Neck muscle training: importance for the athlete and execution technique. How to pump up your neck at home - exercises and tips

The cervical region can be called a complex of muscles located in the neck, spine and nerves that are located under them. This is quite a problematic area; improper training can lead to vertebrae moving from their positions, pinching the spinal nerve and other troubles that are quite capable of putting an end to a sports career.

Here is the structure of the neck muscles:

Who is contraindicated for training these muscles?

At the beginning of the article, I would like to note that not everyone can safely train their neck. Problems that put a taboo on such training include:

• cervical osteochondrosis;
• other problems with the cervical spine;
• hypertension;
• tachycardia;
• presence of infectious diseases.

Basics of training

A sculpted and pumped neck has always been a necessary element of developed male muscles. It cannot be hidden with almost any clothing, unless of course you do it on purpose.

Therefore, many people around her judge the strength of a man by it. In addition, strong neck muscles are the main attribute of a professional athlete.

If this part of the athlete’s body is developed, then we can confidently say that the person takes building his muscles and playing sports very seriously.

You can pump up your neck without leaving home, you just need to follow a set of special exercises. By doing them regularly (at least two or three times a week), after a month of training you will not only notice, but also feel the result. Your neck will become much stronger and wider.

When starting training, do not forget that exercises should be done gradually, without rushing. Excessive haste can lead to spasm of the neck muscles, and high load will cause overwork and muscle rupture. In addition, it should be remembered that it is in the neck area that all the vital centers of a person are located.

If you are a beginner athlete, then start shaking your neck with a partner to avoid unnecessary injuries.

Warm up the cervical spine

Unfortunately, many athletes neglect to warm up, especially their necks. Rotate your head several times in different directions - this is not enough to warm up the cervical region and avoid possible injuries due to muscle strain.

So, let's look at the correct warm-up:

1. We perform movements with the head down (until the chin touches the chest) and up. The amplitude should be full and the speed very slow.
2. We turn our heads from side to side so that the chin at the end points is in the same plane as the shoulder or further (if flexibility allows and there is no pain). Again, we do this slowly.
3. We make lateral tilts of the head, alternately in each direction. Try to reach your ears to the corresponding shoulder.
4. We carry out circular movements with our heads clockwise and in the opposite direction. There is no need to move your head back too far, just let it “roll” between your shoulders.

Set of exercises

Let's divide the exercises into three main groups:

• overcoming resistance;
• working with your own weight;
• exercises with additional load.

Now let's take a closer look at each of them.

Overcoming Resistance

You should begin your path to a powerful neck by overcoming resistance. This type of exercise is preparatory. Its calling is to prepare the neck for more serious loads.

The first exercise can be done every day in the mornings and evenings. To do this, you need to place the palms of your hands on your forehead and gradually press them on your head. By creating resistance with your neck muscles, your head should remain completely still.

The following exercise should be done in the same way. Strain your neck, resisting your hands, pressing alternately on the left and right sides. Approximately 30 repetitions should be performed on each side. If you are training with a partner, then lie on your stomach on the bench and ask your partner to lightly press on the back of your head. Here your task will be to resist the efforts of your partner.

After correctly performing the exercises of the first group, you should feel a slight fatigue in the muscles. During the workout you need to perform 2-3 sets of each exercise.

Working with your own weight

The exercises included in the second group are used in the training of wrestlers. This complex opens the door to everyone who wants to pump up their neck at home.

The training comes down to bending over and resting your head on the floor, placing your feet at a distance equal to twice the width of your shoulders. After this, begin to roll your head gradually from side to side.

This should not be done in a circular motion, but in turn back and forth and left and right.

Try to do about 20 reps on each side. To begin with, help yourself with your hands, but later put your hands behind your back and carry out all movements only with your head, shifting the entire load to your neck.

Having achieved certain success in this type of exercise, you should complicate it by turning over on your back. Make a bridge and from this position perform the same movements.

Exercises with additional weight

You can start the third group of exercises only if you have fully mastered all the previous exercises. Using various loads during training, you will quickly pump up your neck at home.

When starting to perform this type of exercise, get a special strap that fits on your head. It is to this strap that the load will be attached. Watch the length of the strap - it should be such that when it is tensioned, 20-30 centimeters remain to the floor.

Become more comfortable, rest your hands on your knees or quadriceps. Lower your neck in a downward arc until the weight touches the floor. As soon as this happens, begin to lift your neck up in a reverse motion. Repeat this 15-20 times.

The same exercise can be performed while lying on a bench with your stomach down or on your side. In the prone position, all the load falls on the trapezius muscle, and lying on your side, you will transfer the load to the lateral muscles.

Conclusion

The main thing is not to stop and confidently move towards your goal. But do not forget that training of this kind is associated with abundant blood supply to the brain. Therefore, if you feel slightly unwell, stop training immediately to avoid health problems.

At first, training may cause slight dizziness. For several days after starting training, you will be bothered by slight muscle soreness. This is par for the course. As soon as your body gets used to the loads it receives during exercise, all discomfort will disappear.

Personal trainer, sports doctor, physical therapy doctor

Draws up and conducts personal training programs for body correction. Specializes in sports traumatology and physiotherapy. Conducts classical medical and sports massage sessions. Conducts medical and biological monitoring.

is a kind of crown of male muscles; it is by this that one can distinguish a professional athlete from an amateur. Most training methods do not include any exercises to work the neck, which is fundamentally wrong, since after several years of training there is a clear imbalance in the athlete’s figure, which is difficult to compensate for in hindsight.

To have a voluminous neck, you don’t have to visit a fitness center; you can pump it up at home with the help of simple devices. We will tell you how to do this correctly in this article.

Who needs a neck shake?

Neck muscle group consists of many small muscles, which are conventionally classified into superficial, middle and deep. The functional purpose of these muscles is lifting, bending and turning the head. Certain muscle fibers also work indirectly during talking, chewing and swallowing food.

Working out the neck muscle group is equally important not only from an aesthetic, but also from a functional point of view. These muscles are almost always visible, no matter what a person is wearing. Most people lead a sedentary lifestyle, which often leads to osteochondrosis and pain in the neck - spend 15-20 minutes a day on exercise and you will never encounter this problem in the future.

However, a pumped neck is most important for athletes involved in contact martial arts. A powerful neck is a characteristic distinguishing feature of all wrestlers, since it is almost always involved in a fight - from grappling to wrestling on the ground.

In boxing and striking martial arts, fighters with a weak neck are much more likely to be knocked out, since the muscular corset of the neck absorbs blows to the head. Don’t forget the aesthetics factor, because a figure with a massive torso and a thin neck looks quite ridiculous.

Injury hazards of training and necessary precautions

Any, without exception, exercises on the cervical muscle group are extremely traumatic if performed incorrectly. This training should be approached with particular caution by people suffering from cerebrovascular diseases, since exercise leads to an increase in blood pressure.

• exacerbation of chronic osteochondrosis;
• tachycardia;
• hypertension;
• acute infectious diseases.

Remember that any exercise with additional weight should be preceded by a light warm-up load. If any painful sensations arise during the training, the exercise must be stopped.

Exercises to work out the neck

Depending on the type of load, all exercises for training the muscles of the cervical group can be divided into 3 types:

Let's look at each of them in more detail.

At the initial stage, it is best to use a static load, since it prepares the neck muscles for more serious impacts. To perform such exercises you will not need additional equipment; your arm strength will be enough.

1. exercise #1- we place our palms on the back of the head and begin to press them on the head, pushing it forward, at the same time we strain the muscles of the neck, resisting the pressure and ensuring the immobility of the head;
2. exercise #2- similar, but the load is applied from the sides (you need to press on the top of the skull, not on the temple).

At first glance, these are easy exercises, but after doing them you will feel significant fatigue in your muscles. The duration of the static load starts from 30 seconds and increases to 60 with each workout, the number of approaches for each exercise is 3-4. You can train 2 times a day - morning and evening.

Working with your own weight

As in the case of a static load, it is necessary to overcome here the strength of the arms and the weight of your own body. You can include exercises in this group several weeks after the start of training, and they complement statics and do not replace it.

The simplest exercises with own weight:

• holding your head straight, rest your palms on your chin, create a force and overcome it by tilting your head down, upon reaching the lowest point, strain your neck and try to move it back with the help of your arms;
• We fix the back of the head with our palms, create a force and move our head back, then in the same way we push our head forward with our hands, trying to resist the movement with the help of the neck muscles.

These exercises are good because in any of them, as you train, you can increase the load applied by your hands. You need to train in 3-4 sets of 15 repetitions each.

More experienced athletes can go to the Bortsov bridge - This is one of the most effective exercises for working out the neck. The bridge is performed on the floor; something soft must be placed under the head. In the starting position, the athlete lies on his shoulder blades, after which, bending his knees and bending in the spinal region, he rises so that the body is held on the floor only by the feet and the top of the head.

When performing a bridge, you need to move your body forward, pushing it by bending your neck (you can help yourself with your legs), ideally you should try to reach your nose to the floor.

Working with additional weights

Upon achieving training experience for a period of 2-3 months, you can start training with iron . To pump up your neck, you will need a special strap that fits over your head and holds a heavy projectile on a chain - a barbell, a weight, or a sand-filled eggplant. Such a strap can be bought for 500-1000 rubles at any sporting goods store.

Exercises with additional weight can be like: static- a strap with a load is put on the head and, using the force of the neck muscles, the head is held in a stationary position for a specified amount of time, and dynamic. In the latter case, you can swing your neck by nodding (we put on a strap, rest our palms on our knees and lift the load with nods for 15-20 repetitions) or by bending from shoulder to shoulder (we lie on our side on a bench, hanging our head with the strap).

A harmonious complement to the developed neck muscles are volumetric trapezoids - muscles connecting the neck to the back of the back. To pump them up, you will need weights of fairly significant weight, which can be a barbell, dumbbells or a pair of weights.

The trapezius is worked with shrugs - you need to take a projectile (hold the barbell in front of you, dumbbells on the sides in both hands), straighten up and raise your shoulders to the highest point, as if shaking them. Shrugs are performed in the range of 15-20 repetitions in 5 approaches. It is better to train them on the day of working out the neck, after which both muscles are given 1-2 days of rest.

Many of us wonder how to pump up our neck, is it useful and what are the benefits of exercise?

The answer is clear - useful. Working out any muscle group has a beneficial effect on its condition. By pumping the cervical spine, you can prevent displacement of the intervertebral discs, reducing the chance of diseases.

In addition, this part of the body is easy to work out. This is due to the fact that it is actually not involved in any way in the process of life. If you perform the exercises correctly, the first results will appear 2-3 months after the start of training, and as a result you will get a real “bull” neck.

There are several options for pumping. Some of them are used by wrestlers - these are the methods of standing “in the bridge” or in the “drinking deer” pose. But it is unsafe to use these methods, since there is a load on the crown.

Workouts in the gym

Training on a simulator.
The best place to pump up your neck is the gym. There are many simulators here specially prepared for this task.

Let's look at a few exercises in practice.
Training any muscle group begins with a warm-up. Regular rotations in a circle or around the cardinal directions will help you warm up and prepare for work.

One of the most popular exercise machines is the thigh muscle machine. The athlete sets a light weight and performs the first warm-up approach. After assuming a horizontal position, the neck is placed under the cushion. Then, the head rotates back and forth. The range of repetitions performed is 15-20. This exercise is very effective and safe for both beginners and experienced athletes.

The side pillars are worked out in a similar way. The head tilts to the right or left, depending on which side the person is lying on. The repetition range is the same. Weight is reduced to avoid injuries to the cervical spine and ears.

Training with a rubber band.
A tourniquet is placed on the barbell or placed on it. The athlete puts it on his forehead, moves forward, creating resistance. Tilts the head forward, backward, right or left, depending on the side being trained. It is recommended to keep the repetition range from 30 to 50. The exercise will allow you to learn how to regulate the cervical spine.

Workouts at home

If you can’t go to the gym, you can pump up your neck at home, using only your own body weight and household items. Let's look at some examples of exercises:

Gymnastics without aids.

1. Anokhin's volitional gymnastics. It will help prepare the cervical spine for higher loads. It represents the maximum voltage of the pumped section for 10, 15, 30 seconds.
2. Front pumping method. This means that you should clasp your hands behind you, press your trapezius forward, and push your neck back hard, straining and crushing against your trapezius. Pain appeared - good. This means everything is being done correctly.
3. The next option: the athlete places his hands so that his fists rest on his chin. Then he rotates his head back and forth, overcoming the resistance of his hands. The number of repetitions is 15-20.
4. There is an option for tilting left and right. In it, the athlete rests his hand on his cheek and ear. By bending over, he presses on the arm, working the muscles.

Gymnastics with aids.
Working out by using the resistance of your own body.
Having done a general warm-up, a person places a towel on the upper back of his head, pulls it, grabbing the ends with both hands, creating resistance. Then, he flexes and straightens his neck, gently pressing his arms down. During the rise, a positive phase is created, which pushes the muscles to grow. The amplitude is chosen so as to move the head a little further than the straight point. You should not lower your head too low during training to avoid injury. During the first approaches, much tension is not created.

What should you remember during training?

Professional athletes, before starting to pump up their neck muscles, always begin the training process with a warm-up. A good warm-up is the key to reducing the likelihood of injury. There have often been cases where, without warming up, people received injuries, headaches, swelling of the hands and a bunch of troubles as a gift. Warm-up should be pleasant and not long.

When performing exercises in the gym and at home, it is recommended to perform high-quality approaches - without cheating.

The principle of chasing heavy weights is also not approved by athletes. Lighter weight and high-quality repetitions, combined with optimal time under tension, will give greater effect than the opposite.

pros

By training your cervical spine, you will receive the following bonuses:

• Reducing the risk of injury to this area;
• Increase in size;
• Strengthening muscle structure;
• Impressive appearance.

Minuses

Simultaneously with the targeted improvement of the neck muscles, do not forget to work on the shoulders. Otherwise, the athlete’s appearance will be at least unsightly.

I would like to add that by working out in the gym and resorting to the methods listed above, I significantly strengthened the cervical region, increasing its volume and strength. At the same time, any discomfort disappeared.

Thus, you can quickly pump up your neck not only in the gym, but also at home. I hope this article will help you achieve your goal, and I wish you success.

Lord of the entire site and fitness trainer | more details >>

Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. Candidate of Masters in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion of the Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category in weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

To be honest, I personally am not a fan of neck training. Probably because it’s of little use in powerlifting and weightlifting. But, nevertheless, this part of the body is quite popular among men. After all, a strong neck can help you out in fights. And a person with a “bull” neck has a more menacing appearance.

Well, be that as it may, neck training requires not only a certain set of exercises, but also great caution. Since the cervical vertebrae are quite mobile. And, no matter what neck exercises you do, all movements should be smooth and without jerking. And according to tradition, we will begin the “debriefing” with anatomy.

A little anatomy

As you can see, the largest and most noticeable muscle in the neck is the sternocleidomastoid. She tilts her head forward and to the side. The scalene muscles also provide lateral tilt of the head. Tilt of the head back (extension of the neck) is given to us by the splenius muscle and the trapezius muscle.

By the way, about trapezoids. If you want to pump up a big neck, then you should not forget about them. details on how to do this.

Thus, it is clear that to fully pump up the neck you need to perform 3 movements:

• Bend the neck forward (neck flexion),
• Bends back (neck extension),
• Lateral bends.

Neck exercises

1. Flexion and extension of the neck while lying on a bench

These are the two simplest and most common exercises that do not require any equipment or skills. They are shown in the video below (watch from 2.00).

If you have never shaken your neck before, I advise you to take a 2.5 kg disk. Believe me, this is enough to get started. I will say again that the cervical vertebrae are quite mobile, and the neck muscles are very tender. Therefore, to begin with, you need to take less weight and do all movements smoothly and preferably in full amplitude. That is, bend and straighten your neck as much as possible.

It is better to alternate these two exercises. For beginners, 2 approaches (for each exercise) of 10-15 repetitions will be enough. By the way, instead of using a barbell disc, you can ask for help from a partner who will press on the back of your head or forehead.

2. Flexion and extension of the neck in a crossover

The essence is the same as the previous exercise and there is no fundamental difference. It’s just that instead of a disk or a partner, there is a weighted cable. How to do this is shown in the video below (watch from 4.00)

3. Flexion and extension of the neck, standing or sitting

To do this, you will need to make or buy a small device that fits on your head. The essence of this exercise is the same as the previous two. Absolutely nothing changes for the neck muscles. Only your posture changes. How to do this, watch the video (watch from 2.00).

Which of the three above exercises you will do is up to you to decide. Fundamentally, this does not solve anything. But if you can straighten your neck while sitting quite comfortably, then bending it like this is probably inconvenient. That is, you need to put this hat on backwards so that the weight is behind your back. Personally, I have never seen anyone do this.

4. Lateral neck bends while lying down

It is done in the same way as lying flexion and extension, but only lying on your side. Both a barbell disc and a partner’s strong hand are suitable as weights. Some even manage to crush themselves with their hand or through a towel. The video below shows this exercise (watch from 3.50)

If you are a beginner, then do this exercise 2 sets on each side and 10 - 15 repetitions with light weight.

5. Neck training on a wrestling bridge

This is perhaps the most powerful exercise for the neck muscles. But it is also the hardest and most dangerous. I don't recommend it for beginners. This exercise has many different options, both dynamic and static. You can see all of them in the video below.

I advise you to begin the wrestling bridge only after you have already strengthened your neck with the easier exercises described above. 2-3 months will be enough for this.

Basic principles for neck training

1. Always do neck exercises at the end of your workout. Then your body is as warm as possible. This means there is a lower risk of injury.

2. Always warm up your neck in a circular motion before doing neck exercises.

3. All exercises should be done smoothly and without jerking. Remember that it is quite easy to displace cervical vertebrae and pinch a nerve.

4. When training your neck, do not forget about. Trapezius is the foundation for the neck. With large trapezoids, the neck looks much larger. If you are going to shake your neck today, then it makes sense to shake your trapezes in front of it.

5. The neck muscles are quite weak and intolerant. Therefore, for beginners, 2 sets of 10–15 repetitions will be enough to start with.

6. If you want to train your neck from all sides, but you need to do flexion, extension and lateral bending of the neck. Here's what a sample neck workout might look like for beginners.

If huge biceps and pectoral muscles are external beauty, then a strong neck is a must! Here are some great exercises and workouts for building a strong neck.

If you wake up in the morning and feel stiffness in your neck, know that this is the first alarm bell. It's time to learn how to shake your neck to get rid of unpleasant sensations!

Have you ever wondered why it hurts not only in the neck, but also in the trapezius and (shoulder) muscles? The answer is simple: they all relate to the neck area. Since these muscle groups support the head, they need to be developed and exercised regularly. In this article you will find strength training, consisting of the most effective exercises that will allow you to forget about the skinny neck of a teenager and pump up the powerful neck of a real athlete!

Who needs to pump up their neck muscles?

To reduce the risk of pain and injury, everyone can benefit from training these muscles. Most of us today have sedentary work at a computer, in which case pumping the neck muscles helps prevent cervical osteochondrosis. A strong neck reduces the pressure you can put on it and prevents soreness if you are in an awkward position for a long time.

In addition, during a stressful situation, the muscles of the trapezius and neck are under tension, and strong muscles reduce it. To reduce stress - more.

Athletes of all sports (and especially martial arts) believe that pumped up muscles are extremely useful. Not only do they protect against collisions in contact sports, but they can also prevent concussions from impacts. In MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and other combat sports, locks and neck holds are common, so developing a powerful neck is important not only for beauty, but also to prevent associated injuries. Wrestling bridges on the ground, when you need to hold not only your own weight on your neck, but also the weight of your opponent, are unthinkable without strong muscles.

Of course, “pure” neck exercises are weighted head raises while lying on your back or stomach, which you can do on any rest day, or when working on other parts of the body. These exercises are simple, but they can really pump up your neck muscles. Get to know them better!

Lifting your head with weights while lying down

Lie on your stomach on a straight bench. The head, neck and upper chest should be supported. Holding the disc with your hands at the back of your head, slowly bend your head down as you inhale. As you exhale, slowly raise your head in a semicircular path.

Lifting your head with weights while lying on your back

This exercise should be performed similarly to the previous one, with the only difference being that you lie on the bench with your back. The head, neck and upper chest are also suspended. Holding the disc with your hands on the back of your head, as you inhale, slowly bend your head down, and as you exhale, slowly lift it along a semicircular trajectory.

Remember that when training to pump up your neck muscles, you should not work with maximum weight or start training too hard, as there is a high risk of injuring your neck.

Perform these neck-toning exercises once every one or two weeks. If you don’t train regularly, you can include them in one of the following. They do not require special equipment, so you can easily perform them even using, for example, a plastic water bottle or a large technical dictionary as a weight.

In a gym setting, we recommend that you try this neck strength training. If you do not adhere to some strict amount of work, then it is better to do it in a high rep range, for example, about 3 sets of 12 repetitions. As you progress, you can add another approach.

Training

* — The service is in beta testing

But in order to achieve the desired result and build a powerful neck, you should not limit yourself solely to training. Think about what you eat. Your diet should be so that your body receives a sufficient amount of nutrients and building material for muscle growth. If you are engaged in intense training and are actively building muscle mass, they will help you quickly replenish the nutrients your body needs.

Neck Training Supplements

Basic set

For the pros

Basic set

Basic set

For the pros

MAXLER | Ultrafiltration Whey Protein ?

1 serving each.

To meet the needs of modern athletes, we have included MAXLER® Ultrafiltration Whey Protein in our range to help maintain adequate protein levels in the body.

MAXLER | Creatine Caps 1000 ?

5-6 capsules can be taken as protein.

Creatine monohydrate MAXLER® Creatine Caps 1000 from a branded manufacturer from Germany MAXLER is a 100% natural creatine monohydrate, which is available in free natural form.

MAXLER | Vitamen?

3 tablets per day

A German company, known in the global sports nutrition market for many years, has released a balanced complex of vitamins and minerals in one package - Maxler USA Vitamen

Universal Nutrition | Daily formula ?

One tablet immediately before meals (preferably before breakfast).

UN Daily Formula is a highly effective multivitamin and mineral complex that, in addition to the basic elements, contains a set of specially selected enzymes that promote the rapid absorption of essential nutrients.