HISE Shrugs – UPDATED 2022 – Benefits, Breathing & More!

Abs may steal the limelight, but developing traps has functional benefits, and aesthetically they separate you from the rest. You shouldn’t neglect working on that part of the body which sits between your shoulders, back, and neck.

Are you looking to develop your traps in 2022? If so, you need to consider adding the HISE shrug to your workout routine. Find out more about how to get the best benefits from this exercise and how to perform it effectively.

HISE Shrugs – A Complete Guide

Shoulder shrugs are a type of exercise that help to improve shoulder, neck, and arm strength. Many of us spend plenty of hours behind a desk, and this can worsen our posture and cause slumped shoulders. Shrugs are the one of the best ways to optimize your posture and ease the tension that may have developed. Shrugs can be performed by people of all abilities, and they are a relatively simple type of exercise. They can be performed in most places and can be modified to suit different strength levels.

One of the best variants of the shoulder shrug exercise is the HISE shrug. It was developed by JC Hise in the 1930s. Hise is known as the ‘father of American weight training’, and his methods continue to be used widely today.

How to Perform HISE Shrugs

The traditional HISE shrug is performed by using a squat rack or power rack. You then put the bar on your shoulders as you would with a usual squat. This should be placed on your upper traps just above the shoulders. Then you ‘shrug’ the bar up. The traditional routine had heavy weights and large reps. However, you should start small since the movement can be awkward if you have not done it before. You can then work up to 20-25 reps. The weight should allow you to breathe and complete the shrug motion fully. In general, you can use about 30% of the weight that you would use for traditional shrugs. Breathing is a key aspect of HISE shrugs, and we’ll go into further detail below.

HISE Shrug Benefits

There are numerous benefits that you can gain from HISE shrugs. They help to define your traps and they work out a body part that usually doesn’t get much attention. HISE shrugs can help to fix a posture that has been subject to a sedentary lifestyle and lots of sitting. It is an efficient exercise that doesn’t require a complex routine or equipment and can be performed with relative ease once you get used to it. It can also help to boost athletic performance and weightlifting performance by helping the body adapt to bracing and breathing. Overall, we highly recommend that all athletes and weightlifters give HISE shrugs a try regardless of their experience level. These shrugs are a relatively simple exercise that help to develop a key movement and boost breathing capabilities.

Getting Started With HISE Shrug Breathing

It is relatively simple to get started with the HISE shrug breathing exercise and you can add it to your usual gym routine. You can add this traps training to a shoulder day or on a back day. However, it can also be a good idea to train traps when you have been training hips or on a deadlift day. One of the advantages of HISE shrug breathing is that you can fit them in whenever you feel it is appropriate.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and find out what works for you. Get started with the exercise and don’t be put off if it feels a bit uncomfortable at first. It tends to do that since these muscles aren’t usually worked a lot.

HISE Breathing Shrug Exercise – What You Should Know

To optimize the HISE shrug exercise, it is important that you master the breathing aspect. Focus on adopting a breathing pattern throughout the movement. Once you are shrugging the bar up, you should picture touching your shoulders to your ears and take a slow deep breath in. Focus on filling your lungs with as much air as possible. Remember to pause at the top and then breathe out slowly once you start lowering your shoulder blades. Be realistic with the weight that you use for HISE breathing shrugs.

Aside from the traditional method, you can also perform the HISE breathing shrug with a standing calf machine. You can get into position with the pads and then perform the movement as normal. There is also a HISE strength variation that is still performed on a high bar. You load the bar heavy and then exhale instead of inhaling. There is less emphasis on breathing in this variation that is tailored for a more heavy lift.

HISE Vs Barbell Shrug – How They Differ?

Another popular type of shrug is the barbell shrug. Both exercises work similar parts of the body, but they are performed differently. Let’s take a look at the key comparisons between the HISE vs barbell shrug. Essentially, HISE shrugs take the arms out of traditional shrugs, and it focuses on applying a direct load. This also leads to a unique movement that strains your muscles in a way they aren’t used to, which makes it useful for developing your traps and purely focusing on this body part. There are many types of barbell shrugs out there, but the HISE shrug has remained a popular routine for decades because it utilizes breathing under a load which helps to develop muscles and primes your body for intense heavy weightlifting.

HISE Shrugs – Closing Thoughts

You will now have a clearer understanding of the benefits of HISE shrugs and how to perform them correctly. They can be a bit intimidating to begin with, but if you persevere, you will see how simple the routine can be. Breathing is key for this exercise, and once you master it, you can start to get the full benefits. We wish you the best for your trap goals of 2022, and we hope you consider adding HISE shrugs to your routine.