Barbell Shrug
Technique guide
Set-up
- Stand holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip just outside your hips.
How to do it
- Lift your shoulders straight up towards your ears as high as you can.
- Pause briefly at the top.
- Lower your shoulders slowly back down.
Coaching cues
- Keep your arms straight: the lift comes from your shoulders.
- Keep your chin level and your neck relaxed.
Common mistakes
- Rolling the shoulders in circles.
- Bending the elbows to help the bar up.
Reviewed by Anthony Markson on 2026-11-01
This is general fitness information, not medical advice. If you have pain or an injury, see a doctor or physiotherapist before training.
Alternatives
Easier and harder versions of this movement, and the same movement with other equipment.
Same movement
Other options
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- Pendlay RowBarbell
- T-Bar RowBarbell
- DeadliftBarbell
- Single-Arm Dumbbell RowDumbbell
- Lat Pulldown MachineMachine
- Seated Row MachineMachine
- Assisted Pull-Up MachineMachine
- Seated Cable RowCable
- Straight-Arm Cable PulldownCable
- Single-Arm Cable RowCable
- Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Chin-UpPull-Up Bar
- Inverted RowBodyweight
- SupermanBodyweight
- Resistance Band RowBand
- Resistance Band PulldownBand
- Chest-Supported Dumbbell RowDumbbell
- Rack PullBarbell
- Close-Grip Lat PulldownMachine
- Chest-Supported Row MachineMachine
- Back ExtensionMachine
- Single-Arm Lat PulldownCable
- Weighted Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Neutral-Grip Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Negative Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Resistance Band Straight-Arm PulldownBand
- Resistance Band DeadliftBand
- Ring RowRings
- Jumping Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Band-Assisted Pull-UpBand
- Kipping Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Butterfly Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Chest-to-Bar Pull-UpPull-Up Bar
- Bar Muscle-UpPull-Up Bar
- Low-Ring Muscle-UpRings
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- Rope ClimbRope
- Legless Rope ClimbRope
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