Neck

[bignasty105]

What are some exercsies, that help develope the muscles in the neck; which would make it bigger, and stronger?

[Terry Monk]

Shrugs will help. Squats and other compound exercises and eating A LOT. I've been bulking for the last 14 weeks and I've added 2" on my neck. No shit. I went from 16" to 18" at last measurement Sunday. My old dress shirts don't button anymore. I've done NO isolation work on my neck at all. The closest thing was shrugs.

I know in the golden days of bodybuilding there were those devices that you'd put over your head and would have a chain to hang a weight from. I don't see much of that anymore and probably for good reason.... I doubt that was such a great idea. It probably caused more problems that it helped. Someone like Bill Hartman could probably tell you more about what harm it could do vs. good.
I guess to summarize, I would suggest full body routines with a focus on compounds. Build your whole body and the weakest parts will follow.

Hope that helps some. Good luck.

[Irishdazza]

Boxers stand on their heads....but remember what most of their heads look like....

[Lou Schuler]

Believe it or not, a study was published in 1997 regarding this very question:


Specificity of resistance training responses in neck muscle size and strength.

Conley MS, Stone MH, Nimmons M, Dudley GA.

Department of Exercise Science, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA.

This study examined hypertrophy after head extension resistance training to assess which muscles of the complicated cervical neuromuscular system were used in this activity. We also determined if conventional resistance exercises, which are likely to evoke isometric action of the neck, induce generalized hypertrophy of the cervical muscle. ...


The study concluded that direct neck exercises did produce neck hypertrophy, but a general strength-training program didn't.

I don't think I've read the full study (if I did it was a long time ago), so I'm not sure if the training program in the RES group included shrugs or deadlifts.

Before seeing this, I would've agreed with Gymrat, and I'm still not sure that I disagree. I mean, food itself is anabolic, so if you're eating enough to gain weight, and training hard, you're probably going to get bigger everywhere, including your neck.

And, of course, if you're doing enough hGH for your head to grow a few sizes, you can expect your neck to bulk up proportionately. In scientific circles, it's called the "Barry Bonds effect."

[Newlife]

I have a neck harness with chain. I Don't use it too much, but sometime I'll load it up and do extensions. I feel it has a place in training, but agree if anything it should be added to a workout with larger compound movements.

APT sells them and it is a quality product.

[Lost Dog]

I think that when your neck isn't that big, it grows from just being tensed up during other things. I do no "neck work." Even shrugs are a rarity.

Many of my measurements have stayed the same, but my neck has grown 1/2" over the past month or so. My face, too. It's hard to measure your face (since the numbers look all backward in the mirror and you have to lift the tape a bit to see under it ), but I can tell that my face looks less skinny, as well. I believe it's from clenching my teeth and jaw during heavy lifting and when I'm praying not to drop the bar when my grip feels like it's slipping.

[Terry Monk]

LD - I knew there were other measurements I should be taking during my bulking phase... my face. [img]tongue.gif[/img] j/k [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[bignasty105]

Thanks guys

[Lost Dog]

Originally posted by gymrat:
LD - I knew there were other measurements I should be taking during my bulking phase... my face. [img]tongue.gif[/img] j/k [img]tongue.gif[/img]

You're missing the boat! How will you know if you've grown, man?

That being said, I try not to do any direct face work, since it's all isolations... But, when I do DLs toward a mirror, I can tell I'm workin' the face muscles, too!