Note: There's a rather large section in this article on the anatomy and function of the neck musculature.
Look into an anatomy textbook for that in detail.
We have been much impressed or depressed we should say when attending lifting meets and perfect man contests over the country to note the lack of complete and symmetrical neck development that otherwise perfect men possess.
We believe this is sometimes more prevalent among perfect men contestants than among lifters because lifting uses the neck muscles rather strenuously in some movements, especially those in the back of the neck. We are often disappointed when meeting some man famed for his fine physique for the first time in street clothes. Since we can see nothing but his neck (a part of the body that is always exposed) we sometimes get the impression that he is overrated because of a scrawny neck. Of course we must admit that this is not the usual thin with these fellows as most of them realize the importance of a good neck and take the necessary exercise to insure its proper development.
It will be noted that there are muscles to move the head in all directions. It therefore usually requires quite a number of exercises to thoroughly exercise all the neck muscles. It is a well know fact that wrestlers have the best necks in general altho they don't have the large trapezius that weight lifters have. Altho
The above exercises, by the way, were favorites of the great Earle Liederman who had a magnificent neck himself. He, like "Farmer Burns" . . .
. . . believed in developing the neck to its maximum. We once heard that the "Farmer" hung by his neck while he gave a 30-minute lecture. This sounds a little extreme to us [a little?] but nevertheless his great 18" neck at a little over 165 pounds bodyweight was something to behold.
If you work out with a friend you may wish to follow the program of Charlie Richards and his friend Water Slaneic. They use the same self-resistance movements given above but they provide resistance for each other. The one taking the exercise lies on a bench with his head hanging over while his partner provides the resistance by pushing against the other's head. You will have to lay on the sides, back, and stomach in turn to exercise the whole neck in this manner.
You can obtain a terrific workout this way on your own as well (see photos below). The beauty of these exercises is that you can put on just enough resistance to allow the muscle to slowly contract and as the muscle tires you can relieve some of the resistance, allowing you to do a specific number of repetitions.
For the back of the neck you simply interlace the fingers behind the head then pull forward on the head bringing the chin to the chest while resisting with the neck then pull the neck as far back as possible while resisting with the hands. This really gives the neck muscles a workout over their full range.
You can also swing the head in a circle while resisting with the hands and thus work certain of the neck muscles to better advantage.
For the sides of the neck you place the hands against the head above the ear and push the head toward the opposite shoulder while resisting with the neck, then come back with the neck while resisting with the hands. You will soon feel the effects of this one.
For the front of the neck you can place the hand against either the forehead (better to use both hands) or against the chin and push the head back while resisting with the neck then pull the head forward until the chin touches the chest again. Make all movements complete over their full range of their action.
Most of these movements can be made rotating movements also so as to reach the many different muscles of the neck. In the above exercises will be found the major actions of the neck muscles. It is easy to devise exercises without number to fit these movements of the neck.
Most of our readers have a head strap, but few of them use it to any extent. This is a good piece of equipment for developing the neck. You can use the same movements as given above with the head strap.
Also, if you have pulleys you can attach the head strap to these and effectively exercise the neck.
If you don't have a head strap, you can make a serviceable one from a towel to which you can tie weights.
Teeth lifting is also effective in developing the neck but don't try it unless you have very good teeth and a properly constructed and fitted mouthpiece to use.
If you have a partner let him take a head lock on you then try to break it by dragging him around, lifting, pulling and pushing with the neck in all directions against his resistance. This will add considerable interest, competition and hopefully not injury to your workouts. We do not recommend doing this with your wife if alcohol has been used as a pre-workout.
Probably one of the most popular neck exercises is the wrestler's bridge, either with or without weight. However, altho it is a good exercise it is also easy to cheat by just rocking back and forth on the neck by using the legs instead of the neck for motivation. In performing this exercise always pull and lift with the neck muscles alone.
A similar bridge movement for the neck can also be performed for the front of the neck by kneeling on the floor and rolling the head up and down and around in a circle on the forehead. This is a good exercise for all muscles on the front of the neck.
As a general rule, three workouts per week are enough for neck work. Especially is this true if you take heavy workouts. At first however, you should go rather easy on this neck work or you will find yourself with a very sore neck and sometimes an excess of neck work will cause a little soreness in the throat if you are inclined this way.
It is better to take your neck work after you are through with your day's work as a man's head has a tendency to bob around on a tired neck. After you have gradually worked into a heavy program you can work the neck as hard as any other part of the body.
You will be able to use several sets of each exercise if you are specializing on the neck.
The number of repetitions you use should vary with the individual in neck work the same as they do in other exercises. However, the usual number will run from 8-15 repetitions. Each individual will find what gives him the best results.
Light massage of the neck between sets will help a lot. Always stroke the muscles lightly towards the heart. Use caution as to the speed with which you execute these exercise movements, as it is easy to get a "kink" in the neck by quick jerky movements.
We realize that new shirts cost money, but we believe that you will find that a large, powerful, shapely neck will be well worth it.
Enjoy Your Lifting!
Some excellent rare video clips in this.
I like low level pro wrestling videos.
Only the stuff that went wrong, please.
Much like that other form of rigged sports entertainment, bodybuilding
and its fixed contests at the higher levels
this stuff is hilarious!
It compares to watching an over-50 low-level natural amateur b-building contest.
Outstanding!
Seven videos compilations so far . . .
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