Barbell Shrugs
Heavy barbell shrugs for a thick upper neck. It works mainly the trapezius, with help from the forearm flexors.
Flawless ranks it by lifetime volume: Gold, the third of eight ranks, starts at 25,000 kg.
How to do Barbell Shrugs
- Stand tall holding the bar in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width, arms straight.
- Lift the shoulders straight up towards your ears as high as they go; the arms stay straight and the elbows don't bend.
- Hold the top for a second, then lower slowly until the shoulders hang fully.
- No rolling the shoulders in circles; straight up, straight down. Straps are fine once the grip gives out first.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Trapezius | Trapezius |
| Secondary | Forearm flexors | Flexores antebrachii |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Traps — the outline that reads as strength
- Neck and shoulder girdle under heavy load
- Grip gets trained along the way
How Flawless ranks Barbell Shrugs
| Rank | Total volume |
|---|---|
| Bronze | start |
| Silver | 5,000 kg |
| Gold | 25,000 kg |
| Platinum | 50,000 kg |
| Diamond | 100,000 kg |
| Obsidian | 150,000 kg |
| Painite | 250,000 kg |
| Antimatter | 1,000,000 kg |
Flawless ranks Barbell Shrugs by lifetime volume: the weight × reps of every set you have logged, added up. The ladder is the same for everyone, because it measures work done rather than strength relative to bodyweight. The rank updates after every workout.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Barbell Shrugs work?
It works mainly the trapezius, with help from the forearm flexors.
How do you do Barbell Shrugs?
Stand tall holding the bar in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width, arms straight. Lift the shoulders straight up towards your ears as high as they go; the arms stay straight and the elbows don't bend. Hold the top for a second, then lower slowly until the shoulders hang fully. No rolling the shoulders in circles; straight up, straight down. Straps are fine once the grip gives out first.
How does Flawless rank Barbell Shrugs?
By lifetime volume: the weight × reps of every set you have logged, added up. Gold starts at 25,000 kg and Diamond at 100,000 kg, the same for everyone.
Try it free
Free on Google Play and the App Store. The whole log is free; PRO is optional.