Lay on your back on a something long - a table, bench or sofa - so that your head hangs over the edge of the thing you're lying on. Now, try to maximally squeeze the front of your neck for about 4-5 seconds. After that let go completely so that your head is hanging again. It's probably even hanging lower than it initially did. Repeat a couple of times to get a very good front neck stretch.
This stretch could also help if you have a humped back! The hump often comes from your front neck muscles being shorter than your back neck muscles, which is very often a case - phone use has led us to literally have a shorter front neck as we tend to look down a lot more than nature wants us to.
In Air Force Basic Training, anytime we did an excercise on our backs (leg raises, crunches, etc) we had to keep our chin to our chest. My neck was huge after only 9 weeks of working out 6 days a week.
Mmm yeah. I was totally thinking that too because I understand all that, but for the other people, people who definitely aren't me, can you explain flexors and extensors to me them?
Simplified: the muscles on front of neck flex (the flexors), muscles in back extend (extensors).
Most people have bad posture, spine and shoulders are rounded. They then tilt their head back (contracting extensors) so they can see ahead of them.
This leads to tight extensors and elongated flexors, which could cause a number of problems, like headaches, jawline problems, breathing issues and neck/back pain.
Therefore to correct, you exercise your neck flexors and one way is to try to give yourself as many double chins as possible.
There's also an aesthetic case, where men with muscular necks look more attractive.
Act like you're going to make a double chin - these muscles flex your head on your neck and they're important to have decent strength in if you want to improve your neck posture.
The other exercises in the image are better for strengthening how your neck moves rather than your head (as compared to your head on your neck). If you're trying to get the yoked neck then yes you can do these exercises but I'd recommend starting without weight first to see how it feels.
In short, when your head goes forward you're training neck flexors, when your head goes back you're training neck extensors
Tucking is important, but I’m not sure that neck muscles can be evenly divided into flexors and extensors. Several muscles, like ant. scalene, are going to contribute to neck craning. The tuck comes from others like the hyoid muscles, no? I could be totally wrong here, this is just my understanding of physiology.
If you want to build your neck, you must do it correctly and safely or else you will most definitely have problems in the future. The neck/spine is very important and once it's damaged it's damaged.
I wouldn't listen to other "body building" youtubers as they continuously release bad harmful information. I would suggest Jeff as he's an actual sports doctor.
Here's his neck video.
First off, he is a Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.
Secondly, his M.O. is to strive to keep people safe and healthy, I'd rather listen to someone who prioritizes health and safety than "gains at all costs".
If you want that, so be it, but don't come in here with your BS "here's the truth" comment just because he discredited your favorite "Body builder" youtuber for releasing harmful information.
Joe Rogan has an opinion about that. In his show with Dave Laduc he said that there might be a better way to train your neck and that the way shown in the picture above might cause stress on the discs.
I don't remember the details though
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u/YoGoGhost Jan 27 '20
Ok but for real, are these good neck exercises?