The American Council on Exercise states that your trapezius and rhomboids are the primary muscles worked during the standing barbell shrug exercise; however, your levator scapulae and forearms are also important for generating the strength needed to perform this lift. Shrugs are an easy exercise to perform, and you can start it by grabbing a barbell and assuming a standing position. Let the barbell rest against your legs while your arms are straight. Then lift the barbell upward by raising your shoulders as high as you can. Each of these four muscles assists in different ways to help you lift up the weight.
Upper Trapezius
The upper fibers of your trapezius muscles connect into the base of your skull, attach into your collarbone, and are primarily responsible for raising or elevating your scapula or shoulder blade. Since your upper arm bone called the humerus connects into your shoulder socket, movement of the scapula will cause movement of your arms. As your scapula is pulled up, your arms naturally rise as well. The upper fibers of your trapezius provide the most force for the barbell shrug exercise.
Middle Trapezius and Rhomboids
Your rhomboids connect directly from each shoulder blade to your spine, and your middle trapezius fibers run from your spine to your collarbone. These two muscles are in close proximity to each other and work together during the barbell shrug to keep your shoulder blades stabilized and retracted. This prevents your shoulders from slumping forward during the upward movement of the barbell during the lift. Your middle trapezius muscles are also capable of providing assistance with raising your scapula and assist your upper trapezius fibers to lift the barbell upward.
Levator Scapulae
The smallest muscle that directly contributes to the barbell shrugs exercise is your levator scapulae. This muscle runs closer to your neck than your trapezius, connecting to the vertebrae in your neck and attaching on the closest portion of your collar bone. Even though this muscle is small, it assists your upper trapezius in lifting up your shoulder blades. This muscle is also easily injured when performing shrugs, especially if you look down at the weight as you lift. To avoid this, look straight ahead and keep your neck in a neutral position.
Forearms
Your forearms perform a vital function during the lift yet are often overlooked for the dumbbell shrugs exercise. "Forearms" is a term including all the muscles in your lower arm between your elbow and wrist. Your forearms work when performing barbell shrugs by keeping your hand squeezed around the barbell. The grip strength these muscles provide is important, because a significant amount of weight is usually needed to challenge your trapezius muscles. Some individuals may wrap straps around their wrists and the barbell to decrease the workload on the forearms; however, using this technique will not allow your forearms to get important grip training.
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