neck training

[marquito76r]

I was just wondering if anyone trains their neck. I have been having some discomfort in my neck when I train. I dont know if i injured it some time if feels good other times its a real pain. Anyways Ive been adding some neck movements into my warm up and mobility with some neck bridges and twist, etc and it seems to help out alot. so I was just wondering if any of you guys here have had any sort of issuse with your neck and if you train it al all. Perhaps I've been pushing myself to hard with some movements and have even scaled it down a little, going back to basics, along with a slight shoulder injury. Thanx.

[Aaron Griffin]

Headstand RLLs work my neck to some extent. I also like to drop from a bridge to a wrestler's bridge some times

[gymgreg]

I do neck work after every other workout, usually 3 - 4 times per week with varying rep ranges.

3 cycles of 40-100 reps (depending on the weight used) of the following:

- back neck curls with a neck harness

- lying front neck curls with a plate on my forehead

- side neck curls left and right with a plate

Sometimes I use rubber bands instead of the plates.

Every third neck workout I do the 100 rep cycle with a lighter weight.

Once you hit 100 reps with a weight add some more.

Check out Mike Bruce's TNT - Total Neck Training.

e-7EiHT78QI

[Joshua Naterman]

I just used to use the 4 way neck machine at my old fight gym, which I HIGHLY recommend you all use if available. I used to do 3-4 sets of 20-30 reps with 120 lbs in all 4 directions, and that eventually was pretty easy. Obviously it took a while to build up to that, but my SCMs were so thick that when I flexed them they actually stuck out a good bit further than my Adam's Apple and I could take any kind of blow directly to the front of the throat while talking. I did this at temple quite a few times, talking while my buddy mike punched me hard enough on the neck to send me stumbling backwards. He benched over 400 lbs at the time and was a rather good offensive lineman, very fast hands. He hit hard. Didn't even make me stutter.

Neck work is a VERY good idea, especially if you're a grappler or contact sport participant. It enhances your overall strength.

[Philip Chubb]

Sounds useful! Now if someone says i am talking to much, I will have nothing to worry about!

Really though, it is great for contact sports as Slizzardman said. It is also nice for gymnastics. You feel a little more safe in the air knowing that your neck won't completely snap on a bad landing.

If you don't have any equipment, head stands and head bridges work really well. Gradually lean more on your head and use your hands to help you less.

[WitnessTheFitness]

My vote goes for handless headstands against a wall. Can hold dumbbells in each hand to increase the weight, or just wear a weighted vest.

[Joshua Naterman]

My vote goes for handless headstands against a wall. Can hold dumbbells in each hand to increase the weight, or just wear a weighted vest.

Hardcore, sir, hardcore.

[WitnessTheFitness]

My vote goes for handless headstands against a wall. Can hold dumbbells in each hand to increase the weight, or just wear a weighted vest.

Hardcore, sir, hardcore.

Gotta be able to snap a belt in two with your neck like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast to earn the hardcore neck title

I'd settle for being able to do a handless headstand on a rock/concrete, though.

[Joshua Naterman]

hahaha! Nice. That would be awesome. I haven't done no hands headstands in a while.

[WitnessTheFitness]

I gave up doing it without a wall after tweaking my neck a few times fighting to stay balanced. Started doing them against a wall again recently with the hopes that it'd be useful for grappling. The benefits of a thick neck definitely outweigh the random "giraffe" comments from strangers

[marquito76r]

thanx for the responses guyz. Gymgreg i like your style im using similar exercises and rep schemes with weights and bands with a lota bridge work, thank for the tip i like that 10 100 rep every three cycles. Handless against the wall I never even thought of, unreal shit specially that pic.....wow! to be honest I think I started this neck training cuz my neck had a hard time ajusting to my weight, I suppose when I used to do headstand work. Im 180lbs and all that weight supported by my neck wasnt the best feeling....ouch. I wonder if Coach incorporates any neck training with his athletes?

[Quick Start Test Smith]

I do neck work after every other workout, usually 3 - 4 times per week with varying rep ranges.

3 cycles of 40-100 reps (depending on the weight used) of the following:

- back neck curls with a neck harness

- lying front neck curls with a plate on my forehead

- side neck curls left and right with a plate

Sometimes I use rubber bands instead of the plates.

Every third neck workout I do the 100 rep cycle with a lighter weight.

Once you hit 100 reps with a weight add some more.

Check out Mike Bruce's TNT - Total Neck Training.

This is exactly what I do lol! It's great, too

I just used to use the 4 way neck machine at my old fight gym, which I HIGHLY recommend you all use if available. I used to do 3-4 sets of 20-30 reps with 120 lbs in all 4 directions, and that eventually was pretty easy. Obviously it took a while to build up to that, but my SCMs were so thick that when I flexed them they actually stuck out a good bit further than my Adam's Apple and I could take any kind of blow directly to the front of the throat while talking. I did this at temple quite a few times, talking while my buddy mike punched me hard enough on the neck to send me stumbling backwards. He benched over 400 lbs at the time and was a rather good offensive lineman, very fast hands. He hit hard. Didn't even make me stutter.

Neck work is a VERY good idea, especially if you're a grappler or contact sport participant. It enhances your overall strength.

Sounds great! I just ordered mine: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... 0632812000

:wink:

I actually never felt much neck muscle stress when doing headstands... my neck feels stressed, but my muscles don't really get tired. The extensions with a harness and weight plate flexions have been the only thing that have really helped my neck grow very noticeably. I haven't had the opportunity to try the four way neck strength thingy Sliz mentioned, though.

[Joshua Naterman]

That is awesome. I can't wait to have the money to have one of my own... :twisted:

[WitnessTheFitness]

$2000?!

Only way I would fork over that much money for my neck is if the training enabled it to make me breakfast in bed and do my laundry.

[Joshua Naterman]

Hahaha, I'll keep that in mind when I design future workout equipment!

[Quick Start Test Smith]

Sliz, I'm doing 3x50 neck extensions, flexions, and side flexions 3 times a week. This worked well at first, but after a bit of gain, my neck seemed to stop getting bigger and stronger. Are those the numbers you'd suggest?

[Joshua Naterman]

I definitely think that at first that is fine, but I always did sets of 20. You have to kind of consider the fact that if you are using a load that you can move 50-100 times it is simply too light after a certain point and you will be training extreme neck endurance, which isn't a bad thing but is not the key to strength. I would suggest adding some weight until you hit 15-30 reps and work with that for a while, maybe doing a 50 rep set for the first or last set. It is a good idea to maintain that endurance.

[Quick Start Test Smith]

I will try that and see what happens. Thanks

[Andrew Komarnyckyj]

If you have minor neck problems then I've found that 3-plane neck movements help. Quite simply, tilt the head forward and backwards for reps, then tilt it one side to the other for reps, and finally turn to look one side then the other for reps. Try daily starting with ten reps and build up say ten a week until you are doing significant reps.

Another therapy worth trying is the Robin McKenzie method. I bought the book "treat your own neck" and found the exercises helped a lot. (I'm not on commission!)

The above suggestions have little or nothing to do with neck strength of course.

If you want to strengthen your neck but you are wary of trying anything radical (e.g., because you are coming back from neck injury or like me you've had minor problems caused by poor posture), you could try using a basketball. The method is that you put the ball against a wall at head height and do isometrics by pushing your forehead into it repeatedly then turn around and push the back of your head into it repeatedly. (And even the sides of your head if you want to be thorough and your neck isn't too unhealthy to take it). This method could possibly be used to prepare your neck for more demanding exercises.

[MCem222]

So, I think I have forward neck posture. I can't know this for sure, but visually it looks as if my head juts forward. Oh, and when I was in physical therapy around two years ago for a winged scapula, the PT had me to "chin tucks" and said I had forward neck posture.

I've been sort of addressing by working on thoracic extension, doing back bridges, as well as trying to fix my hip posture, and generally stand up straight. When it comes down to it, I don't really know what I'm doing

Is it OK to do headstands and neck bridges if I don't have optimal posture? Occasionally the day after neck bridging my neck will be stiff and I will get a sudden pain if I move it in a certain way. This has happened a few times, and I just rest it and it goes away in a day or two. I still like to think the benefit outweighs the risk, because my neck feels a lot more stable than it did a year ago.

[Andrew Komarnyckyj]

I have no idea whether it's ok. I suspect it varies from individual to individual. I recall doing headstands in my mid-twenties when my posture was already less than optimal. I don't recall any ill effects.

Here is a suggestion to help fix your neck posture which has helped me:

Lie on your back on the floor. Raise your legs so that your thighs are vertical and your knees are bent. Rest the lower part of your legs on a low chair or table so that your knees are bent at 90 degrees. Rest your hands on your stomach and just relax.

If you really do have bad posture with your head jutting forward, you will be very aware of it when you assume this position. You may feel as if you have a hunchback and you may feel as if your chin is pointing towards the ceiling.

If you remain in the position for long enough you will find that gravity forces your back and neck to eventually relax. You will feel your back and neck straighten out and you will lose the feeling of having a hunchback. The first time you try this it may take half an hour or more for your back and neck to relax and straighten out. If you do it regularly, you will find that this soon drops to only a few minutes. It is probably the case that if you are also doing the pb hold on a regular basis and concentrating on holding your shoulders down and back when you do the hold, these two exercises will bring your upper body into a better alignment. I'm speaking only from personal experience so I can't vouch for the success of this approach with other people*. But it may be worth a try (At your own risk!)

*The first of these exercises is however part of Pete Egoscue's method

[MCem222]

So I definitely think the neck training could be problematic. I have a headache today after doing bridges, headstands, and reverse leg lifts yesterday. I also get headaches the day after dive rolling, I'm guessing from landing on my neck

By PB hold, do you mean holding at the top of the dip position on parallel bars? I don't have access to dip bars or PB's now- are there any substitutes? Maybe scapular pushups?

I do that exercise from Egoscue. I actually find it very comfortable to lay in that position and listen to music

[Joshua Naterman]

So I definitely think the neck training could be problematic. I have a headache today after doing bridges, headstands, and reverse leg lifts yesterday. I also get headaches the day after dive rolling, I'm guessing from landing on my neck

By PB hold, do you mean holding at the top of the dip position on parallel bars? I don't have access to dip bars or PB's now- are there any substitutes? Maybe scapular pushups?

I do that exercise from Egoscue. I actually find it very comfortable to lay in that position and listen to music

Use two chairs with bent knees.

[Blairbob]

It might be a little too much loaded inversion work. See if you can recover and if you aren't, scale it back some.

You shouldn't be feeling a dive roll on your neck at all, really. Unless you are doing them badly or are doing 1 3/4 flips to rollouts. Which you aren't. Catch more with your hands and arms, tuck that chin in.

[MCem222]

It might be a little too much loaded inversion work. See if you can recover and if you aren't, scale it back some.

You shouldn't be feeling a dive roll on your neck at all, really. Unless you are doing them badly or are doing 1 3/4 flips to rollouts. Which you aren't. Catch more with your hands and arms, tuck that chin in.

I don't feel it in my neck, per se. I usually land on my upper back and roll. It is possible that the jolt of hitting my upper back is what's causing me to feel something in my neck? I try to have a smooth roll out and taper the fall with my arms, but admittedly my inexperience sometimes leads to harder landings on my back.