No part of the body demonstrates physical power so visibly and clearly as a strong muscular neck. And no wonder, because this muscle group is always in sight. Strong neck muscles play a key role in many sports. For example, in contacts. A powerful neck will not allow an opponent to tear off your head and take it with him as a "trophy". But even if your plans do not include a duel with the world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, regular training of the cervical muscles will not hurt. Moreover, it won't take much of your time. About 5-10 minutes once or twice a week is enough. Some believe that the neck cannot be worked out as a separate muscle group: this allegedly violates the proportionality of the physique, in the sense that it visually makes the shoulders narrower. What nonsense! Is it really better when the head dangles around the neck, like a ball of dandelion on a thin stem? No, guys, the same law applies to the neck as to the biceps: the more, the better! By the way, to the attention of those "aesthetes" who strive for ideal proportions. One old axiom says: biceps, calves and neck should have the same circumference. So figure out if everything is in order with your neck.

Angles of attack

The musculature of the neck consists of a dozen different muscles. This is why the neck is much more "mobile" than any other part of the body. The inevitable retribution for such hypermobility is a high probability of injury. So it is necessary to work out the cervical muscles with extreme caution. And if you have problems with the neck, be sure to consult with the surgeon about the permissible loads. One important point: thoroughly warm up before each exercise on the neck muscles. Before starting a "working" set, do 1-2 light warm-ups. In other words, if your complex consists of four exercises, you should do at least four warm-up sets. A lot of? Only at first glance. In fact, these sets will take you a few minutes, but they will help you to reliably avoid injuries by preparing the neck muscles for stress. Keep this in mind, even if you completely forget all the other tips from this article. The neck is able to move in three planes - longitudinal, transverse and vertical. Thanks to this, the head can take thousands of different positions. But since we are primarily interested in training the muscles of the neck, we will simplify the complex system of movements. Let us exclude those that are performed relatively vertical axis (rotational): for example, "shaking" your head from side to side when you say "no". Loading the neck in this plane, you risk damaging it. In addition, for the growth of strength and "mass" such movements do not give anything. To achieve maximum effect, it is best to work in two planes: the so-called sagittal (dividing the body into left and right halves) and horizontal (dividing the body into "front" and "back" parts). Movements in these two planes can be graphically depicted as intersecting lines (see "Planes of Movement"). Some neck muscles also work when lifting the shoulders, but only to a small extent. The shoulder girdle is driven mainly by the trapezoids and the levator scapulae. As you train your shoulders and back, don't forget to shrugs and pull up to your chin. Then your neck will merge with your back and shoulders into a single powerful whole.

Exercises

So, I offer you three types of movements: extension of the neck, flexion and tilting of the head to the sides. During extension, the main load falls on the plaster muscles of the head and neck, semispinalis muscles of the head and neck, raising the scapulae, upper rectifiers of the spine and trapezium. Do you know how neck extensions used to be done? They put a noose on the head, attached a load to it - and forward. I met this instrument of torture at the age of 17. The power that it developed turned out to be too tough for me at that time. In addition, the noose constantly slipped off the head. It is difficult to say what was the reason for this - bad biomechanics or my then hairstyle. In any case, I threw the damn device in the trash and began to look for something more efficient.

Neck extensions in the Smith machine

The best neck extension exercise I know of was taught to me by a guy named "Crazy". When I first saw how he shakes his neck, I thought: like this kamikaze! But then I tried it myself and discovered with amazement: this exercise is not only fantastically effective, but also absolutely safe! Set the bench in the Smith machine horizontally, as for the bench press. Fix the bar of the bar at such a level that you can freely take the starting position. Use a soft roller bar or place a folded towel over the base of the skull. Then bring your head under the bar so that it rests on the towel as close to the base of the skull as possible. Lean straight on the bench with both hands under the bar, leave one foot on the floor, and put the other knee on the bench. Fix the position of the torso, keep your back parallel to the floor. If necessary, ask your partner to lift the bar. Bend your head so that your chin touches your chest. Then slowly begin to straighten your neck until your face is about "halfway" from horizontal to vertical. Remember, your partner has to be on the alert all the time! To get comfortable with the technique, start with a minimal load, say, with a neck without plates. Do two sets of 12 reps (not counting the warm-up). This is a difficult exercise that a beginner is unlikely to cope with. Even if we are talking about one "naked" neck. Didn't work? Then try your luck on one of the special neck extension machines.

Neck extension in a quadrilateral simulator

In my opinion, the four-sided Nautilus remains the best of the "neck" simulators to this day. My friend, now a professional bodybuilder, and a famous football player in the past, agrees with this. “I practiced a lot on the Nautilus,” he says. “And it helped me a lot. During the game, you constantly hit the ball with your head. And if it wasn’t for the powerful neck, I probably wouldn’t have lasted so long in football.” The key to technical extensions in the machine is the correct position of the torso. In the starting position, the back is straight, the head is pressed against the headrest, and the chin is approximately 2.5 cm from the chest. Put your hands on the handles and lean on them - this will help maintain a straight body position and eliminate even minimal back extension. Everything below the neck must be absolutely still. The neck extension in the simulator consists, in fact, of two movements: first, a press up and back (the head returns to a neutral position), then a light press back and down (the face rises to the ceiling). At the end of the extension, the face is turned to a point that is about halfway between the wall and the ceiling. Do warm-up sets first, then two working sets of 12 reps. The second movement for the development of the cervical muscles is flexion. You lower your head down towards your chest, trying to touch it with your chin. In this case, the main load falls on the sternocleidomastoid, sternohyoid and stylohyoid muscles.

Lying neck flexion

At first glance, this exercise may seem barbaric. But believe me, there is nothing more effective for the front of the neck. Lie across a horizontal bench so that your neck can move freely, but your shoulders rest on the entire surface of the bench. Fold the towel into a triangle and place it on the bridge of your nose. Then put a pancake (which you can do) on this "litter". Pressing it against your forehead, tilt your head back to about 45 degrees below neutral. Then lift it up until your chin touches your chest. After warming up, do two sets of 12 reps.

Flexion of the neck on a four-way simulator

Here again, the correct position of the body is fundamentally important. To start, stand up straight. It's not that easy: many "neck" trainers have too much resistance. Hold the weight with your hands until you reach the starting position, then grab the handles and begin to bend your neck. The movement is smooth, arched, forward and downward. When the chin is about 5-2.5 cm from the chest, stop and return to the starting position. Do not tilt your neck back beyond the neutral position, otherwise you will have to arch your back. The number of sets and repetitions is the same as on the lying bends.

Head tilts to the sides in a four-sided simulator

Movement here occurs in a horizontal (longitudinal) plane. You will try to touch your shoulder with your ear - bend your neck and tilt your head, in one direction or another. The main work is performed by the sternocleidomastoid muscles, the plaster muscles of the head and neck, the semispinous muscles of the head and neck, the anterior and middle scalene muscles. Personally, I think that it is best to work them out on the same four-sided simulator. "Manually" with all your desires, you will not be able to pump up the lateral muscles of the neck. And again, the maximum effect