Neck training?

[ganesha]

How do you train it? What are your favorite tools?

I am thinking of getting a head harness. Seems like lots of options on Amazon from super cheap to pretty expensive. Probably would attach a strap to pull against to create resistance and do isometrics.

Bands and weights seem kind of dangerous with the neck. I am a bit worried about accidently hitting myself in the head with a band attached and weights seem like they could easily strain the neck if handled wrong.

Ideas?

[Michael]

I mostly do self resistance using my hands. I do the Forward , backward, and head turning motion. I never do side to side neck stuff because it always kinks up my neck. I also do the Paul Anderson neck turn I guess You would call it. I got it out of Pavel's book, " Beyond Bodybuilding". You lay down on the floor with Your forehead to the floor. You turn/roll Your head side to side and apply resistance by pushing Your forehead down into the floor. You can lay on Your back and do the same thing.

I have a head harness that I've had for Years. An old Puerto Rican girlfriend did a good stitch job on it to make it stronger. I sometimes use weights, bands, or a strap with it. Ever once in a while I may do isometrics whether with hands, strap or bands. I most train my neck for endurance and because it feels good. My personal opinion, no need to use crazy/heavy resistance for Your neck. You can easily strain Your neck. It doesn't need much resistance.

[Deuce Gunner]

Neck bridges. Forward and backward.

[teacup]

Thoracev by Frank Rudolph Young in “Yoga for Extraordinary Health and Long Life” pages 98-99.

Place a fist under your jaw, press down slightly and flex your neck muscles (carefully).

[Charles Fatlas]

An old boxer neck workout is simply hanging your noggin off the side of the bed and lifting your head for reps, flip over and repeat

[Magnus]

[jonrock]

Neck Flex harness

[brothersteve]

About 5 days per week I do the following; front facing tense my neck for one set of about 12 reps for a 1 second hold per rep, then 1 set of turning my head left then right as far as it will go in each direction, the last exercise is a free hand shrug where i rotate the shoulders up to front and circle backwards in a circular motion trying to go as far and hard in each direction for 1 set of about 15 reps.

The nerves and muscles in the neck are delicate. I notice sometimes when I sleep wrong on the pillow or overwork my neck, or both, I get what feels like a weird headache and I feel over trained, but a day or two of not doing neck and I'm fine.

[stormshadow]

Lots of good ideas. I also like to use a dodgeball and place it in the corner where two walls meet and then press my head against it forward sideways and backwards while pressing my bodyweight into it. It is like doing a neck bridge on a moving platform but you have a lot of control so you should not easily injure yourself. Self resistance great too

You want a ball that gives a little and it is not over inflated. This is one of the rare cases soft balls work much better. That way your head sits into it and does not become uncontrollable

[stormshadow]

Pretty thorough article.

ditillo2.blogspot.com/2022/03/neck-training-joseph-horiggan-1991.html

[Michael]

Dec 26, 2023 13:37:29 GMT stormshadow said:

Pretty thorough article.

ditillo2.blogspot.com/2022/03/neck-training-joseph-horiggan-1991.html

I agree with  Don Ross's advice about not training the neck sideways. The head turn is fine for me but going side to side always causes a problem.

[brown43]

I used two power bands tied together (one looped inside the other band) and then I loop the power band on the metal vertical pole in the basement. I went up form yellow, green, red, and currently on the blue power band for Power Systems for 7 reps with no increases.  I also wear a pair of racquet eyeglasses to protect my eyes if the band snaps.  


POWER SYSTEMS BRAND. The closed-loop design of this 2" flat band fits comfortably around the upper or lower legs, so you can exercise the muscles of the hips and legs. The 12" long Versa-Loops are ideal for short, limited movements while the new 22" Versa-Loops Long are suited for more dynamic movements with greater range of motion.  Versa-Loop: 12" L. Versa-Loop Long: 22" L. Both 2" W.



Also use a Heavy Duty Resistance Bands Set 7 Loop for Gym Exercise Pull up Fitness Workout'

I the put the power band on my head and do the movements for one set of 6-8 or 8-12 reps of 2 positive and 4 seconds negative.

.

These are movements made with the neck. 


Forward bend

Backward bend

Right bend

Left bend

Turn my head tothe left and back

Turn myhead to the right and back


There are other programs in the T.N.T (Total Neck Training) a health for life book. Other programs are martial arts, bodybuilding, and fitness. There are differences between the exercises, sets, and reps. I just do one set for bodybuilding purposes.

[lardy]

Dec 24, 2023 21:12:38 GMT Charles Fatlas said:

An old boxer neck workout is simply hanging your noggin off the side of the bed and lifting your head for reps, flip over and repeat

I do this but I hold each rep at the top until close to failure just squeezing, it can be uncomfortable but you will feel a pump after only 5 reps each way, pair it with dumbbell/barbell shrugs to failure x2 and you will become a pitbull

[fredhutch]

By far the best neck training I've found is using a "neck helmet", a football helmet with weights attached. I've used neck harnesses and they can't compare to the helmet. The helmet is easy to make and it can work the front, sides, and twisting of the head. I know some of you don't like side bending for the neck but it felt fine with the helmet, and some of you don't like weight resistance for the neck but it was always good for me. I had to leave my helmet behind during one of my moves, I intend to make another one someday.

The Iron Neck is also a fine piece of equipment, most expensive exercise device I've ever bought but really gives a good combination of strength and mobility. Still have it but can't set it up where I live now. 

[Dave Reslo]

For injury prevention I think you basically want to train for size with the neck, and it's made of mostly small muscles so that means you want relatively light tension either through high reps or slow reps / long isos. My neck is currently about 18 inches relaxed, 21 inches flexed, of course some of that is fat. I like to use a neck harness and resistance bands connected to a wall/door attachment, for fairly comfortable 30 second holds, two supersets of forwards, backwards, left side and right side. I think a cheap harness would be fine for self resistance if you are doing longer holds like that. Another opinion I've developed is that you don't want to train your neck too close to when you wake up or go to sleep, because of course we tend to sleep in a way that will stretch or strain one side more than the other. This is kind of inconvenient for me but I find doing this once a week is actually enough.