Many athletes completely forget that the neck muscles require the same elaboration as any other muscle group. First of all, it is necessary for athletes who practice bodybuilding and people who are fond of any kind of martial arts – for the “lifters” accented training of the neck, in principle, does not matter.
Any disproportionality is easily noticeable from the side: if the neck muscles “lag behind” in development from the others, it will not look too beautiful and harmonious. In principle, one should only worry about sufficiently massive athletes who have a serious mass – only, in this case, a neck that is too thin (compared to the “swinging” body) will be striking.
How to build a neck
Working muscles
There are a lot of muscles on the neck, although all of them are small. Among the most important and largest, which give it volume, it is necessary to highlight the following:
- The long muscle of the neck.
- The long muscle of the head.
- Stair muscles (front, back, and middle).
- The sternocleidomastoid muscle.
In addition to them, about a dozen smaller muscles are located on the neck, which performs many other functions. But it is these muscles that are responsible for tilting the head in all directions.
To whom, when, and why
In principle, a powerful and voluminous neck is a pride for any man. It is not in vain that its girth is included in the list of parameters of famous athletes, along with the weight, height, volume of the hips and arms, and the scope of the shoulders. For this reason, the question of how to build a neck should concern all, without exception, athletes.
To whom?
First of all, the accented study of the neck muscles is necessary for adherents of any kind of martial arts. A strong blow during sparring on the head can simply break the fragile neck vertebrae – for this reason, athletes involved in martial arts regularly pay attention to its development.
Also, training the neck is relevant for bodybuilders. As mentioned above – if you have a large “swinging” torso and a thin neck – this will immediately be noticeable.
When?
In principle, you can train your neck any day. However, athletes usually prefer to include 1-2 exercises per day of back training.
Neck training is done at the end of the session. To ensure that her muscles do not lag behind the rest – it will be enough to work them out 1-2 times a week. The training period (“drying” or set) does not matter – the neck can be trained all year round.
What for?
Depending on what sport you practice: if it’s martial arts, then to reduce the risk of injury; if it is bodybuilding – for the harmonious development of all muscle groups of the body.
How to build a neck in the gym
If you go to the gym and want to learn how to build a neck while training with “iron”, you will be surprised at the number of ways that allow this to be done.
Work in a special simulator.
A small device consists of a fixed seat and a movable roller connected to weight (usually a block design is used). Resting your head on the roller, it is necessary to make tilts in the right direction – thereby working out the muscle fibers.
Perform head tilts in 4 directions.
Work with a strap.
For training the neck, there is a special belt that allows you to perform the necessary movements with firmly fixed weights. One end consists of several straps that are firmly attached around the head, and the other is attached to the weight (usually a pancake from the bar). We sit on a bench, tilt the body slightly in the right direction, and perform head tilts.
Most often used for tilting the head forward, but can also be used for tilting in any direction.
Work with pancakes.
If the above funds are not available in the hall, you can get by with a regular pancake from the bar. We lie down on the bench so that the head completely hangs from it. We put a towel on our heads, on top – a pancake, and holding it with our hands, we perform smooth head tilts and lifts.
Most often used for tilting the head forward, but can also be used for tilting in any direction.
How to build a neck at home
If in the gym you do not have enough time or energy for a separate training of the neck muscles – you can catch up at home. If you are interested in how to pump your neck at home – pay attention to the following exercises:
Wrestling “bridge”.
The most effective option, used not the first hundred years (although quite dangerous). The essence is simple: we stand on the “bridge”, instead of hands we lean on the head and perform smooth rocking of the case back and forth. Exercise is quite dangerous, so it is not recommended to use it for inexperienced beginners.
Head tilts are made back and forth.
Using palms as a counter.
All you need to do this exercise is your hands. We tilt the head in any direction, while with two hands creating a counteraction with the other. For example – we tilt our heads forward, and with our hands – we press on the forehead.
Perform head tilts in 4 directions.
General training rules
- Thoroughly warm-up and stretch your muscles. Damaging the cervical vertebra is much worse and more dangerous than earning an injury to any limb. Therefore, be sure to pay due attention to the warm-up.
- Working weight. When working with weights, you should not use too much weight – this, again, is extremely dangerous, and also – ineffective.
- The number of repetitions. For a quality study of the cervical muscles, it is important to perform a large number of repetitions. Regardless of the chosen exercise, do it 10 to 20 times in each approach.
- Execution speed. A mandatory aspect is a smoothness and low speed of execution. Sudden and quick movement can easily lead to injury.
- The direction of the slopes. The main movement that creates the volume of the neck is tilting the head back and forth. Their implementation should be the focus. Lateral inclinations are carried out in the presence of a sufficient amount of time, and mainly by athletes who are engaged in martial arts.
- Safety precautions. Be sure to stop performing any exercise if darkening in the eyes begins or you experience severe or sharp pain in the neck (and/or upper vertebral region).
