Neck Strength

[Rev]

This dude's neck is thick as hell, he is a world class wrestler and has been his whole life so I would guess wrestling has something to do with his neck/back developement. He is also the prime example of what I want to look like muscularly (aesthetic goals), it just so happens that he is brutally strong as well so I think there is a definate connection between his strength and physical developement. These guys are always in and out of chokes and have to learn how to fight chokes off of their neck so I would guess that may have something to do with it as well.

I am curious if anyone knows of any methods or techniques to improve one's neck strength and to increase neck width. I figured someone would say deadlifts or shrugs, I am not totally certain to how well those play into neck strength and neck width (hypertrophy) so maybe someone could give a few words on it. All I know about deadlifts increasing neck hypertrophy would be that I've done deadlifts for about a year and my neck has gotten thicker, but when I cut body fat my neck width decreases even while I'm still doing deadlifts which may have just been an error in diet and a loss of mass so you can see how I can't really go by this...as far as neck strength I don't know. I do know that after performing snatch grip high pulls I would experience soreness from my upper traps up into my neck, but again what that is doing for neck strength or neck hypertrophy I don't know, I didn't stick with it long enough to find out. Maybe Kuri will stumble upon this thread and give his two cents on the wrestling/grappling effects on neck strength and hypertrophy. Thanks for reading!

Nate

[Axis]

Tips from CT

Shrug Science, and part 2

[McCarley]

I don't know if you're familiar with this site or not: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/MMale.html click on the neck and then follow this "movement" links for each set of fibers. I hope this helps.

[Rev]

Total sweetness, thank you gentlemen.

[emartin10]

Rev-

I saw a guy in the gym yesterday that did this:

1. Took a weighted dip belt
2. Attached a weight to it
3. Leaned over as if he were going to do a BB Row
4. Put the weight belt around his head and tighted it up
5. Nodded is head back and forth with the weight strapped to his forehead.

I was laughing so hard, I had to take a break. I wanted to go ask him what the functional purpose of that lift was. I understand the need for a stronger neck in something like wrestling, but the way he was doing it was hilarious. Anway...

[jruck37]

emartin10-
Acutally, a guy that I played football with in high school brought something specifically designed to do that. It looked like the lining for a hat, with a chain attached to it. He stuck a 25 on the end of the chain and went to town. It was hillarious.

This guy was an All State wrestler, so I have a feeling he knew what he was doing.

[emartin10]

Sorry, double post

[emartin10]

Yeah, that's exactly what it was. So funny. Although, this guy was NOT a wrestler at all. He looked like a leprechan.

[jruck37]

What, leprechauns can't wrestle??

[emartin10]

LOL, I'm sure they can. I bet they're biters.

[kuri]

Those neck belts that had a pocket kinda thing for your head used to be common in gyms and I think wrestlers and boxers still use them.

Nate, have you checked out any books by Matt Furey? matt Furey site
One of my old grappling instructors swore by his neck bridge excercises.

Basically if you do alot of grappling your neck will get strong due to the bridge positions you will constantly be in. A common warmup in most any grappling system are neck bridges - but you've got to take it slow, real slow, and do them right so as not to injure yourself. And you don't need to go all the way to your nose either, thats more a function of back flexibility than neck strength.

heres a howto: Wrestler's Bridge

Happy Rolling!

[vandamme]

that guy has no pecs

[emartin10]

But looking at the pic, it looks like he's an Ultimate Fighter, so I'm sure he doesn't care too much. He just knows he could kill a dude about 100 different ways.

[vandamme]

i'm not talking about his martial art training or skill i'm talking about his phsique which was originally the intent of this thread i beleive.
his chest looks falt to me which looks odd.

[Rev]

Originally posted by vandamme:
i'm not talking about his martial art training or skill i'm talking about his phsique which was originally the intent of this thread i beleive.
his chest looks falt to me which looks odd.

Well I was mainly directing thought traffic towards having a strong neck and traps. I also think the thicker the neck, traps, and back in general the better!!!! A couple of my buddies say the same thing about his pecs, oh well, these guys aren't bodybuilders, just tough and strong dudes. I've read he squats and benches insane numbers for his weight of 170-190.

[emartin10]

I know vandamme, I'm just screwing around man.

[vandamme]

looks almost like his delts come infront of his pecs. just looks like his shoulders and traps overpower the rest of him which to me is not very pleasing to the eye. also what are "insane" numbers?

[Rev]

Originally posted by vandamme:
looks almost like his delts come infront of his pecs. just looks like his shoulders and traps overpower the rest of him which to me is not very pleasing to the eye. also what are "insane" numbers?

I think the powerful back look is badass. I'm sure he would fail bodybuilding competitions misserably, but who cares about bodybuilding? KIDDING vandamme, lol [img]tongue.gif[/img] . I don't know any actual numbers sadly (I probably shouldn't have mentioned him lifting "insane numbers"). I'd love to know what kind of weightage he moves around in the gym. I've just read quotes like, "Incredible brute strength" by all the anouncers and by his past competitor Frank Trigg "He may be able to bench and squat all the weight in the world but, etc etc".

[puppet]

I saw his fight with Trigg. He's a great fighter thats why he's a 5-time champion I believe.