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.

 

[Earthworm Jim]

I tried both overhead press with the additional shrug and hold, and bands around the head with lateral resistance yesterday. Good results. Sore enough to know it did something but not nearly dangerously sore

 

[bananafeet]

From Phillip Delavier's book "Strength Training Anatomy".

I speak fluent French and found this guy because he had some rather spicy takes on YouTube about human anatomy and evolution. He's kinda a genius at drawing and drew all these pictures by himself. He often looks at skeletons of prehistoric species and draws the muscle bellies and attachments.

Anyway look at these nice diagrams showing how shoulder presses will have your neck looking thicc.



For added spice, can you OHP press this much? In the photo it's mainly a inclined bench until the bar passes over head and the shoulders get more involved.

 

[HeatherSwanson]

I saw a guy with a skinny neck in 2014 (i remember because i was with the chick with 1000cc implants and i broke up with her 2015 NY eve) and I thought it looked totally retarded so I got those head bands you see old Asians, fatties and guys with toe shoes using to do sets of nothings with.

I wrapped them around my box rack at head height and stepped off to the side and tipped my head back and forth under tension. Then did shrugs in different positions leaning afterwards.

Multiple times I got BRUTAL cramps, knots and headaches but I did grow my neck a size! Went from an 18 to a 19 collar

 

[HeatherSwanson]

From Phillip Delavier's book "Strength Training Anatomy".

I speak fluent French and found this guy because he had some rather spicy takes on YouTube about human anatomy and evolution. He's kinda a genius at drawing and drew all these pictures by himself. He often looks at skeletons of prehistoric species and draws the muscle bellies and attachments.

Anyway look at these nice diagrams showing how shoulder presses will have your neck looking thicc.


View attachment 373030View attachment 373031View attachment 373032
For added spice, can you OHP press this much? In the photo it's mainly a inclined bench until the bar passes over head and the shoulders get more involved.
View attachment 373035

I will be getting that book, thanks for the writeup

 

[bananafeet]

I tried both overhead press with the additional shrug and hold, and bands around the head with lateral resistance yesterday. Good results. Sore enough to know it did something but not nearly dangerously sore

Because the neck muscles will probably be in isometric contraction there shouldn't be any soreness. Usually soreness comes from the loaded eccentric.

Rippetoe covers it is this video:

View: https://youtu.be/TLsnhIBTjaU


The TLDR is the hamstrings in a low bar squat are in isometric contraction at the bottom of the squat as they fight against the spinal erectors for the position of the hip and stabilise the knees. Anywho you never get sore hamstrings low bar squatting but they still grow.

The only thing I have trouble with is headaches or light headedness doing OHP. I got one of those neck trainers with chain attachments but I never used it.

So basically my long winded way of saying don't worry it doesn't have to get sore to grow. As long as the weight on the bar goes up....

 

[craigdt]

I saw a guy with a skinny neck in 2014 (i remember because i was with the chick with 1000cc implants and i broke up with her 2015 NY eve) and I thought it looked totally retarded so I got those head bands you see old Asians, fatties and guys with toe shoes using to do sets of nothings with.

I wrapped them around my box rack at head height and stepped off to the side and tipped my head back and forth under tension. Then did shrugs in different positions leaning afterwards.

Multiple times I got BRUTAL cramps, knots and headaches but I did grow my neck a size! Went from an 18 to a 19 collar

If you could just clarify what looked retarded:
Skinny neck
or
1000cc implants

 

[HeatherSwanson]

If you could just clarify what looked retarded:
Skinny neck
or
1000cc implants

The skinny neck

The gayest thing I have ever heard was a guy talking about how he let a group of black guys run a train on him in Vegas.

The second gayest thing was a "guy" saying her tits were to big.

 

[Earthworm Jim]

Next time I do the bands instead of repping it I'm going to go out to full range of motion and just hold it like a negative. Yeah now that it's mentioned my neck was never sore back in the day. It was a quick exercise but one we did at the beginning of every practice.

 

[looshbob]

If you're interested in purchasing equipment for it the Iron Neck is legit. Very safe to do and good for the entire neck/upper trap muscles