Behind-the-Back Barbell Shrug

How to perform the Behind-the-Back Barbell Shrug

1. Stand with a barbell held behind the glutes, taking a shoulder-width overhand grip with the arms straight.
2. Holding the bar behind the body pulls the shoulders back, biasing the upper traps while opening the chest.
3. Let the bar hang against the back of the thighs so the traps stretch at the bottom.
4. Elevate the shoulders straight up toward the ears, keeping the bar close to the body and the arms straight.
5. Squeeze the traps at the top with the chest tall, then lower under control to the stretch.
6. Keep the neck neutral and avoid rolling the shoulders, since the bar path is already behind you.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Letting the bar drift away from the back of the thighs so the shoulders round forward.
• •Rolling the shoulders instead of shrugging them straight up behind the body.
• •Jutting the head forward and straining the neck under load.
• •Bending the elbows to help lift the bar rather than keeping the arms straight.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.