Smith Machine Shrug

The Smith machine shrug trains the upper trapezius by raising the shoulders toward the ears against a bar that travels on a fixed vertical path. That fixed path is the practical advantage here: with the bar held behind the thighs, a free barbell tends to drift and scrape, while the machine holds the line and lets you concentrate on the one thing that matters, the range through which the shoulders travel. Grip strength usually fails before the trapezius does, so straps are a reasonable choice once the loads climb. Keep the arms straight throughout, since bending the elbows turns the movement into a partial upright row. Rolling the shoulders backward at the top adds nothing: the trapezius elevates the shoulder blade, it does not rotate it in a circle, and the roll simply loads the joint in a position it does not control.