Neck exercises

[Mojorisin99]

I am looking to build up my neck muscles to avoid future injury. Anyone know some good exercises?

 

[LCDforMe]

Neck bridges (be careful), get a harness and put it on your head with weights and raise your head up and down side to side, etc.

 

[Urban]

Bridges, bridges, and more bridges.

 

[gungfudisciple]

I am looking to build up my neck muscles to avoid future injury. Anyone know some good exercises?

I would not recomend starting full bridge work right away. Like most excercises, you should work up to it gradually. First, warm up your neck by rolling your head around slowly. Then kneel, and putting the top of your head on the mat in front of you. Move it back and forth, side to side and around. Once you get used to working in this position, you can lift your knees up so that you are on your feet with your head planted as before, and again do the rolling and other movements.

After a while, you can start on beginning bridgework. Lie on your back and push back so your head rolls forward, almost like you are trying to touch your forehead to the ground. Roll back and forth, and eventually get to the bridge position. Again, build up your neck rolls in this position and your neck will become much stronger.

 

[Diligent]

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=316106&highlight=neck+exercises

I'd like to think that some of the advice I gave concerning front, side, and back neck bridges in that thread is helpful ...

 

[IMustBreakYou]

get like a karata belt put it on your forward and let someone pull and that will be the resistance. Do it from all directions. (Please someone else explain I'm an idiot and can't explain very well.) Also trap work is very important. I like shrugs but even more dead lifts will get you huge traps. Also what is okay its a head band type thing with a chain attached to it. You hang like a 25 from it and pull your head back. I use to do that sitting down and you have to be like leaning forward that's okay.

 

[Placebo_]

Neck bridging varieties are your best bet.

 

[krellik]

Since starting to do subwrestling on real wrestling mats I have realised it is much easier to do bridges on wrestling mats than on a folded towel on hard floors...

Yes bridges are an really really good excersice for the neck, -but- build up to them, first start with lighters loads like having a partner apply resistance. Then when your neck starts to feel conditioned after a while, then start bridging with the suport of your hands, -then- after a while remove the hands and start to do different bridge variations.

And standing on your head seems to be something the local greco-roman boys seem to put a lot of faith in, im just managed to get my ass up standing on my head so I cant report on how good it is yet..

 

[toetagga]

I do headstands everyday. I like to do them at the end of my neck routine. They probably build up some amount of stability, but they're really not the best neck exercise. All the weight is handled by your spinal column, with very little muscle use involved.

By way of other neck exercises, I wrap some big weights in a towel, lay on my back and hold them to my forehead to do nods. This is my top neck exercise, and I find it targets the front/neck muscles much better than front bridges.