Shrugs with a barbell - an effective exercise to build muscle in the neck and upper back. The load falls mainly on the upper bunches of trapeziums. In addition, the rhomboid muscles work . With the help of the exercise, they achieve a clear line separating the deltas and trapezoid. Shrugs form a convex upper back and a powerful neck.
The essence of the exercise is to raise the shoulders with a barbell, which is in lowered straight arms. It can be performed by holding the projectile in front of you or behind your back.
Classic shrugs with a barbell. Equipment
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take the barbell with the upper grip, while the distance between the palms should be slightly wider than the shoulders.
Keep your back straight with your chest and shoulders straight. Bend slightly in the lower back, while the spine should remain in its natural position. Do not bend your elbows. Looking in front of you, the chin is parallel to the floor.
Take a breath, hold your breath, strain the trapezius muscles. Raise your shoulders to your ears, as if shaking them with surprise or bewilderment. Do not bend the torso, do not bend your elbows and knees. The meaning of the exercise is to raise the shoulders vertically as high as possible, leaving the rest of the body motionless.
Raising your shoulders to the maximum height, exhale and hold this position for two to three seconds.
Slowly lower your shoulders.
Shrugs with a barbell behind
Get up, keep your back straight, legs slightly bent at the knees are shoulder width apart. Take the barbell from the partner, with the palms turned back, the distance between them is slightly greater than the width of the shoulders.
The chest protrudes forward and is slightly raised, the shoulders are laid back, the stomach is pulled in, the arms are fully extended, looking in front of you. The barbell is slightly below the buttocks.
Take a breath, hold your breath, raise your shoulders as high as possible. Keep your arms straight during the whole exercise. One shoulders move, and the rest of the body (back, chest, legs) remain motionless.
At the top of the movement, strain the trapezium as much as possible, maintain this position for two to three seconds. After this, exhale, slowly take the starting position.
Things to remember when doing shrugs with a barbell
To achieve the optimal load on the trapezoid, you need to keep your back straight throughout the exercise, raise your chest and set it forward, and take your shoulders back.
Correctly select the weight of the rod. Too heavy a projectile will reduce the amplitude of movement, which is already small, and will lead to an involuntary tilt of the shoulders forward while lowering, which can result in injury.
The shoulders should be raised to the limit so that the trapezoid tension is maximum.
Raising your shoulders, hold your breath so that it is easier to fix the spine in the right position.
The shoulders should always move only up and down. Do not rotate them to prevent injury.
You need to look only in front of you. Tilting the head forward will result in a rounding of the back, and when tilting to the side, curvature of the spine in the cervical region and disproportionate development of the trapezoid are not excluded. In addition, tilting the head in this case is fraught with injuries to the back and neck.
Who is this exercise for? Shrags are recommended to be included in the training of athletes of medium and high level of training. Beginners can not use it.
When and how many times to do? Perform shrugs with a barbell in the first part of the training, starting with the classic ones (in front of you), and then move on to the option when the projectile is behind your back. Repeat 10 times in 2-4 sets.