of the shoulder girdle and neck, and also prevent damage to the vertebrae of the neck and collarbone during physical, power loads, sports training. Also, exercise:

develops muscles upper region back;
improves posture and gait (due to the strengthening of the trapezius muscles, the shoulders are held high and the back is straight);
gives the back a beautiful appearance, similar to the physique of athletes.

bodybuilders, other athletes with heavy back loads;
people with poorly developed spinal muscles;
office workers who sit a lot, to prevent slouching, the appearance of a hump on the back and relieving tension from the upper back.

Often tension in the trapezius muscles in people with sedentary work leads to neck pain and headaches. Exercise can help loosen tight muscles and relieve pain.

In a nutshell, dumbbell shrugs are all about raising and lowering your shoulders with straight, dumbbell-weighted arms. Options: standing, sitting, on incline bench consider below.

What muscles work

Shrugs are aimed at working and strengthening the upper part of the trapezius muscles. This is the only type of exercise that allows you to form the trapezius muscles in isolation. In addition, the work includes the rhomboid muscles, as well as the muscles responsible for lifting the shoulder blades.

Options, technique, number of repetitions

Shrugs with dumbbells are made in 3 versions:

standing;
on a bench with an inclination;
lying.

Number of repetitions:

for men - 10-12 repetitions in 3-4 sets;
for women - 5-6 repetitions in two or three sets.

Start with 5-8 times, the main thing at this stage is to master the technique. Then gradually increase the repetitions.

Shrugs with dumbbells standing

Starting position: we stand straight, the position of the legs is a little narrower than shoulder width apart, take the dumbbells so that the arms are turned to the body.
arms straight
keep the chin straight.
Raise your shoulders as high as possible. At the top point, we pause (hold the position) for 2-3 seconds, then slowly lower our hands, returning to the starting position.

Standing with one hand:

Starting position: we take a dumbbell in one hand, stand up straight, with our free hand rest against the back of the bench or put it on the belt, the working hand is slightly shifted forward, the dumbbell does not touch the body.
As you exhale, raise the dumbbell. Pull the shoulder up as far as possible. We fix the position for a second, while inhaling we slowly return to the starting position.

sitting.

To perform sitting, we sit on a bench with an emphasis, take dumbbells, spread our arms to the sides. Then bring your hands horizontally (at an angle of 45 degrees). This is the starting position. Next, lower your hands down, exhale. While inhaling, raise your hands up and hold the position for 2-3 seconds. As you exhale, slowly return to the starting position.

Shrugs on an incline bench load the upper back more. Thanks to this and some features of the movement of the shoulder at an angle, such exercises are effective in combating stoop.

Starting position: lie on your stomach on the back of the bench, which is tilted to the floor at an angle of 45 degrees. The head is placed over the edge of the bench. Dumbbells are either served by a partner or taken by an overhand grip from a stand. Bend your legs slightly at the knees and rest against the floor or bench leg.
Inhale while shrugging your shoulders and trying to bring your shoulder blades together. At the top point of the position and try to bring the shoulder blades together even more.
As you exhale, slowly return your arms to the starting position.

You need to start with light weight, first technique. You can not shrug your shoulders up and down, this leads to injury.

How to do shrugs with dumbbells at home, see the video

Technique of how to avoid injury to a beginner

Shrugs are simple in execution technique. At the same time, there are some points that need to be addressed Special attention so that training brings 100% results and does not cause injury. These include:

before the scars, you need to perform exercises to warm up the back muscles (for example, pull-ups, push-ups);
you can not bend your arms, they should only hold the weight;
you can’t rotate your shoulders, you only need to lift them up and down in one vertical plane;
try to raise your shoulders as high as possible;
peak contraction at the top;
during exercises, a strictly straight position of the body, without bending the back;
at the beginning of movements, it is recommended to tighten the muscles for back stability;
raise the dumbbells up with a push, and lower them smoothly and slowly, in no case should you drop your shoulders when you reach the top point.

Consider common mistakes and the possible injuries they lead to:

the stooped position of the body during exercise leads to a shift in the load on the middle part of the back, as a result - an overload of the back;
rotation of the shoulders leads to tension in the forearm muscles and damage to the rotator cuff;
uneven head position (tipped back, forward or to the side) leads to pinching neck muscles and overload of the neck;
ignoring exercises to warm up the muscles before shrugs, overdoing the amount of exercises can lead to muscle rupture.

A big misconception is the judgment that the greater the weight of the dumbbells, the better the result. This is not true, excessively heavy dumbbells do not provide the opportunity to stretch and contract the muscles as much as possible. Such shrugs will not give good results.

Benefits of exercise

Shrugs do not affect the relief of the muscles of the arms and abs, which most males are chasing, exercises have many advantages, including:

the formation and elevation of the upper and middle parts of the trapezius muscles;
shoulder extension;
strengthening the neck and upper back;
formation of a tightened posture and even gait;
improve the appearance of the back: the trapezium muscles begin to stand out and the back looks strong, toned;
prevent injury to the neck and collarbone during a fall, increased stress on the back;
exercises improve performance in throws for athletes who play volleyball, basketball, tennis, wrestling;
contribute to the growth of muscle mass;
help in the treatment of kyphosis;
help relieve stress, headaches, discomfort in the neck and upper back in people who

ragi with dumbbells are also useful for girls who want a beautiful, slender, toned posture.

Contraindications

Despite the benefits, shrugs with dumbbells It is contraindicated to perform in the presence of such diseases and conditions:

In case of back problems, diseases of the spine or a history of injuries to the back, spine, area chest, neck before exercising, be sure to consult your doctor.

We looked at the main variations and nuances of how to properly do shrugs with dumbbells. Compliance with these rules will provide you with a strong, strong back and an even, beautiful posture.

Barbell shrugs help to pump the trapezius muscles, as well as the upper back and neck. Combining the regular use of exercise with drying, athletes emphasize the separation of trapeziums and deltas, significantly increasing their volume. Properly performed exercises give quick results.

Exercise technique

Since work is underway with weight, the exercise must be performed strictly within the framework of the classical technique. Work is carried out from a standing position, feet shoulder-width apart. The bar is taken with an overhand grip, so that the distance between the palms is greater than between the feet. That is, a palm wider than the shoulders.

The back is straight, the shoulders are straightened, the position of the body is strictly vertical. Keep your head straight and look parallel to the floor. The position of the back is as natural as possible, with a slight deflection in the lower back. The arms are also straightened, the bar is held freely.

On inspiration, holding your breath, the shoulders rise up and slightly forward due to the tension of the trapezium. The movement is made forward as much as possible. The rest of the body remains as motionless as possible, the arms are straight. The tension should be exactly in the upper back and neck.

As you exhale, hold this position for a few seconds, and then slowly lower your shoulders. Check if the pose matches the original position.

Muscles involved in work

The main goal of the shrag standing with a barbell is the trapezius muscles, and their upper part. However, they also affect other muscle groups, giving them a load and providing an excellent warm-up.

When the bar is positioned behind, the muscles that raise the scapula work. In any case, the intercostal, small pectoral, all rhomboid muscles are active. Standing exercise (and with light weight) does not contribute to the growth of these muscles, but it gives a harmonious development of the upper back, and helps to achieve greater relief.

To make shrugs easier, use a power rack. It will be especially useful when working with a lot of weight. If this is not possible, you can stand to pick up the bar using the deadlift technique.

To properly position your hands, do a full lock grip. The bar should be comfortable in the palms, as you will have to hold it for quite some time, without being distracted by the sensations in your hands.

Safety

Despite the seeming simplicity, shrugs with a barbell while standing are performed strictly according to the instructions. You need to pay attention to the following points:

Excessive weight forces a person to carry it slightly forward at the end of the exercise, rounding his back. This is dangerous with injuries to the spine and back muscles.
Rotational movements in the shoulders transfer the load from the trapezium to the shoulder joints. Therefore, the shoulders move exclusively up and down.
The chin and gaze should be directed in front of you, parallel to the floor. Even a slight tilt of the head down transfers the weight to the spine, endangering it, and tilting to the side makes the load uneven.
If the weight is large, then the use of straps will help to be less distracted by the sensations in the hands and focus on the quality of the movements.
Feet should be positioned steadily, weight distributed evenly. During the exercise, it is unacceptable to shift from foot to foot, even if the vibrations of the body are barely noticeable.

Exercise can not be performed with injuries to the neck, spine or shoulder girdle.

It is necessary to strive for the maximum range of motion. The more the shoulders rise and fall, the more correctly the exercise is performed. When the shoulders are lowered, you need to relax the trapezius muscles as much as possible, and at the peak of the lift, hold the movement for a few seconds.

Since the upper back is being worked out, shrugs using a barbell are best done at the end of back and shoulder workouts. By this time, the trapezium is well warmed up and will better perceive the load. If back training is rare, once every 3-4 days, the exercise can also be performed with hand complexes.

It is worth paying attention to the position of the hands. They should be straight without tension, not bend at the elbows, not move the barbell. Hands act as a ligament of weight and shoulders, nothing more. Therefore, the load should not be felt by them as serious.

The shoulders are always laid back, without tension, in a natural way. If this position cannot be achieved, it is better to consider options with dumbbells. Generally correct posture plays a decisive role in the execution of shrag standing.

After lifting your shoulders, pay attention to your breath each time. Holding it, it is easier to keep your back straight and feel the contraction of the trapezium. You can only lift while inhaling, so that the muscle resource is fully developed.

The amplitude is increased only when moving up, but it is not necessary to lower the shoulders with effort. Excessive stretching of the muscles in this direction injures them, but does not stimulate them to grow. The movement is never jerky, it must be controlled at every step.

The legs should not be kept perfectly straight, they should be slightly springy at the knees. In general, the body should have the most natural position. However, some softness in the knees does not go into a half-bent position, otherwise the load will not be distributed correctly.

Weight selection

The weight should be such that it is possible to complete at least 8 repetitions in one set. Shrugs with an excessively heavy barbell will not allow you to raise your shoulders as high as possible, and the effect of the exercise will be less than expected.

However, the weight should not be small. At the end of each approach, a clear burning sensation should be felt in the trapezium. If the tension is felt well and there are signs of muscle fatigue, then the result will appear soon.

For each lesson, 2-3 sets with a barbell are allotted, in each set there should be at least 8, but no more than 15 repetitions. The pace of work is calm and measured. Between lowering and raising the shoulders, you should not pause for more than a second, but the movements remain smooth and slow. At initial scales it is worth doing 3 approaches, for a minimum weight even 4. But after 30 kg for men and 20 kg for women, two approaches are enough.

The starting weight for men beginners is 20 kg and increases in 4-6 sessions up to 30 kg. The more experience, the greater the weight of the bar. For women, these figures range from 10-20 kg, and it is not recommended to increase the weight during further classes.

The load on the spine will be average if the execution technique is correct. There will be a high load on the upper back, and for the whole body, standing shrugs with a barbell are considered an easy task with a narrowly focused action.

Alternative technique

The bar can be held at the back, while the load is distributed a little differently. With the barbell in front of you, the front bundles are especially heavily loaded. muscle fibers trapezium, and when positioned behind the back, the posterior bundles of fibers are tensed. The position of the bar can be alternated both by sets and by day.

The effect of such a technique will not be bright, however, if some imbalances in the trapezius muscles are visually determined, it will allow you to correct them. And for some athletes, it’s more convenient to work that way. For such shrugs with a barbell in a standing position, it is better to use straps.

Performing the exercise will require the help of a trainer or other gym goers. You can’t take the bar yourself, you need someone to give it. It is also impossible to lower it on your own, and it is dangerous to throw it from the height of the lower back.

With a slight forward tilt, the load can be shifted to the middle and lower bundles of muscle fibers of the trapezium. However, only a slight inclination of a straight back is safe, without rounding in the shoulders. This technique can only be used when correct technique brought to automaticity.

What does standing exercise do?

The exercise strengthens the upper back, for the practitioner this is important not only in terms of a visual increase in the neck and top of the trapezium. Standing shrugs allow you to:

Correct your posture and avoid slouching
Prepare your back for lifting heavy weights without injury
To make it more enjoyable to work with the barbell in exercises where the bar rests on the back

Working in this technique with light weight allows you to stretch the muscles of the upper back before serious loads. Trainers often use the exercise to create a more harmonious figure if there are overdeveloped deltoid muscles.

This exercise is prescribed with light weights and in therapeutic complexes. Indirectly, it activates blood flow in the vessels of the head, relieving certain types of headaches. With the help of active execution of a barbell shrag, wrestlers and amateurs strengthen the muscle corset of the neck extreme species sports.

The result of regular exercise

The exercise develops the upper bundles of the trapezius muscles, as well as the rhomboid muscles and partly the deltoid. They grow quickly, so the result is visible when regular workouts just a few months later. The neck and upper back are enlarged, become convex. When dried, these areas become clearly defined and embossed, creating a very masculine look.

Men should include shrugs with a barbell in their classes up to two times a week, but girls should not get carried away with them. This technique is designed to emphasize masculinity and strength, making a visual emphasis on the power of the back. It also strengthens the success of athletes involved in wrestling, volleyball, tennis, baseball.

Shrags, properly practiced with the help of an empty bar, are easy even for beginners, and they are important in the harmonious development of the body. The implementation of all the recommendations voiced will allow you to quickly master the technique in a standing position.