Barbell shrug exercise

Barbell shrug exercise in bodybuilding should be performed as follows:

1. Hold a barbell at arms' length in front of the thighs, using an overhand
shoulder-width grip.
2. Keeping arms stiff, shrug your shoulders as high as possible, pulling the bar
vertically upward.
3. Lower the bar slowly down to the start position, stretching the trapezius.

Hand pacing: A shoulder-width or narrower grip on the bar emphasizes the  trapezius. A wider grip works the deltoid as well.
Trajectory: Lift the bar straight up and down. Do not roll or rotate the shoulders.
Body position: Performing the shrug while standing vertically upright hits the muscle centrally. Tilting the torso slightly backward at the waist targets the upper trapezius in the neck, whereas leaning slightly forward hits the midsection of the muscle behind the shoulders.
Range of motion: The higher the bar is raised, the harder the trapezius works .


Muscles involved during the barbell shrug exercise:

Primary : Trapezius (upper and middle fibers).

Secondary : Levator scapulae, deltoid, erector spinae, forearms.

Bodybuilding anatomy. Biceps

As its name suggests, the biceps muscle has two heads. The short head attaches to the coracoid process, and the long head arises from above the glenoid of the shoulder joint. The two-headed muscle passes down alongside the humerus and attaches about 1.5 inches (4 cm) below the elbow joint onto a tuberosity on the inside of the radius bone.

The biceps causes flexion at the elbow joint, raising the hand toward the face. The biceps also causes supination of the forearm, rotating the hand so the palm faces uppermost, the" get change" position. In addition to the biceps, two other muscles flex (bend) the elbow: the brachialis and brachioradialis. The brachialis muscle lies deep beneath the biceps, arising from the lower half of the humerus and attaching to the ulna bone just below the elbow joint.  the brachialis lifts the ulna at the same time that the biceps lifts the radius.


The brachioradialis muscle arises from the outer aspect of the lower end of the humerus and then travels down the forearm to attach to the radius just above the wrist joint.