Are barbell shrugs effective?

Barbell shrugs are effective for building bigger traps and a stronger grip. Whether this is effective for you depends on what your goals are.

What is your why

Before we go into the details of the effectiveness of barbell shrugs let me ask you a couple of questions:

Why do you want to barbell shrugs?
Why do you want to get stronger?
Why do you want to pack on muscle?
What happens if you do?
What happens if you don’t?

These questions might be irrelevant to you but they actually make a big difference. Taking time to sit down and to think about the reasons and consequences of your training will make it more likely that you stick with it.

Most people go about their life like this:

What do I want
How do I get it
Why do I want it

Most people know what they want. Fewer plan how to get. Almost no one thinks in greater detail about why they want something. This leaves you at the mercy of your reactive mind. What you want changes constantly based on whom you surround yourself with, the season, time of day and millions of other factors. The result is that what you want changes constantly with no clear anchor point. This changes if you flip this order on its head.

Why do you want something
How do you get it
What do you need to do to get it

With this thought pattern, you will connect to what is most important to you before you act. Your thoughts and actions will be connected to one purpose. It will be easier for you to reflect, adjust and accept criticism from others and evaluate it. All in all, this will make you more likely to stick to your goals, obtain help from others and get your results. If you want to know how this works on a psychological level read Daniel Kahneman's thinking fast and slow. If you still don’t believe these works watch Simon Sinek's TED talk. He makes a very compelling case telling the story of the Wright brothers.

Barbell shrug

The barbell shrug is a movement that is very isolated and mainly helps you to develop your traps and grip.

You can start barbell shrugs from ground, pins or blocks. Often the idea is to shrug more weight than you can deadlift. The high the starting point the more you can shrug.

The barbell shrug can be done for high repetitions or few. As it mostly considered an accessory movement it is best done for higher repetitions.

Bodybuilding

Bodybuilders will find the barbell shrug effective to build bigger traps. If your traps and neck are a weak area of your physique go for the barbell shrugs.

Powerlifting

If you are into powerlifting shrugs can be effective especially when you want to improve your deadlift. Shrugs focus on a part of the movement at the top. If you have problems holding onto the bar this will help. Caylor Woolan recommends shrugs and barbell rows for improving your deadlift.

Weightlifting

A weightlifter can shrug but it won’t be that effective to make their lifts better. The focus is on speed and technique and most exercises that shorten the range of motion to overload it is less effective. You do better most of the time to either practice from the ground to the hips, from the ground to the shoulders, from the shoulders to overhead position.

Are barbells shrugs effective

Barbell shrugs are effective for building bigger traps and a stronger grip. Whether this is effective for you depends on what your goals are.