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Smith Back Shrug
A shrug performed with the Smith bar held behind the body, biasing the middle and lower traps and keeping the load on a fixed vertical path.
BackMachineScapular elevation
GoLightWeight mediasmith-back-shrug
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Upper trapezius
Secondary
Middle trapeziusLevator scapulaeRhomboidsForearm flexors
Equipment
Machine
Pattern
Scapular elevation
Setup
- 01Set the Smith bar just below glute height and stand facing away from it.
- 02Grip the bar behind your body at shoulder width with palms facing back.
- 03Stand tall with the chest up and a slight forward lean away from the bar.
- 04Unrack by rotating the hooks and let the arms hang straight.
Execution
- 01Shrug the shoulders straight up as high as possible without bending the elbows.
- 02Squeeze the traps hard for a one-second hold at the top.
- 03Lower the bar under control until the shoulders are fully depressed.
- 04Repeat without rocking the torso.
Checkpoints
- -Arms stay straight; the traps do all the lifting.
- -The bar slides smoothly along the body without scraping the glutes.
- -The top position includes a deliberate squeeze, not a bounce.
- -The head stays neutral, not jutting forward.
Common mistakes
- -Bending the elbows to heave the weight up.
- -Rolling the shoulders in a circle instead of shrugging straight up.
- -Cutting the stretch at the bottom.
- -Loading so heavy the range shrinks to an inch.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with a hold at the top.
- -Add straps when grip limits the set before the traps do.
- -Rotate with front shrugs; the behind-the-back line hits the traps at a different angle.
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