Few questions about neck building exercises

[harrpau7]

Hi,

I am new here (so hello), and I have come here for help on my exercise program.

My main problem is that I have a rather skinny neck, it is quite skinny, especially from the side.

I wish to build it up a couple of inches, I know that working my traps will help, but I have just started doing the following:

An exercise that is hard to describe, but I will try, I grab a towel, wrap it round my head, and then use it as resistance while bringing my head back and forward.

Bridges

I have tried to copy the harness thing as well, by using a steel bike chain of all things, with weights hanging, and then just sit down and lift my head up and down, seems to hit the back of the neck quite well.

Just wanna know if there is anything else I should/could do

Also, how long should I do my bridges for to start with, and how many sets.

My neck is 14 inches, wanna bulk it up at least 2 inches for the summer, any chance?

[DJAuto]

Hi,

I am new here (so hello), and I have come here for help on my exercise program.

My main problem is that I have a rather skinny neck, it is quite skinny, especially from the side.

I wish to build it up a couple of inches, I know that working my traps will help, but I have just started doing the following:

An exercise that is hard to describe, but I will try, I grab a towel, wrap it round my head, and then use it as resistance while bringing my head back and forward.

Bridges

I have tried to copy the harness thing as well, by using a steel bike chain of all things, with weights hanging, and then just sit down and lift my head up and down, seems to hit the back of the neck quite well.

Just wanna know if there is anything else I should/could do

Also, how long should I do my bridges for to start with, and how many sets.

My neck is 14 inches, wanna bulk it up at least 2 inches for the summer, any chance?

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/NeckWt.html.

[jdmalm123]

You can also do static holds (isometric contraction). push head against your hand front, back and sides...neck doesn't move. safer.

For less safe moves...try wrestler's bridges

[rockhuddy]

Hi,

I am new here (so hello), and I have come here for help on my exercise program.

My main problem is that I have a rather skinny neck, it is quite skinny, especially from the side.

I wish to build it up a couple of inches, I know that working my traps will help, but I have just started doing the following:

An exercise that is hard to describe, but I will try, I grab a towel, wrap it round my head, and then use it as resistance while bringing my head back and forward.

Bridges

I have tried to copy the harness thing as well, by using a steel bike chain of all things, with weights hanging, and then just sit down and lift my head up and down, seems to hit the back of the neck quite well.

Just wanna know if there is anything else I should/could do

Also, how long should I do my bridges for to start with, and how many sets.

My neck is 14 inches, wanna bulk it up at least 2 inches for the summer, any chance?

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan already. When you use the towel for manual resistance, remember to work your neck from side to side too, not just forward and back. Between that and the bridges, I'm not sure if you need to use your harness at all. A good idea might be to do neck work 2 or 3 times a week, and to alternate between bridges, 4-way resistance with the towel, and harness work each workout.

For your bridges, just do what you can at first. If you want to do static holds, try sets of 20-30 seconds, both front and back, and do as many sets as you like. If you want to do them for reps, try sets of 10 until you feel you've done enough. Remember, you don't need to go balls to the wall here. A few sets 3 times a week will probably benefit you more than a ton of work once a week, and it will interfere less with your other training as well.

[cmartini]

You can also do static holds (isometric contraction). push head against your hand front, back and sides...neck doesn't move. safer.

For less safe moves...try wrestler's bridges

I agree these holds are great, i remember we use to do them for football all the time

[harrpau7]

Brilliant, thanks a lot, I am gonna devise a workout now with all the tips you have given me, thanks a lot.

BTW, if I do exercises for my traps such as shrugs, upright rows, perhaps even lateral raises, that will help the appearance of my neck wont it, it should at least make it look a little wider.

[papi93]

Make sure that you have deadlifts (which you have), squats, and shrugs (or some people use rack pulls instead) incorporated into your program design. If you want direct neck work, and don't have a 4 way neck machine, a neck harness works the neck extensors very well. Bridging also works the neck extensors. Their still leave side flexion and flexion of the neck. "Back" bridging works the neck flexors statically. I've learned an exercise from Combat Conditioning that allows you to work extension flexion, extension, and lateral flexion. It's called the 4 Way Neck Exercise. You use your bodyweight as the resistance (unless you would purchase a weight vest). Four Way Neck Exercise. Get into a headstand position and bring your feet up against a wall. Your knees will be bent to a 45 degree angle. Start with right and left side flexions. Try to touch your right ear to the ground and then your left ear. You might not be able to get a full ROM due to flexibility issues or lack of strength. Increase range as you develop more flexibility or strength. Now go into neck flexions. Try to touch your nose to the ground. Same rules apply as earlier. Lastly, go into neck extensions and try to get your chin into your chest. I'm having you do this exercise from your weakest movement (side flexion) to your strongest (neck extension).

[user23960508710788]

Brilliant, thanks a lot, I am gonna devise a workout now with all the tips you have given me, thanks a lot.

BTW, if I do exercises for my traps such as shrugs, upright rows, perhaps even lateral raises, that will help the appearance of my neck wont it, it should at least make it look a little wider.

Nope, not in all cases, I added about fifty pounds to my frame and still had a 14 inch neck... so the "it will grow along with everything else" line is no good, it might grow a bit but not much. IMO it's also a skewed belief b/c a lot of people gain a LOT of fat during their bulks, and the neck is known to hold a lot of the fat so obviously your measurements would increase.

I work it twice a week directly now, it's about 17 inches I think, I am aiming for 19. Two inches is realistic, the neck responds very fast. If you want to take it further though your eventually going to have to add quite a bit more resistance, most people are very scared to work their neck, but I do my neck extensions with 110lbs for example... and im still not that close to my goal, so I'll be lifting a lot more in the months/years to come.