Barbell Overhead Shrug
A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.
- Equipment
- Barbell
HOW TO PERFORM
- Take the bar out of the rack on your upper back with a wide snatch grip, then press it to lockout overhead.
- With the elbows locked and the arms by the ears, shrug the shoulders straight up toward the ears, pushing the bar higher.
- Pause at the top, then lower the shoulders under control without bending the elbows.
- Keep the ribs down and the torso upright for the whole set, then return the bar to the rack behind the neck.
FORM TIPS
- The bar moves only an inch or two. The point is strong, active shoulders under a snatch, so stay tall and keep the elbows locked.
- Start light. The traps work at the top of their range here, so the load will be well below a normal shrug.
TARGET MUSCLES
Primary
- Traps
Secondary
- Forearms
- Shoulders
Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.