Barbell shrug is an isolation exercise designed to build strength on your trapezious muscles.  This exercise is performed with the use of a barbell that you can easily carry.  You go against gravity by pulling up the barbell using your trapezious muscles.  If you do not have barbells, a set of weights can be used as well as a shrug machine.

Start with your routine warm up and stretching.  Stand up straight with your feet set apart as wide as your shoulders.  Grasp the barbells with your palms facing your thighs or in a pronated position.  Your arms should be placed at your sides at a slight distance from the width of your level of your shoulders, not resting on your thighs.  If you cannot grip the handlebars properly, you can use a wrist strap to stabilize the barbell.

Once you are in position, exhale as you lift the barbell by shrugging.  Refrain from using your biceps to lift the barbell.  This will only lessen the effort for your trapezious muscle and you will end up training your biceps instead.  Once your shoulders have reached their maximum height, hold the position for one second then relax and carefully return back to starting position.

You can increase the level of difficulty by adding in more weights.  You can also place the barbell at your back.  Remember to keep your arms straight and do not bend them as you do the exercise.  Others recommend rolling your shoulders back as you shrug, but that would only pose risk of shoulder injury.

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Tags: Barbell shrug, build strength, isolation exercise, trapezious muscles