Barbell Shrugs For Mass

Do you train traps with your back or shoulders? The answer to that question is BOTH! Most people think that you have 2 types of shrugs (front & back) but they fail to realize that you can do shrugs in 2 completely different ways to target the muscle and build mass. The standard front barbell shrug is a great exercise for building mass because it allows you to take on a fairly heavy weight load and get a good contraction. The motion is an easy one for most because it's straight up and down and you are simply trying to touch your ears with your shoulders. Adding this style of shrug to your shoulder workout is best and will give you that burning feeling that you desire to round out your shoulder routine. Hitting out 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps will have the traps full of blood and feeling great.

The other version that i'm talking about is achieved by laying on an inclined bench facing downwards. You'll be pulling up high to the ceiling which will open up your traps to the back giving you more mass. When laying with your chest against inclined bench, let the dumbbells hang towards the ground, contracting your traps back and up to the ceiling will allow you to activate them properly. This is a very short range of motion and should be completed controlled so that you are feeling the muscle work throughout the entire range. Hitting this style is best coupled with back day and will help you width & mass to your traps!