Neck Training Thread

[Neck Brah]

Its the most important feature of a physique, especially for facial asthetics. The rest of your physique is just icing on the cake



Photochopped to have a bigger neck, look at how much better these gay faced twinks look with a bigger neck.












This one has been made to look smaller, look how twinkish he looks with a smaller neck






















Do all the 3 different movements, progressive overload and it should grow fast (extension,Flexion, lateral)

Flexion-Extension

The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) has the largest moment arm (best leverage) for neck flexion, while the superior and middle trapezius fibers have the largest moment arms for neck extension. The splenius capitus and semispinalis capitus also display good leverages for neck extension.

Lateral Bending

The muscles with the best leverages for neck lateral flexion are the anterior scalenes and SCM. The middle scalenes and levator scapulae also possess significant lateral bending capacity.

4th movement, you can only really do this if you have access to a cable machine or bands

Rotation

The superior and middle trapezius, sternocleidomastoid and semispinalis capitis sub-regions were the greatest contributors to contralateral (opposite side) axial rotation, while the rectus capitis posterior major, obliquus capitis inferior and splenius capitis were the greatest contributors to ipsilateral (same side) axial rotation.

When doing neck work in general (harness or bridges) you will probably need to wear a beanie or a hoodie as it will feel like the hairs on your head are being pulled out if you're not wearing one.




He does all 3 movements in this vid


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNgDIUrD2Dk




To do the lateral (sides) movements you can also lay sideways on a bench like in the video below or a couch if training at home. Or attached to a cable machine 

If you feel the harness is going to slip off your head when doing the lateral motion, use the hand you're not laying on to lightly hold the harness.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUUJOEzBPks


1-3 WORKING sets, Do a few light warmup sets beforehand.


Extension 1-3 sets        8-12 reps
Flexion 1-3 sets           15-25 reps
Lateral 1-3 sets           15-25 reps
Rotation 1-3 sets         15-25 reps





Best ones on the market:

http://www.ironmind-store.com/A-Headstra...info/1232/

http://www.elitefts.com/elitefts-head-neck-harness.html


Highly Recommend Senshi Japan equipment, really cheap but amazing quality.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Senshi-Japan-Har...ck+harness

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Senshi-Japan-Hea...ck+harness






Neck Bridges

If you dont have a neck harness you can do neck bridges. For extra resistance you can hold a weight plate on your chest when you find doing it with your bodyweight too easy. You will probably need to wear a beanie or have some padding on the floor when doing these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvQTyHE2c5M


Isometrics

These can also be done against a wall, put some padding on the wall like a pillow or towel if it hurts your head. Do these combined with neck bridges, so do your neck bridges first then do isometrics last.

.youtube.com/watch?v=5TxB_CwzRIE



But remember, neck harness work is superior, it may take longer to build a large neck doing bridges and iso's due to it being very akward to progressive overload. With that being said its better than nothing





Movements for forward head posture

Movements that will strengthen the smaller neck muscles that help prevent forward head posture

You basically just have to mimic the movement in the video below, and here are the different ways of doing this movement. Pick one you find best

4 options

-Can be done with resistance bands 
-With a neck harness attached to a cable machine
-Neck harness with a freeweight and slighty bending over 
-with a neck harness & freeweight laying face first on a bench like in the gif below

[heilsa]

L E G I T
E
G
I
T

[Nizoral Babe]

So fucking beautiful. This is a must for all members here.

[catal1z]

My neck is 13 inches and I am slayer, u mad?

[poobear]

Fuck, neck is everything!

[Emil_King]

L E G I T
E
G
I
T



Neck Brah, one of the most OG members here probably.

[sub8 life]

Post this in the proper subsection you fagget

[Machiavellian]

Going to sticky this thread as it's one of the single most doable things one can incorporate into their looksmax routine and get results. Although we got other things in here, a lot of them are experimental in some cases and others don't deliver as much of a looks improvement.

[Neck Brah]

[Thereishope]

Wow there should be a new law called NECK LAW

[Machiavellian]

I am doing this while working out my neck forward motion. It is quite intense and comes with a strong mewing effect as well.

[Neck Brah]

"@Neck Brah, have you tried that angry face thing you posted in the neck training thread when working your neck forwards?"


A good way to put more emphasis on the platysma with resistance is to have the weight behind your head like you were going to do the flexion movement, but instead of nodding your head like you would when doing flexion, Push your head straight forwards like you would if you had forward head posture whilst keeping the platsyma tensed.


Push head outwards
Pull head inwards
Push head outwards
Pull head inwards



Hopefully you get the idea, do around 15 reps and if you find it too easy then increase the weight. Remember, the platsyma is still getting hit when doing general neck work so it may not be needed.

[Scar Tissue]

Whatever mod deleted OP's first post did an enormous disservice to this forum.

[Machiavellian]

Whatever mod deleted OP's first post did an enormous disservice to this forum.

Nobody edited it, if I quote the OP post everything is there. Must be  new forum setting to limit video links.

Going to tinker with the URL's for him after I eat and fix the OP, bring this up as a feature that should be removed.

[Jesus Christ]

Now I know what looks strange in Athlean-x.

[Neck Brah]

Take into account they only did the extension movement and still were the only group to have direct neck hyperthrophy. You will see even greater development from doing all of the movements. 

Conley et al. (1997) split 22 active college students into 3 groups: a resistance training group that performed squats, deadlifts, push presses, bent over rows, and mid-thigh pulls, a resistance training plus neck training group that performed all of the aforementioned exercises in addition to neck extension, and a control group that didn’t train. Subjects trained 3x/week for 12 weeks and then had MRI’s taken and tested out their neck extension strength.

The resistance training group failed to increase their neck extension strength, whereas the resistance training plus neck training group increased neck extension strength by 34%. The resistance training group failed to increase in neck hypertrophy, whereas the resistance training plus neck training group increased in neck muscle cross-sectional area by around 13%, mostly in the splenius capitus (3%), semispinalis capitus (6%), and cervicis muscles (5%).

• Heavy compound exercise training is inferior to heavy compound exercise training plus targeted neck training for both neck strength and neck hypertrophy purposes. If maximum neck strength and size is desired, then targeted neck training is mandatory.
  

[TRT]

do you need a lot of calories and protein to grow the neck?

i'd assume so, treat it like any other muscle group.

i've achieved an 18inch neck at low body-fat purely due to gymceling for a few years, just don't neglect your back/traps and your neck should get consistently bigger over time.

head is turned to the side during this pic

[lltvyr]

You really think you can train platysma? Look at that muscle ffs. It's thin as paper.

[Neck Brah]

You really think you can train platysma? Look at that muscle ffs. It's thin as paper.

 
Yes, the platysma is a thin sheath of muscle, but, Its getting trained indirectly when doing general neck work anyway. The increase of strength in that muscle is going to lessen the effects of sagging.




And to address the people that keep asking me in other threads "how to increase my neck width"

The increase in size of the sternocleidomastoid is whats adding overall width and thickness to the neck area as its the largest muscle in the neck, Its not a specific movement that's 'adding width' its just overall enlargement of that muscle especially. The SCM is being used in all of the movements just some more than others, and smaller muscles of the neck are being emphasized in other movements more than others also. 


You have to remember the neck has 4 plane range of motion, doing only one of the movements is going to cause imbalances in the neck.

[Gonzalitos]

Neckbrah, if i don't have a neck harness, can i use Plates? Like putting a plate in my forehead and doing the exercises

[Neck Brah]

Neckbrah, if i don't have a neck harness, can i use Plates? Like putting a plate in my forehead and doing the exercises

Yes, doing any sort of neck training is better than nothing. But with plate method you will get to the point you find it too easy and progressive overload will become very awkward.





 

[HEROIN]

what do you think about this op

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvQTyHE2c5M

[Neck Brah]

what do you think about this op

https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=zvQTyHE2c5M

I have this video in the original post, and i also explain how you can progressive overload on neck bridges.


Its a good exercise but progressive overloading will become very awkward with this exercise

[Neck Brah]

I've still never seen someone in real life with a thick neck at a low body fat, it truly is a rarity.

Because no one bothers to train their neck. For whatever reason its the most overlooked bodypart in the gymcel community but probably the most important from a looks standpoint, its best we keep them in the dark.

[masseterGOD]

Neck brah i have a question to you.Wont thick neck blend with the jaw from the profile view?

[Looksmaxxx]

FUCKING LEGIT.

[Neck Brah]

Neck brah i have a question to you.Wont thick neck blend with the jaw from the profile view?

If a persons neck is blending in with their jaw its because they aren't low bodyfat.  

what is the perfect width of the neck,should it be the same width as cheekbones or jaw line or even wider.

The optimal width is cheekbones or wider.

[lltvyr]

Neck brah i have a question to you.Wont thick neck blend with the jaw from the profile view?

If a persons neck is blending in with their jaw its because they aren't low bodyfat.  

what is the perfect width of the neck,should it be the same width as cheekbones or jaw line or even wider.

The optimal width is cheekbones or wider.

Or the person has a deficient mandible.

[Neck Brah]

[rugby1233]

Extension 1-3 sets        8-12 reps
Flexion 1-3 sets           15-25 reps
Lateral 1-3 sets           15-25 reps
Rotation 1-3 sets         15-25 reps

@Neck Brah 

I only do extension and flexion. Am I missing out much?

What is the rationale behind the rep ranges?

Which of the exercises do you think add the most to neck width? Lateral?

Thanks for this thread, this is probably the best looksmaxing thing I've seen on net.