A bent-over shrug performed in the barbell row position, squeezing the shoulder blades together instead of lifting them toward the ears. Because the torso is horizontal, the emphasis shifts to the middle trapezius and rhomboids rather than the upper traps a standing shrug targets.
How to do the Barbell Kelso Shrug#
- Hold a barbell with an overhand shoulder-width grip and hinge at the hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor, knees slightly bent and spine neutral.
- Let the bar hang at arm's length directly below your shoulders with the elbows straight.
- Keeping your arms completely straight, pull your shoulder blades back and together so the bar rises a few inches.
- Squeeze the mid back hard at the top, then let the shoulder blades spread apart again under control.
- Repeat for reps without letting the elbows bend or the torso rise.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Traps (Trapezius), Upper back (Rhomboids & Middle Trapezius)
- Secondary: Forearms (Forearm Flexors & Extensors (incl. Brachioradialis))
Common mistakes#
- Bending the elbows and turning the movement into a barbell row.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears as in a standing shrug rather than retracting the blades.
- Standing up out of the hinge as the set gets hard.
- Rounding the lower back instead of holding a neutral spine.
- Loading it as heavily as a standing shrug, which forces the arms to take over.
