# Chest Supported Barbell Shrug

A barbell shrug done face down with your chest on an incline bench and the bar hanging below it. Trains the upper traps, with the bench taking leg drive and lower-back loading out of the lift.

- Beginner · Isolation
- Equipment: Barbell, Adjustable bench
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/barbell-decline-shrug/video/female.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/chest-supported-barbell-shrug/

## Muscles worked

- Traps: 9/10
- Rhomboids: 5/10
- Upper back: 4/10
- Forearms: 4/10

## How to do the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug

1. Lie face down on the incline bench, bar hanging below you.
2. Hold the bar overhand with straight arms, shoulders hanging low.
3. Lift your shoulders toward your ears, keeping your chest on the pad.
4. Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

### Full technique — 6 steps

1. Set an incline bench at about 45 degrees with a loaded barbell on the floor beneath it.
2. Lie face down with your chest on the pad and your feet planted on the floor.
3. Grip the bar overhand at about shoulder width and let it hang with arms straight.
4. Let your shoulders hang fully at the bottom and keep your neck neutral.
5. Raise your shoulders straight upward toward your ears without bending your elbows.
6. Lower your shoulders back down until the traps are fully lengthened and the bar returns to the start position.

## Common mistakes

- Turning the shrug into a row
- Rolling shoulders in circles
- Lifting the chest off the pad
- Cutting the bottom short
- Jutting chin forward

## Form cues

- Shrug straight up
- Arms stay long
- Let traps fully lengthen
- Neck stays neutral

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps · rest 1 min 45 s · 2 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (best fit): 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps · rest 1 min 15 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 1 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Kettlebell**: [Bent Over Kettlebell Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/bent-over-kettlebell-shrug/), [Chest Supported Kettlebell Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/chest-supported-kettlebell-shrug/)
- **Dumbbells**: [Chest Supported Dumbbell Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/chest-supported-dumbbell-shrug/), [Side Lying Dumbbell Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/side-lying-dumbbell-shrug/)
- **Cable machine**: [Dual Cable Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/dual-cable-shrug/), [Cable Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/cable-shrug/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Kettlebell Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/kettlebell-shrug/) — Beginner
- **This exercise: Chest Supported Barbell Shrug — Beginner**
- Harder: [Bent Over Dumbbell Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/bent-over-dumbbell-shrug/) — Beginner
- Harder: [Barbell Behind the Back Shrug](https://seto.fit/exercises/barbell-behind-the-back-shrug/) — Intermediate

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug work?

Primary: Traps 9/10. Also works: Rhomboids 5/10, Upper back 4/10, Forearms 4/10.

### When should I do the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 6 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug?

Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps, rest 1 min 45 s, 2 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug?

Kettlebell: Bent Over Kettlebell Shrug, Chest Supported Kettlebell Shrug. Dumbbells: Chest Supported Dumbbell Shrug, Side Lying Dumbbell Shrug. Cable machine: Dual Cable Shrug, Cable Shrug.

### What is an easier version of the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug?

Kettlebell Shrug (Beginner).

### What is a harder version of the Chest Supported Barbell Shrug?

Bent Over Dumbbell Shrug (Beginner), Barbell Behind the Back Shrug (Intermediate).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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