# Shrugs.... front or back



## Hlanderr (Nov 13, 2005)

How do you do shrugs?

I have a tough time trying to "feel" the exercise in my traps, and I often feel it in my delts and arms.... but recently I have been doing them behind the back.... it feels GREAT..... but is this as effective as in the front? Cause I never really see people doing it behind the back.

I've read how people do both..... does that imply a difference? What do you do?


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## min0 lee (Nov 13, 2005)

I've tried them a few times but never enough to really give a review, It does feel like it's hitting another area of the traps.

This is also the way Lee Haney did his shrugs.


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## GFR (Nov 13, 2005)

min0 lee said:
			
		

> I've tried them a few times but never enough to really give a review, It does feel like it's hitting another area of the traps.
> 
> This is also the way Lee Haney did his shrugs.


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## kenwood (Nov 13, 2005)

i do them in front and it seems to do nothing...i've did them behind a few times they were great...i dunno why but what really makes my traps sore are skullcrushers and i dunno why


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## min0 lee (Nov 13, 2005)

WOW, I never raised them that high... maybe I placed my hands too close together.


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## min0 lee (Nov 13, 2005)

kenwood said:
			
		

> i do them in front and it seems to do nothing...i've did them behind a few times they were great...i dunno why but what really makes my traps sore are skullcrushers and i dunno why


How is that, you must be doing something wrong.
On skullcrushers the only part you move is from the elbows down to your hands.Your upper arm remains immobile.


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## min0 lee (Nov 13, 2005)




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## dougnukem (Nov 13, 2005)

I do shrugs with dumbbells so I can't say.  I've tried barbell, but don't like running the barbell across my nuts every rep   and behind the back feels uncomfortable for my lower back for some reason.


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## kenwood (Nov 13, 2005)

ooops shit...my traps don't get sore from skullcrusher my abs do i still dunno why my abs do unless i flex them when i'm doing them which i do...my traps never get sore or anything unless i do shrugs behind my back


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## Hlanderr (Nov 13, 2005)

ill give dumbells a shot next time

maybe ill also try the wide grip shrugs.... looks kinda interesting


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## Hlanderr (Nov 13, 2005)

ill give dumbells a shot next time

maybe ill also try the wide grip shrugs.... looks kinda interesting....


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## Nate K (Nov 13, 2005)

I normally do front shrugs.  I tried some back ones today and slightly strained my right trap.  You have to really focus on the trap muscle like you might with crunches and abs.  In the picture I think Lee is just un-racking the weight, not doing a rep.


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## min0 lee (Nov 13, 2005)

Nate K said:
			
		

> I normally do front shrugs.  I tried some back ones today and slightly strained my right trap.  You have to really focus on the trap muscle like you might with crunches and abs. * In the picture I think Lee is just un-racking the weight, not doing a rep*.


You may have a point there.


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## GFR (Nov 13, 2005)

dougnukem said:
			
		

> I do shrugs with dumbbells so I can't say.  I've tried barbell, but *don't like running the barbell across my nuts every rep*   and behind the back feels uncomfortable for my lower back for some reason.


Thats exactly why I use barbells


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## min0 lee (Nov 13, 2005)

Thank goodness I don't have that boy problem.


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## AKIRA (Nov 14, 2005)

Nate K said:
			
		

> I normally do front shrugs.  I tried some back ones today and slightly strained my right trap.  You have to really focus on the trap muscle like you might with crunches and abs.  In the picture I think Lee is just un-racking the weight, not doing a rep.



Sprained the right trap?  I did something liek that once.  I was either going too heavy or I turned my head slightly during the lift.  I never feel shit from a front shrug.  Gotta be from the back, afterall, thats where the muscle lies.

Back shrugs, DB shrugs, shrug machines

In that picture it doesnt look like Lee is doing shrugs at all.  SInce when do you bend your elbows during a shrug?


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## lnvanry (Nov 14, 2005)

I injured my left trap...not I cannot do heavy shrugs w/ BB or DB...heavy trap bar deads and upright rows...sometimes bent-over 45degree BB rows.


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## min0 lee (Nov 14, 2005)

lnvanry said:
			
		

> *I injured my left trap*...not I cannot do heavy shrugs w/ BB or DB...heavy trap bar deads and upright rows...sometimes bent-over 45degree BB rows.


Is it permanate and how did you injure.


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## BigDyl (Nov 14, 2005)

min0 lee said:
			
		

>



These are being done incorrectly.  You should bring the bar further back and lower.


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## Nate K (Nov 14, 2005)

AKIRA said:
			
		

> Sprained the right trap? I did something liek that once. I was either going too heavy or I turned my head slightly during the lift. I never feel shit from a front shrug. Gotta be from the back, afterall, thats where the muscle lies.
> 
> Back shrugs, DB shrugs, shrug machines
> 
> In that picture it doesnt look like Lee is doing shrugs at all. SInce when do you bend your elbows during a shrug?


Bull shit they have to be from the back.  I like front way more than back.  "Gotta be from the back, afterall, thats where the muscle lies."  That makes no sense.  So I should always do Pulldowns behind the neck because thats closerto where the muscle lies.  It depends on if the person has the control to put the stress on the muscle being focused on.  Personally I think its better to do the movement that is more natural.  In this case it means with the bar in front of you.


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## AKIRA (Nov 15, 2005)

Nate K said:
			
		

> Bull shit they have to be from the back.  I like front way more than back.  "Gotta be from the back, afterall, thats where the muscle lies."  That makes no sense.  So I should always do Pulldowns behind the neck because thats closerto where the muscle lies.  It depends on if the person has the control to put the stress on the muscle being focused on.  Personally I think its better to do the movement that is more natural.  In this case it means with the bar in front of you.



Youre tradezius runs from your middle back to your upper back.  Some of it is on top of your shoulders.  So youll get some stimulation, but not as much as from the back.

But if you like it from the front, then do it.  But the muscle is where it is.

Sorry.


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## DOMS (Nov 15, 2005)

BigDyl said:
			
		

> These are being done incorrectly.  You should bring the bar further back and lower.


 They're called "skull crushers" because you bring them down to your forehead where, if you drop it, you end up breaking your skull (in theory).   What you are talking about is a variation.


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## DOMS (Nov 15, 2005)

AKIRA said:
			
		

> Youre tradezius runs from your middle back to your upper back. Some of it is on top of your shoulders. So youll get some stimulation, but not as much as from the back.
> 
> But if you like it from the front, then do it.  But the muscle is where it is.
> 
> Sorry.


 So what you're saying is that you like it from behind?


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## Nate K (Nov 15, 2005)

AKIRA said:
			
		

> Youre tradezius runs from your middle back to your upper back. Some of it is on top of your shoulders. So youll get some stimulation, but not as much as from the back.
> 
> But if you like it from the front, then do it. But the muscle is where it is.
> 
> Sorry.


 I know where the traPezius is.  Just because the muscle is there doesn't mean that holding the barbell behind you will better hit it.  It will just put you in an uncomfortable position.
Im not sure what you are sorry about.


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## GFR (Nov 15, 2005)

BigDyl said:
			
		

> These are being done incorrectly.  You should bring the bar further back and lower.


I disagree.


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## Hlanderr (Nov 15, 2005)

interesting..... for some reason i didnt really think of it that way.....


i think what he is trying to get across man is that behind the back hits the muscles in the most direct way, where in the front maybe the delts come into more of a factor?

one of the main reasons why I started to to them behind the back is because i was feeling my delts and arms do the work..... then doing it behind the back i feel it workin much better


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## Hlanderr (Nov 15, 2005)

but if in the front works for you and its really uncomfortble behind the back, then it really shouldnt be a big difference

i havnt seen anyone do them behind the back from my gym......


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## Hlanderr (Nov 15, 2005)

as to the tricep lift i bring it towards the top of my head..... if its over my face i tend to start to feel it in my delts.... like im puhsing the weight up....

but not behind my head at all usually



its an isolation exercise, so the elbows must stay still.... to go behind your head you have to move them........ that incorporates you chest, delts, and even lats..... that would be a crazy isolation exercise


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## Pirate! (Nov 15, 2005)

I do shrugs behind my back with the smith machine. It keeps my shoulders from rolling forward and helps me target the traps.


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## CowPimp (Nov 15, 2005)

Hlanderr said:
			
		

> How do you do shrugs?
> 
> I have a tough time trying to "feel" the exercise in my traps, and I often feel it in my delts and arms.... but recently I have been doing them behind the back.... it feels GREAT..... but is this as effective as in the front? Cause I never really see people doing it behind the back.
> 
> I've read how people do both..... does that imply a difference? What do you do?



There is really no difference between the two as far as stimulating the traps.  The only differences should be your comfort level and possibly a slight difference in stabilizing musculature.  Both movements are simple scapular elevation.

If you feel it in your delts and arms, then you might be bending your arms.  Make sure you just keep your arms hanging.  They are merely "hooks," and are not intended to actually move any weight when doing shrugs.

Something you might consider when doing shrugs is to hold the peak contraction for a couple of seconds to make sure you are getting a full range of motion and not bending your elbow or abducting your shoulder.


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## min0 lee (Nov 16, 2005)

PirateFromHell said:
			
		

> I do shrugs behind my back with the smith machine. It keeps my shoulders from rolling forward and helps me target the traps.


Do you lean back, foreward or straight up?


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## Tough Old Man (Nov 16, 2005)

I no longer do shrugs. I let deadlifts take care of the traps. I believe people are into to many isolation type exercises which aren't really necessary. Stick with mostly compound type exercises and the traps will grow


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## AKIRA (Nov 16, 2005)

PirateFromHell said:
			
		

> I do shrugs behind my back with the smith machine. It keeps my shoulders from rolling forward and helps me target the traps.




I do mine on the smith machine also.  In fact, I think I decided to do it on a smith machine because it was uncomfortable for me as well on a barbell.  

On a smith, I have to lean forward a bit so the bar doesnt hit my ass.  As long as you keep your shoulders straight, most likely, no injuries can occur.  If you cant, then lower the weight.


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## Nate K (Nov 16, 2005)

Behind the back and on a smith machine......Unnatural positioning with a unnatural fixed range of motion.


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## AKIRA (Nov 16, 2005)

Nate K said:
			
		

> Behind the back and on a smith machine......Unnatural positioning with a unnatural fixed range of motion.



Define unnatural.


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## min0 lee (Nov 24, 2005)

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?t=44536&highlight=shrugs


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## FishOrCutBait (Nov 24, 2005)

hise shrugs bite. I hate em, has anybody here ever tried em?

 Anyway, I do both front and rear shrugs, and seated DB shrugs, man I love those...


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