Smith Back Shrug

An isolation movement performed on the Smith machine to target the upper trapezius muscles. The fixed path allows for heavy loading with maximum stability and safety.

Exercise Details

Level
Beginner
Body Area
upper
Type
hinge
Required Equipment
Smith Machine
Smith Machine
Target Muscle Groups
Primary
Trapezius
Secondary
Back

Setup

Set the Smith machine bar to mid-thigh height. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and grip the bar with a pronated grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Instructions

1. Disengage the bar and stand tall with a neutral spine.
2. Elevate your shoulders toward your ears as high as possible.
3. Squeeze the traps at the top.
4. Slowly lower the bar back to the start.
5. Avoid rolling the shoulders.

Common Mistakes

1. Bending the elbows to row the weight.
2. Rolling the shoulders in a circular motion.
3. Excessive chin tucking.

Alternative Exercises

Suspended Row
Beginner / Rings / Back / pull
A functional pulling exercise. It builds back thickness and improves posture while the suspension trainer adds a core stability challenge.
View more

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