Always on the lookout for new exercises and variations to add to my routines, today I stumbled across the little-used Hise Shrug. Invented by ‘the father of American weight training‘ Joseph Curtis Hise – who is perhaps best known for popularising the flat-footed squat in the 1930s – the Hise Shrug is a wonderfully simple, yet torturous, trap builder. As the exercise is painful even when performed correctly, it doesn’t have the same widespread appeal as its shrugging cousins.
The Hise Shrug is essentially a shrug performed with the bar resting across the traps, as if you were about to perform a high-bar squat. Even following several sets I was constantly reminded of my first squatting session – it’s not a comfortable movement. As it’s widely reported to be an effective trap strengthening movement however, it’ll make many repeat performances alongside the humble barbell shrug.
ME BENCH
Floor press 2×5@20kg, 3@30kg, 3@40kg, 3@50kg, 2@60kg, 2@70kg, 1@75kg
Bent-over row 2×6@60kg, 6,4@70kg
T-Bar row 4×6@80kg
Chin-up 5@bw
Barbell shrug 10@60kg, 4×10@100kg
Hise shrug 10@20kg, 10@40kg, 10@60kg, 10@80kg
Total time : 60 min
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