Back · Trap Bar
Trap Bar Standing Shrug
How to do the trap bar standing shrug, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Trap Bar
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand inside a trap bar and grip the handles at your sides with arms straight. Keeping your arms long, lift the bar by shrugging your shoulders straight up toward your ears, pause at the top, then lower under control. The neutral grip keeps the load aligned with your body.
- 1Your upper traps squeezing as you lift your shoulders toward your ears
- 2Arms staying straight, working only as hooks
- 3A full lower of the shoulders to stretch the traps at the bottom
Common mistakes
- Rolling your shoulders instead of shrugging straight up
- Bending your elbows to help lift the bar
- Bouncing the weight rather than pausing and controlling it
Muscles worked
The trap bar standing shrug mainly works the upper traps and forearms, with the mid traps assisting.
- Upper TrapsPrimary
- ForearmsPrimary
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the trap bar standing shrug for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.