Neck exercises

[Earthworm Jim]

Looking for recommendations for neck exercises to increase girth. When I was a kid I had a massive neck from a football exercise where one guy would get on his hands and knees and push his head sideways into the leg of someone standing next to him. I've seen neck machines but unfortunately my gym doesn't have one.

 

[bananafeet]

Over head press

 

[azzor]

You can mimic old-school football neck drills using manual resistance or bands. Lateral flexion, extension, and flexion under tension all work, even without a machine. Weighted plate holds behind the head, prone extensions off a bench, and slow lateral band pulls all target hypertrophy.

 

[Earthworm Jim]

You can mimic old-school football neck drills using manual resistance or bands. Lateral flexion, extension, and flexion under tension all work, even without a machine. Weighted plate holds behind the head, prone extensions off a bench, and slow lateral band pulls all target hypertrophy.

Saving this post. Thank you

 

[buck]

Strong necks can be good if there is a need. Wearing out the small discs in the neck not so much.

 

[dinfaralt]

neck extension and neck flexion. start with as low kg needed and work up

both natty and enhanced it works great

basically put a plate on the back of your head hold it and move your head up and down.

and reverse. so put a plate on your forehead and move your head up and down while lying down

dont go overboard with it too heavy or you'll get injured like mike tyson and he got surgery because of it in his neck. he was also asking for trouble with how he did it


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XPVk5TiOjA

 

[bananafeet]

@Photon
"When you press overhead, you finish the movement by shrugging your shoulders up toward the bar. This motion engages the trapezius muscles that connect the spinous processes of the vertebral segments in the neck and upper back to the scapulas, and this actively reinforces the traps’ support for the shoulders and the bar. "

Starting Strength. (The Blue Book)

My neck went from 34cm to 43cm by taking my over head press from 50kg to 100kg.

Wiggling vertabrae segments around under load isn't a great idea.

 

[Earthworm Jim]

@Photon
"When you press overhead, you finish the movement by shrugging your shoulders up toward the bar. This motion engages the trapezius muscles that connect the spinous processes of the vertebral segments in the neck and upper back to the scapulas, and this actively reinforces the traps’ support for the shoulders and the bar. "

Starting Strength. (The Blue Book)

My neck went from 34cm to 43cm by taking my over head press from 50kg to 100kg.

Wiggling vertabrae segments around under load isn't a great idea.

Cool!! Will try this

 

[RockyP]

@Photon
"When you press overhead, you finish the movement by shrugging your shoulders up toward the bar. This motion engages the trapezius muscles that connect the spinous processes of the vertebral segments in the neck and upper back to the scapulas, and this actively reinforces the traps’ support for the shoulders and the bar. "

Starting Strength. (The Blue Book)

My neck went from 34cm to 43cm by taking my over head press from 50kg to 100kg.

Wiggling vertabrae segments around under load isn't a great idea.

You beat me to it brother. I ran SS for about 15 months a few years ago. Lp then 4 day split. Got very strong. My neck also got huge. None of my collared shirts fit. It was from all the heavy deadlifting and OHP. I ran my DL up to 615 and OHP singles topped out at 320. Everything grows when you train that way. My fingers grew to the point my wedding band was tight. My wrist grew and I needed my watch resized. And I was only on HRT test and 1.8 iu HGH at the time. There’s a reason American footballers have massive necks. The benching, hang cleans, power cleans etc all lead to massive strap muscles. But if I had to pick one, definitely STRICT overhead press. Multiple days per week.

 

[nawot]

I am also interested in this topic and I added dumbbell shrugs to my work out recently. Is the overhead press more effective?

 

[RockyP]

I am also interested in this topic and I added dumbbell shrugs to my work out recently. Is the overhead press more effective?

Yes. It’s a movement that is very technique dependent. Very long kinetic chain. But mastering it and then running the weigh up slowly will build a very large neck / upper body.