Perform the barbell seated shrug to target your upper trapezius muscles effectively.
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a barbell with both hands at your sides, palms facing your body.
- Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
- Shrug your shoulders upward towards your ears, then slowly lower them back down.
How to perform the Barbell Seated Shrug
- Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Seated 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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