If you walk into any commercial gym, you’ll see dozens of guys hammering their upper traps with standard barbell shrugs in front of their thighs. They’ve got the straps on. They’re moving 405 pounds. But their necks still look like pencils. It’s frustrating. Honestly, the biggest issue with the standard shrug is the bar path. When the bar is in front of your body, your shoulders naturally pull forward, which puts your traps in a mechanically disadvantaged position and focuses almost entirely on the superior fibers. This is where the behind back barbell shrug—often called the Lee Haney shrug after the eight-time Mr. Olympia—changes the game.
By moving the load behind your glutes, you force the scapula into retraction. You aren't just shrugging up; you’re shrugging back and up. It hits the middle and upper traps in a way that creates that "mountainous" look from the side profile.
It feels weird at first. Your butt gets in the way. The range of motion feels shorter. But if you want a back that actually looks thick, you have to stop obsessing over how much weight is on the bar and start worrying about where that bar is sitting.
Why the Behind Back Barbell Shrug Works (When Others Don't)
Most people think the trapezius is just that muscle that sits next to your neck. It's not. The traps are actually a massive, diamond-shaped muscle group that runs all the way down to the middle of your back. The behind back barbell shrug targets the muscle fibers differently because of the "line of pull."
When the bar is behind you, your shoulders are pinned back. This alignment targets the levator scapulae and the superior/middle fibers of the traps without the internal rotation that often plagues the standard version. Think about it. When you do a regular shrug, your chest caves. When you do them behind the back, your chest stays open.
Lee Haney used this specific movement to build one of the most iconic backs in bodybuilding history. He didn't do it by loading up ten plates and ego-lifting. He did it by focusing on the squeeze at the top. Most lifters find that they have to drop the weight by about 30% when switching from front to back. That’s okay. Your traps don’t have eyes; they only feel tension.
Mastering the Setup: It’s All in the Hips
Setting up for the behind back barbell shrug is the hardest part. If you try to pull it off the floor like a deadlift, you’re going to have a bad time.
Use a power rack. Set the pins just below your glutes, roughly mid-thigh height. Step in front of the bar. Reach back and grab it with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Now, here is the secret: lean your head slightly forward, but keep your chest up.
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You’ll notice the bar wants to drag against your hamstrings and your butt. To fix this, some lifters prefer a slight forward lean—maybe 5 to 10 degrees. This creates just enough clearance for the bar to travel vertically without getting hung up on your glutes. If you’ve got a massive posterior chain, this exercise is going to be a struggle, but that’s where the mind-muscle connection comes in. You have to learn to "slide" the bar.
The Grip Factor
Don't be a hero. Use straps.
Because the bar is behind you, your grip is at a mechanical disadvantage. You’ll find your fingers slipping long before your traps give out. Versa Gripps or standard figure-8 straps allow you to focus entirely on the shrug rather than praying the bar doesn't crash into the floor mid-set.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Gains
Stop rolling your shoulders. Seriously.
I see this every single day. People get the bar in their hands and start moving their shoulders in a circular motion. This does absolutely nothing for muscle growth and is a fantastic way to irritate your rotator cuff. The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket, but the traps move the scapula up and down. It's a linear path. Up to your ears, then back down.
Another huge mistake is the "chicken neck." This happens when you try to meet the bar halfway by dropping your chin to your chest. Not only does this shorten the range of motion, but it also puts incredible pressure on the cervical spine. Keep your neck neutral. Look at a spot on the floor about six feet in front of you.
- Excessive Weight: If you have to use your calves to "bounce" the weight up, it’s too heavy.
- Short Reps: If you aren't holding the squeeze at the top for at least a half-second, you’re wasting your time.
- Bending the Elbows: This isn't a behind-the-back upright row. Keep your arms straight. Your arms are just hooks.
Anatomy of the Trapezius
To understand why the behind back barbell shrug is superior for thickness, you have to look at the muscle architecture. The traps are divided into three distinct functional regions.
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- Upper Traps: Responsible for elevation. These are the ones everyone sees in the mirror.
- Middle Traps: Responsible for retraction (pulling the shoulder blades together).
- Lower Traps: Responsible for depression (pulling the shoulder blades down).
The behind-the-back variation hits a "sweet spot" between elevation and retraction. Because the bar is behind your center of mass, the middle traps have to stay engaged just to keep the bar from pulling your shoulders forward. You're getting an isometric workout for your mid-back while simultaneously dynamic-shrugging with the upper traps. It’s a two-for-one deal that the front shrug simply cannot replicate.
Alternatives and Variations
If the barbell version feels too clunky, you aren't out of luck. Not everyone's anatomy is built for a straight bar behind the back.
The Smith Machine shrug is actually a very viable alternative here. Since the bar is on a fixed track, you don't have to worry about it swinging or hitting your legs as much. You can lean forward slightly and stay in that position throughout the entire set.
Dumbbell shrugs held at the sides are "neutral," but if you pull them slightly behind your midline, you get a similar effect to the behind back barbell shrug. However, the barbell allows for much heavier loading. If you're a high-level trainee, you'll eventually outgrow the dumbbells in most gyms.
Then there is the trap bar. While usually used for deadlifts, a trap bar shrug provides a neutral grip that is very comfortable for the shoulders. But again, it doesn't provide the same scapular retraction as having the weight physically behind your torso.
Programming for Maximum Thickness
How often should you do these? Traps are incredibly resilient. They are postural muscles that are "on" all day long. They can handle volume.
I recommend hitting the behind back barbell shrug twice a week. Once on a "pull" day and once at the end of a shoulder workout.
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- Hypertrophy Range: 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
- Strength/Density Range: 4 sets of 6-8 reps with a 3-second hold at the top.
The 3-second hold is the "holy grail" of trap training. If you can’t hold the weight at the top for three seconds, it is too heavy. Period.
The Science of Muscle Fiber Recruitment
A study by Boeckh-Behrens and Buskies (2000) used EMG (electromyography) to measure muscle activation in the traps. They found that while standard shrugs highly activated the upper portion, movements that included a degree of retraction significantly increased the involvement of the middle traps.
While there isn't a specific 2026 study solely on the "behind back" variation, the biomechanical principles remain the same. The more you move the humerus behind the midline of the body, the more you engage the posterior musculature.
It’s also worth noting the role of the Scapulohumeral Rhythm. Proper shrugging mechanics help maintain a healthy relationship between your shoulder blade and your upper arm bone. By performing shrugs behind the back, you’re essentially training your body to pull its shoulders back into a "proud" posture, which can help counteract the "rounded shoulder" look that comes from sitting at a desk all day.
Practical Insights for Your Next Workout
If you're ready to add the behind back barbell shrug to your routine, start with the empty bar. I know, it's embarrassing. But you need to find the "groove."
- Find your stance: Feet shoulder-width apart.
- The "Unrack": Step forward, clear the pins, and let the bar settle against your upper hamstrings.
- The Squeeze: Pull your shoulder blades up and back simultaneously. Imagine trying to touch your traps to your ears while pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades.
- The Descent: Lower the bar slowly. Do not let it drop. The eccentric (lowering) phase is where a lot of the muscle damage (the good kind!) happens.
- The Stretch: At the bottom, let the weight pull your shoulders down for a split second before the next rep. This "pre-stretch" can help with fiber recruitment.
Don't overcomplicate it. It's a shrug. But it's a shrug with intention. Most people fail at back training because they just move weight from point A to point B. If you want traps that look like you’re wearing a neck brace made of muscle, you need to master the behind-the-back position.
Summary Checklist for Success
- Bar positioned on a rack at mid-thigh height.
- Use lifting straps to remove the grip strength bottleneck.
- Slight forward lean (5-10 degrees) to clear the glutes.
- No rolling of the shoulders; strict vertical movement.
- Minimum 1-second pause at the peak contraction of every rep.
Start by replacing your standard shrugs with this version for the next six weeks. Note the difference in the "soreness" location. You'll likely feel it deeper in your upper back than ever before. Once you've mastered the form, gradually increase the weight while maintaining that crucial pause at the top. This is the most direct path to fixing a "flat" upper back and building a physique that looks powerful from every angle.