What Nobody Tells You about NECK Training | Build Thickness Safely!
Summary
TLDRThis video script emphasizes the critical importance of neck strength for overall spinal health and injury prevention, especially in contact sports like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It outlines a comprehensive neck training program with ten pillars, focusing on isometric strength, flexion, extension, and rotation exercises. The script also stresses safety, advocating for gradual progression and caution with compressive movements. It concludes with a unique suggestion of jaw and teeth exercises to enhance neck strength, provided one has a solid neck training foundation.
Takeaways
- πͺ The importance of a strong neck is emphasized for overall spinal health and injury prevention, especially in sports like Jiu-Jitsu where the neck can be subjected to significant stress.
- π« The script warns against neglecting neck training, as it can lead to chronic issues like a degenerative neck condition, highlighting the need for consistent strengthening exercises.
- π€ Sharing personal anecdotes and experiences, the speaker illustrates the real risks of neck injuries and the transformative impact of targeted neck training on durability and performance.
- π The video outlines '10 pillars of neck training' designed to build strength, thickness, and resilience in the neck, catering to different levels of training and goals.
- π A cautionary note is sounded against overtraining or using excessive weight in neck exercises, advocating for controlled progression and a focus on proper form over heavy loads.
- π©βπ« For women who are concerned about the aesthetic of a thicker neck, the script reassures that neck training will not lead to an undesirable bulk without excessive resistance training.
- π The script introduces a variety of exercises for different movements including isometric strength, flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation, each with its own progression levels.
- π« The speaker strongly advises against training to failure in neck exercises to prevent potential injuries, recommending stopping short of the point of failure.
- π Special attention is given to safety, with the script detailing how to perform exercises correctly and when to avoid certain movements, especially for those with a history of neck issues.
- ποΈββοΈ For advanced trainees, the script introduces unconventional methods like jaw and teeth strengthening, which can contribute to overall neck strength, but this is presented as an optional and cautionary practice.
Q & A
Why is it important to strengthen the neck?
-Strengthening the neck is crucial for maintaining a strong spine and good posture, and it's particularly important for martial artists and athletes to resist neck flexion during combat. A strong neck can also reduce the risk of concussion by 5% per pound of strength gained.
What are some common issues people face with their necks?
-People often neglect neck training, leading to weak necks that can result in injuries such as fractures or degenerative conditions. These issues can be exacerbated by activities that put stress on the neck, like grappling or improper weightlifting techniques.
What is the first pillar of neck training mentioned in the script?
-The first pillar of neck training is improving the isometric strength and ability of the neck, which helps maintain good posture and resist neck flexion during force application in sports.
How can one warm up their neck before training?
-A neck warm-up can include nodding yes for 30 seconds, nodding no for another 30 seconds, doing 'Stevie Wonders' for 30 seconds, and bringing the ear to the shoulder for the last 30 seconds.
What are some exercises for isometric neck strength?
-Isometric neck strength exercises include Bridges, Chin tucks, and using manual resistance with the hand on the forehead to activate the neck muscles.
What is the purpose of the chin tuck exercise?
-The chin tuck exercise is designed to strengthen the muscles at the back of the neck, which is often referred to as 'nerd neck,' and it helps to improve posture and resistance to neck flexion.
How can one progress in their neck training?
-Progression in neck training can be achieved by moving from manual resistance to using a head harness, resistance bands, or weighted plates, and by performing more advanced exercises like dynamic weighted bridges and sled work.
What is the Iron Neck device and how is it used?
-The Iron Neck is a device that straps onto the head and provides resistance for neck rotation exercises. It can be used to improve the neck's ability to resist flexion and rotation forces, and it offers a smooth resistance compared to bands or manual loading.
What are the safety precautions when training the neck?
-Safety precautions include mastering regressions before progressing to more advanced movements, not aiming for heavy weights but rather the right stimulus, increasing volume and frequency conservatively, and never training to failure to avoid injury.
What is the significance of the '10 pillars of neck training' mentioned in the script?
-The '10 pillars of neck training' refer to a comprehensive approach to neck strength and safety, covering various exercises and techniques to build a strong, thick, and resilient neck while minimizing the risk of injury.
How can one ensure they are ready for more advanced neck training exercises?
-One can ensure readiness for advanced neck training by consistently performing basic exercises without pain or discomfort, mastering regressions, and gradually increasing the resistance and complexity of the exercises over time.
Outlines
πͺ Importance of Neck Strengthening
The paragraph emphasizes the critical nature of neck strengthening, particularly for those involved in physical activities like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). It discusses the vulnerability of the neck and its role as an integral part of the spine. The speaker shares a story from the BJJ community where an individual suffered a severe neck injury due to a Guillotine choke, highlighting the potential long-term consequences. The paragraph also touches on the community's response to such injuries and how some have taken proactive steps to strengthen their necks post-injury. The speaker introduces '10 pillars of neck training' as a comprehensive guide to build a strong, resilient neck, with a focus on both strength and safety.
ποΈββοΈ Neck Training Exercises and Techniques
This section delves into the specifics of neck training, starting with isometric exercises to build strength and posture. Techniques like bridges and chin tucks are introduced, with progressions from basic to advanced levels. The speaker advises on the importance of warming up and cautions against overexertion to prevent injury. Exercises are detailed from manual resistance with the hand to more advanced methods like using a head harness and sled. The paragraph also discusses the importance of not training to failure and the incremental benefits of neck strength on reducing concussion risks.
π« Safety Precautions in Neck Training
The speaker underscores the importance of safety in neck training, warning against overexertion and the potential for serious injury. They discuss various exercises for different neck movements, including flexion, extension, and rotation, with a focus on starting with lighter resistance and gradually progressing. The paragraph introduces tools like the Iron Neck and head harnesses for advanced training, while stressing the need for a solid foundation of strength before attempting more complex exercises. The speaker also shares personal anecdotes and experiences to illustrate the risks and benefits of neck training.
π Progression and Advanced Neck Training
The final paragraph discusses the progression of neck training, focusing on compression and decompression exercises, and the importance of surrounding muscle groups for overall neck health. It introduces the concept of using jaw and teeth strength to enhance neck durability, a technique borrowed from lifters. The speaker provides advice on how to safely progress in neck training, emphasizing the need for a gradual approach, mastery of basic movements, and conservative increases in volume and frequency. They also mention a comprehensive training program and a Discord group for further support and guidance, concluding with a call to action to build a strong neck for long-term resilience in martial arts.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Neck Strengthening
π‘Isometric Strength
π‘Flexion and Extension
π‘Lateral Flexion
π‘Rotation
π‘Compression and Decompression
π‘Martial Arts
π‘Degenerative Neck Condition
π‘Concussion Risk
π‘Progressive Overload
π‘Repetitions and Sets
Highlights
The importance of strengthening the neck to prevent injuries and maintain a strong spine.
Neck injuries are common even among people who don't engage in physical activities like Jiu-Jitsu.
Strengthening the neck is essential for overall body connection and functionality.
A story from the BJJ subreddit illustrates the severe consequences of a neck injury due to improper training.
Many grapplers have damaged their necks, highlighting the need for proper neck training in martial arts.
Injured individuals have used their experiences to start training their necks more effectively.
The video outlines 10 pillars of neck training for building strength and resilience.
Women should understand that neck training does not necessarily lead to an enlarged neck.
The first pillar focuses on improving isometric strength and ability of the neck.
Bridges and chin tucks are introduced as foundational exercises for neck training.
Proper warm-up techniques for the neck are essential before starting any training.
The progression from manual resistance to weighted bridges is outlined for advanced training.
The chin tuck exercise is described as a cure for 'nerd neck' and its progressions.
Dynamic weighted bridges and sled work are recommended for advanced neck training.
The second pillar emphasizes the neck's ability to flex and extend with resistance.
Lateral flexion exercises are introduced to strengthen the neck's side-to-side movement.
Rotation exercises are crucial for the neck's range of motion and are detailed in the video.
Compression and decompression exercises are introduced with a cautionary note for safety.
The video provides a cautionary note against taking neck training to failure to prevent injury.
Mastering regressions before progressing to more advanced neck movements is emphasized.
The importance of not going to failure with neck training to prevent potential injuries is reiterated.
The video concludes with a bonus technique for advanced trainees involving jaw and teeth strength.
Transcripts
that's a thing that gets everybody is
the god neck very few guys really
strengthen their neck correctly either
having a strong neck why is that so
important people's necks get jacked up
regardless like there's people that go
through life doing whatever paperwork
and they end up with a bad neck it's
important because you want a strong
spine and it's the upper portion of your
spine neck is a vulnerable thing so if
you don't take care of it especially
when you are abusing it when you are
getting choked when you are not tapping
I think you can get away with not
lifting weights and doing Jiu-Jitsu but
I don't think you can get away with not
strengthening your neck for very long
it's one of those things and it connects
you to the rest of your freaking body I
think the neck is one thing that you
absolutely should strengthen I came
across this post on the BJJ subreddit a
few weeks ago and it was kind of funny
but a bit [Β __Β ] up just listen injury
was way worse than I thought turns out
my cervical spine was fractured by a
cranked Guillotine I will likely never
come back and may now have a
degenerative neck condition which will
plague me for the rest of my life so
long and you're all weird as [Β __Β ] Lolo I
met like 10 normal people and the rest
of you are mentally ill for real and
this is what his X-ray looks like wow a
lot of your necks are [Β __Β ] up too I
hope you all figure out a way to be
active and pain-free this may be more
endemic to this sport than I thought
best of luck all of you now if you go
through the comments they're pretty
hilarious and showcase why I love
Jiu-Jitsu folk but they're also kind of
sad and disturbing because a lot of
Grapplers have really [Β __Β ] up their
necks but it's also cool because I read
a few comments from a few guys who have
actually injured their necks and that's
what propelled them to start training
their necks and that's really awesome
because that means that injury doesn't
need to be a permanent part of your
story I've had multiple neck tweaks and
injuries in Jiu-Jitsu but when I started
addressing the issue with strength and
movement it's become pretty damn durable
so in this video I'm going to give you
the 10 pillars of neck training that's
going to allow you to build a strong
thick if you want it and resilient neck
taking your neck training to the next
level while also assuring that you don't
break your [Β __Β ] and a quick note for the
ladies out there some of you you don't
want a huge neck But please understand
that your neck won't balloon up and get
huge just because you train it that
takes a lot of extra resistance and
training but a strong neck is necessary
for life and you don't need heavy
weights to make your neck strong now for
the ladies that do want a thicker
neck I salute you in the first six
Pillars of Strength we'll cover
movements to train the neck in all of
its abilities and ranges of motion and
then the four pillars of safety which
are essential to understand we'll cover
the safest ways to train your neck so
that you can build strength safely don't
proceed with the more advanced neck
movements I'm going to be showing you in
this video if your neck can't handle the
basics painfree with no discomfort
before we begin I'm going to give you
the last pillar of safety do not I
repeat do not take your neck training to
failure we'll talk more about this soon
but keep this in mind as I explain these
neck movements to you now fun fact each
pound of strength your neck gains
reduces your concussion risk by 5%
pillar one is improving the isometric
strength and ability of your neck this
is going to ensure that you have the
strength to keep your neck upright and
maintain good posture and for martial
artists and combat sport athletes this
will improve your ability to resist all
forms of neck flexion while force is
being applied to it by an opponent so
Bridges and Chin tuck let's start with
Bridges I saw this from strength coach
Ian Danny and absolutely love it since
it puts your neck under Dynamic
pressures but that's not where you begin
you can actually start with level one
which is using your hand for some manual
resistance but before we get into that I
want you to warm up your neck real quick
because I'm going to show you some neck
movements that you can do as you're
watching this video so for the warm-up
first nod yes for 30 seconds then nod no
for 30 more seconds you guys do this in
class all the time then do Stevie
wonders for 30 seconds and then take
your ear to your shoulder for the last
30 seconds be extra careful training
your neck especially if you have
previous neck injuries you have forward
head posture or if you've just never
trained it before now go ahead and take
your hand place it on your forehead and
push with just enough Force nothing
crazy where you start to feel neck pain
but just enough force that you start to
feel the muscles on the back of your
neck begin to fire what we're going to
do is we're going to hold this for 10 to
30 seconds and we're going to do two to
three sets now we have more neck
movements that we're going to load with
our hand coming in the video so get
ready for a pretty gnarly neck bump and
like I mentioned before do not go to
failure so when it comes to timed
repetitions always stop 5 to 10 seconds
before you know you'll fail for level
two you can do this on a wall or on a
bench to regress it put your hands on
the ground and then over time you can do
it without your hands on the ground
level three is weighted bridges level
four is dynamic weighted Bridges and
level five the chin tuck is your cure
for nerd neck the most advanced version
of chin tucks would be loaded with a
head heart harness yeah we're going to
be using this but once again it's also
just as simple as using your hand and
this is the next movement that we're
going to be doing the hand loaded chin
Tuck take your hand once again to your
forehead use just enough Force to push
your head back tucking your chin and
then have enough resistance in your hand
to push your hand back out so do 10 to
30 repetitions for two to three sets
making sure that you're not pushing so
hard on your head that you start to feel
any type of pain or discomfort this next
one is pretty Advanced but it is great
for the neck if you've already been
working your neck consistantly for a few
months and you don't deal with any type
of neck pain or dysfunction now I know
what I look like with this head harness
but if you have access to a sled and a
little bit of load this is great for
your neck's ability to resist all forms
of flexion people are going to think
you're a bit special though you can sled
forward laterally or backward making
sure your head isn't moved out of POS
position at all by the sled this is key
for safety now that was pillar one but
these next pillars are going to go by
pretty fast pillar two is working our
neck's ability to flex and extend so if
you finished your isometrics we're going
to head into a super set first take your
hand to your forehead and we're going to
do neck flexion so what we're going to
do is again create a little bit of
resistance into your hand and then use
your head and push your head into neck
flexion you're going to feel all these
muscles start to work and come back
going to do this for 10 to 30
repetitions try to go slow and
controlled we're going to do that for
two to three sets but after we do
flexion we're going to super set that
with extension so now we can push our
head into our hands going into extension
you're going to feel the muscles at the
back of your neck begin to Fire and then
we're going to come back to neutral
super set flexion with extension both
two to three sets 10 to 30 repetitions
no pain so to take this further level
one would be manual loaded flexion and
extension with the head harness level
two would be plate loaded flexion and
extension or band loaded flexion
extension you can do this on all fours
or standing and level three would be
plate loaded flexion and extension with
the head harness or a heavier resistance
band your neck is the upper part of your
spine and to improve the way your spine
moves we train it in all of its ranges
of motion the same goes for your neck so
so the third pillar is lateral flexion
to do it with your hand once again take
your hand to the side of your face we're
going to do both sides push your head
into your hand going as far as you can
and then use your hand and push your
head again your head's going to still be
pushing A little bit of your hand to the
other side you're going to do 10 to 30
repetitions on that side and you're also
going to do 10 to 30 repetitions with a
full range of motion on the other side
two to three sets to to progress
movements with lateral flexion level one
would be manual loaded with the head
harness level two would be plate loaded
or loaded with the band and level three
would be plate loaded with a head
harness or once again a heavier
resistance band now on to pillar four
which is rotation hand up again and when
you're done with lateral flexion take
your hand to your face we're going to go
through a full range of motion but again
just enough pressure where you're not
feeling any pain or discomfort push your
head into your hand rotating it and then
rotate it fully to the other side and
then after you do 10 to 30 repetitions
that way you're going to take your hand
again push this
side 10 30 repetitions on the other side
two to three sets to progress rotation
based movements level one would be
loaded manually with the head harness
level two would be plate loaded or band
loaded standing on all fours level three
would be a heavier resistance band and
if you want to take your neck rotation
strength to the next level I got this
thing I want to show you and every
Grappler should get one of these you
should get one for the gym it's called
an iron neck so you strap this thing on
your head you pump it up it's like a
rebok pump remember those pumps where
you press the it gets real tight to your
head and then you're pulling on that
bungee cord that black cord is 50 lbs of
resistance and so I'm pulling back and
he's like straightening out my posture
and then there's resistance and turning
the band yeah I have
one
and I really dig it but I don't think
it's the first thing you need to buy if
you want to strengthen your neck you
have so many options that were mentioned
before that are free or a fraction of
the price but when it comes to all forms
of neck rotation it's probably the
smoothest tool you can use especially
when compared to bands the head harness
or hand loading so for the iron neck the
alpha plus
harness any of these resistance bands or
anything from Iron neck you can use Yang
10 at checkout to save some cash and if
you grab the harness make sure to grab
either the alpha harness or the alpha
harness plus because they're going to
have all the connections that you're
going to need to load your neck in all
the angles we need to load it the dog
gears on the alpha plus harness make the
plate loaded neck work much more
comfortable in pillar five we need to
proceed with caution this is compression
and decompression now you can do
compression decompression with your hand
hands but especially with compression
decompression you need to be careful I
don't want you pushing down on your head
with all the force that you can create
this is something that you need to be
gentle with if you've had neck injuries
or disc injuries then just don't do this
and if you experienced any type of pain
stop immediately but go ahead take your
hands lock your fingers together and
push down slightly on your neck for 10
to 30 seconds we're going to do one to
two sets of this but right after you
finish compression you're going to take
your hands underneath your chin and your
ears and you're going to wiggle up and
pull up for again 10 to 30 seconds we're
going to do this for one to two sets
super set compression with decompression
now for the next movements please
proceed with caution you do want your
neck to have the ability to handle
compressive forces but don't go
overboard you get seriously injured if
you do a Neck Bridge but you don't have
the strength for it did you ever have
neck problems like would you you need
surgery yeah I in my neck you know that
um no why you remember when I used to do
those rolls on my head yes
football destroy they destroy isometrics
are going to put you in a much better
position just basic isometrics are a
great way to go about it um neck Bridges
would not be on that list for me no neck
Bridges folks most experts tell people
not to do neck Bridges and in truth most
people cannot handle them safely you
probably are not ready for them but if
you're a martial artist or a contact
athlete this is a skill I will take time
and build and key word take time don't
do this immediately before doing
regressions build a strong base in your
neck with the movements I mentioned
earlier in this video If you do embark
on building the skill of the Neck Bridge
I would suggest the regressions first
not putting all of your weight into your
neck initially level one would be the
proone Neck Bridge keeping your hands on
the ground so not all of the tension is
in your neck level two would be the pro
Neck Bridge with one hand and level
three would be the pro Neck Bridge with
no hands and next up we're going to use
the head harness to load your neck from
low and high angles because of this your
neck is going to undergo different
levels of compression and decompression
depending on the angle of resistance low
angles are going to provide slight
compression while high angles will give
your neck slight decompression this
pillar of neck training is for more
experienced trainees and it is not day
one work but you can progress to this if
you're confident in your neck's ability
and you've been training your neck for
at least 2 to 3 months consistently also
keep your frequency of compression work
to two to maybe three times a week if
you increase that frequency that's on
you I don't suggest that [Β __Β ] you got to
make sure to do all of this work
conservatively and we'll talk more about
the safety precautions in the last four
pillars but for now let's move on to
pillar six the last Pillar of Strength
work the surrounding neck muscles to
improve your neck's ability to function
hit the traps from all angles with
varying tempos the traps and neck also
benefit from weighted carries and sled
work and the trap three rays and rear
delt work will strengthen the muscles
behind the neck through movement and
isometric strength all these movements
and progressions are programmed into the
intact strength training program for
martial artists and Grapplers now pay
close attention to this next section
because I don't want you breaking your
neck with all the ideas I just gave you
most people don't train their necks
often and no offense but most necks are
weak and yours just might be I'm not
saying it is I'm saying it might be so
please pay attention so you don't break
your [Β __Β ] neck pillar one master
regressions before progressing Master
regressions before progressing Master
regressions before progressing for all
of the neck movements shown there are
regressions which are just easier vers
versions of the most advanced movements
please please please Master regressions
before progressing to more advanced neck
movements many people have dysfunction
in their neck and scapula and if you
begin doing head harness training and
compression training with a weak neck
you could easily injure yourself think
about this if you've never squatted
weight on a bar and then suddenly you
loaded 315 lbs on the barbell do you
think you'd be able to do that
successfully no you'd mess yourself up
and you need to think about your neck in
the same way
so be conservative you'll know you're
ready when the regression is easy and
the more advanced version of the
movement doesn't feel sketchy pillar two
don't aim for more weight aim for
stimulus for your neck don't worry about
how light the weight is does it feel
like it's making your neck work if so
that's good and that's all you need this
is not about ego and it's not a contest
to see who can lift the most weight with
their neck this is about making your
neck stronger and more durable for life
and Sport take your time rushing to do
more weight when you're not ready is an
easy recipe for a neck tweak or worse so
if you load up a crazy amount of weight
and you injure your neck well you're
being an idiot and that's on you pillar
three increase volume and frequency
extremely conservatively for most people
who don't train their necks I'd suggest
starting with 2 to 3 days a week
initially and after 6 to 8 weeks you can
increase your neck frequency to 5 days a
week but this next part is extremely
important be careful with your training
volume don't do six sets of every single
exercise starting with the lowest
regressions do two to three sets of your
choice of movement in the first six
pillars of training pillar four don't go
to failure with your neck load it
lightly and conservatively muscular
failure of the neck is not a situation
that we want to be in when we fail a
bicep curl or a shoulder press we can
just drop the weight but when we fail
flexion and extension with a head
harness or a bridge on a bench well it's
not pretty don't go to muscular or timed
failure with your neck workk always stop
3 to five rep shy of failure for your
repetitions and 5 to 10 seconds shy of
failure for your time sets now I have
some bonus neck workk coming up that's
pretty Advanced and you haven't been
working your neck for more than 6 months
just do not [Β __Β ] with the stuff but
before we get into that I've thrown a
lot of ideas and Concepts to you in this
video and that can be pretty
overwhelming which is why I made this
and a lot more into a full program with
all the tools I've mentioned in the
video there's over over 70 videos with
all the body weight head harness band
movements iron neck movements and sled
movements all the regressions that we
spoke about and more regressions are in
there along with sets and Reps so that
you can progress all these movements
safely but the best feature of all of
this is the form coaching you'll be able
to send your video in doing any of these
movements and within 24 hours you're
going to be able to get a response in
telling you what you need to fix about
your form which is extremely important
and linked Below in the description is
the untapped Discord Group which even if
you're not a member you can join in has
I think over 400 martial artists in
there and you can ask me questions on
nutrition and training and I'll be able
to help you out there so if you want to
access to untapped and untapped neck you
can use my code combat 30 when you sign
up for the atg app to save on your first
month of coaching so I told you this was
coming please don't judge but it might
already be too late for
that this isn't one of the main pillars
but I think it's pretty amazing and if
you proceed you must proceed with
caution I only suggest this for those
who have massive confidence in the
strength of their teeth jaw and neck
ideally you don't want to be a person
who suffers from any type of tooth pain
or pain in the jaw or any type of neck
pain seriously only do this if you have
a solid history of consistent neck
training ideally 6 months or more I
learned this from the legendary Bill MAA
who inspires me every day I see his post
please go follow him because he's just
an awesome dude and as weird as this
sounds lifters have been using their jaw
muscles and their teeth to do movements
for a long long time there are guys who
have lifted up to 600 lbs with their
teeth but since the jaw and the teeth
are interconnected and intertwined with
the neck this can be something that can
really improve the strength of your jaw
and also the strength of your neck you
could use a towel a shirt or the
Jiu-Jitsu belt that you're currently
manifesting the sensation of doing this
work with your jaw and face is unlike
anything I've ever done and I'm
personally pretty excited to progress
this hey I'm giving you the option I can
feel you judging me you don't have to do
this so there you have it go forth and
build the thick juicy or just the strong
neck of your dreams and if you enjoyed
this video go and check out this one
where I talk about the concepts to keep
your body resilient for Jiu-Jitsu and
martial arts for decades to come so that
you don't end up getting sidelined in
your first few years of training like a
lot of people do
so click it I think you'll like it
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