Neck training
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jimmmer
Posts: 3,515 Member
Background: As former martial artist, used to do neck work (neck bridges, isometric neck training, etc) as part of my programme. It's been 10 years (give or take) since I last did any. Thinking about jumping back on the boat.
Questions:I was wondering if anyone else does direct neck work? If yes, what do you do? Isometric, dynamic, etc. How much? sets and reps, frequency, etc.
If not, why not? Does the idea scare you? Feel like it's not important? Feel like your neck gets enough work elsewhere? Never really thought about it? Be interested to know!
Resources/demos/programmes:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/building-a-strong-neck
http://bretcontreras.com/neck-training-101/
Also check anything out by Mike "The Machine" Bruce - dude's neck lifted 300ish lbs and actually hung himself with a noose (a demo of neck strength - not a cry for help!)
Questions:I was wondering if anyone else does direct neck work? If yes, what do you do? Isometric, dynamic, etc. How much? sets and reps, frequency, etc.
If not, why not? Does the idea scare you? Feel like it's not important? Feel like your neck gets enough work elsewhere? Never really thought about it? Be interested to know!
Resources/demos/programmes:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/building-a-strong-neck
http://bretcontreras.com/neck-training-101/
Also check anything out by Mike "The Machine" Bruce - dude's neck lifted 300ish lbs and actually hung himself with a noose (a demo of neck strength - not a cry for help!)
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Replies
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I had never heard of doing neck exercises before I read about Greyskull LP last year. It incorporates neck training using a neck harness. It's not something I'm interested in doing (and I believe that Johnny Pain says he doesn't expect most women would) but it was kind of an eye opener.0
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Wow, guess it's not very popular...
I get the feeling it's like dedicated grip training, or nail bending, or odd lifts, etc. more on the fringes of the strength game. This forum's a touch vanilla for this sort of thing.
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NothingsGoing2StopMe wrote: »My son did this as part of his training for wrestling competitions since pushing off the mat with his head was used to keep from being pinned. I think its important to include as many different muscles as possible when you are training.
LOL @ hanging himself as a show of strength not a cry for help. Guess that could come in handy if you thought people might want to hang you.
Yes, I heard that in the US high school wrestlers did a bunch of neck bridging. Here in the UK it's more likely people would be exposed through a martial art (or maybe rugby).
Ironically, I had to go to Asia as a young man before I was exposed to it. I was surprised that it was something you could train directly.
I think I'm going to run the progression in the T-nipple link for the Winter and see how it goes.
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3dogsrunning wrote: »
Well aren't you a delight...0 -
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You didn't ask about SL 5x5 or Starting Strength........
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I was making a joke about this forum, not your post.
I actually came into the post because I was wondering about things I can do to strengthen my neck to help with my aero position on the bike.0 -
Used to do some when I played rugby and raced motorbikes but irrelevant to me now.
My neck joints aren't in great shape now and I'm more likely to use traction or other stretches rather than put more stress on them with weights.
Common training for boxers, front row rugby players and car racers but seems very sport specific.0 -
NothingsGoing2StopMe wrote: »My son did this as part of his training for wrestling competitions since pushing off the mat with his head was used to keep from being pinned. I think its important to include as many different muscles as possible when you are training.
LOL @ hanging himself as a show of strength not a cry for help. Guess that could come in handy if you thought people might want to hang you.
Yes, I heard that in the US high school wrestlers did a bunch of neck bridging. Here in the UK it's more likely people would be exposed through a martial art (or maybe rugby).
Ironically, I had to go to Asia as a young man before I was exposed to it. I was surprised that it was something you could train directly.
I think I'm going to run the progression in the T-nipple link for the Winter and see how it goes.
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Who says no one was interested? There is a difference between interested and having something to say about it. I was also interested in the squat every day thread, but didn't feel qualified to post anything except about ice cream...
Honestly, I just don't see the point unless you are training for a sport. I want bigger muscles, but I'm not a fan of the huge necks.
P.s. I even watched the video
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I just started doing neck work after beginning intermediate training. I just wear a harness thingy with weights (not very much) attached and nod my head - 3 sets forward, 3 sets backward (it probably has a name, but my husband organises all this and I just do it). We do it three times a week. It's annoying, but I heard people have survived car accidents because of it, etc, so it seems important to me. Apparently my neck looks slightly bigger now, though I'm not seeing it...
(We also do grip work
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lucygoesrawr wrote: »I just started doing neck work after beginning intermediate training. I just wear a harness thingy with weights (not very much) attached and nod my head - 3 sets forward, 3 sets backward (it probably has a name, but my husband organises all this and I just do it). We do it three times a week. It's annoying, but I heard people have survived car accidents because of it, etc, so it seems important to me. Apparently my neck looks slightly bigger now, though I'm not seeing it...
(We also do grip work )
This is the way i see it.
I've trained for any number of reasons over the last 25+ years, but what I really want to be is healthy and bomb-proof as I get to 50 and beyond.
Falls and accidents are a major cause of death in the western world in an ageing population. I want to be able to hit the deck and get up again.
I have come to the realisation that I'm not going to be the UK's next Tony Hawk (this one took a while to give up), or Bruce Lee (also a long time to give up), or Jesse Norris (entertained this one for half an hour).
I just want to be around for when my kids have kids and not be some old fart stuck in an armchair.... and for me that means being mobile and resilient in all aspects. The neck seems a weak spot to me. I've come late to the realisation that I want to protect it again.
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nordlead2005 wrote: »Who says no one was interested? There is a difference between interested and having something to say about it. I was also interested in the squat every day thread, but didn't feel qualified to post anything except about ice cream...
Honestly, I just don't see the point unless you are training for a sport. I want bigger muscles, but I'm not a fan of the huge necks.
P.s. I even watched the video
I actually linked the wrong video in the OP! D'oh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGa7n9JBrzA
Anyway, posting that you don't see the point in direct neck training and that it doesn't fit in with your goals answers my OP perfectly and is a valid contribution to the thread.0 -
nordlead2005 wrote: »Who says no one was interested? There is a difference between interested and having something to say about it. I was also interested in the squat every day thread, but didn't feel qualified to post anything except about ice cream...
Honestly, I just don't see the point unless you are training for a sport. I want bigger muscles, but I'm not a fan of the huge necks.
P.s. I even watched the video
I actually linked the wrong video in the OP! D'oh...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGa7n9JBrzA
Anyway, posting that you don't see the point in direct neck training and that it doesn't fit in with your goals answers my OP perfectly and is a valid contribution to the thread.
I really do not have any desire to be the guy in this video :noway:
But for the purposes of soft tissue imbalances, I have been given isometrics for my neck. I can understand how strengthening is beneficial, but I have never really thought about how extreme to go with it. My scalenes tend to be tight as it is, so I need to work on strength and stretch for balance.0 -
Hi! I am a (female) rugby player. My position is forward: I'm a prop. Until my first scrum training, I hadn't realised the full impact of a scrum on the neck muscles. After that night's training, I couldn't turn my head for 3 days.
So, one basic training for the neck we did was simply to stand in front of someone (a wall would do too), foreheads against each other, hands behind the back, and push as hard as you can.
At home, I developed another training, it's really not doable for everyone, but well...I have a two years old daughter, we do acro yoga together. Sometimes I assume the crouched scrum position, and she climbs on my head (15 kilos). I then proceed to lifting my head and do loads of reps. The scrum crouched position is important: knees close to the floor, hollow back.
I suppose if you have a harness, you can do this with weights.
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cocoricocogirl wrote: »Hi! I am a (female) rugby player. My position is forward: I'm a prop. Until my first scrum training, I hadn't realised the full impact of a scrum on the neck muscles. After that night's training, I couldn't turn my head for 3 days.
So, one basic training for the neck we did was simply to stand in front of someone (a wall would do too), foreheads against each other, hands behind the back, and push as hard as you can.
At home, I developed another training, it's really not doable for everyone, but well...I have a two years old daughter, we do acro yoga together. Sometimes I assume the crouched scrum position, and she climbs on my head (15 kilos). I then proceed to lifting my head and do loads of reps. The scrum crouched position is important: knees close to the floor, hollow back.
I suppose if you have a harness, you can do this with weights.
Yeah, I've been running it with weight plates.
Basically a light day where you build the volume to 3x25 and a heavier day where you're building to 3x8. Then up the weight and drop the reps and build up again. I'm only a few weeks in though...0
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