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Building Neck and Body Power - Part 1

By Bob Drucker

My family and I recently returned from a long and very enjoyable vacation in West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. We got plenty of exercise on this trip. We hiked at the New River Gorge in Southern West Virginia and in the Shenandoah National Park, which is about 75 miles west of Washington D.C. Each of these two spots are very scenic, and the many trails each offers provide plenty of aerobic fitness.

We also did a great deal of walking throughout Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle (colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown). Three ships, the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery, each loaded with passengers and cargo, left the English shore in December of 1607 and arrived in Virginia in the spring of 1607. Upon arrival on a site on the banks of the James River, 104 men and boys created what was to be America's first permanent English settlement. Today this location is known as the Jamestown Settlement. The story behind this journey and the development of America's first Settlement involves bravery, strength, and endurance on the highest order. It a superb story and worth looking into further if you ever need motivation to keep you going along a rough path.

The vast walking we did in scenic and historic places was educational and big fun, but swimming at some of the best beaches along the eastern coast was the highlight of the trip. We went to three different spots - Virginia Beach, Rehoboth Beach (Delaware), and my favorite of them all, a little known but very pleasant beach along the Delaware Bay in Lewes.

Now, what does all this vacation stuff have to do with neck training and the development of physical power? Well, a lot, actually. First, the only strength-training exercises that I did while we were on vacation was the wrestler's bridge and the neck curl. Second, I worked these two exercises in the common fitness room of the various hotels that we stayed at.

Third, the crowd in each fitness room went into a state of stupor each time I walked in and started doing bridges or neck curls. Nobody, I mean nobody, had ever seen either of these two movements, and I cannot described the stares I got when I performed them. Many people in the fitness room dropped their cookies or their rubber-coated dumbbells in disbelief when I showed them what real power training is all about. I must have distracted them from the multi-sets of light dumbbell curls or leg extensions that they were doing. I also interrupted the television program they were watching. One skinny guy even warned me that I may break my neck "doing that kind of stuff."

Fourth, on our drive heading back to Kentucky, we stopped at one of our favorite used book stores, Wonder Book and Video in Frederick, Maryland. Before the start of our trip, I had a premonition that there was going to be something very special in this store waiting for me when I arrived. My premonition turned out to be true. I left Wonder Book and Video with a rare and first-edition copy of Secrets of Strength, the classic book written by "America's Leading Director of Physical Education", Earle Liederman. This book was published in 1925, and it a true classic. Liederman was also famous for his extraordinary neck development, and he was an advocate of the wrestler's bridge.

Fifth, and finally, I got the idea for writing a detailed article about bridging and the neck curl while we were driving across Maryland's Bay Bridge, which takes Route 50 across the Chesapeake Bay between the Kent Island and Annapolis. This bridge is one of the longest over water structures in the world, and it is quite a thing to see and experience. The only other bridges that I have been more impressed with are the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which crosses the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and connects the city of Virginia Beach with Virginia's Eastern Shore, and the wrestler's bridge. Okay, bad joke. But, now you can understand why driving across The Bay Bridge led me to think about neck training.

Speaking of bridges, I can bore you to death with numerous stories about the making of Seven Mile Bridge and the original Florida East Coast Railway. But, I'll spare you from them today. However, be warned that some of these stories are bound to surface in future Oldtime-Lifting articles.

Two years ago, I was talking with my wife about making some improvements to our house. I was quite surprised when she suddenly changed the topic and declared, "Rob, your legs and arms are huge, but your neck is skinny." "Skinny!", I moaned in embarrassment. "Yes, you heard me. SKINNY.", she replied.

While I appreciated hearing the truth, my wife's critical words carved through me like a sharp knife. Since that embarrassing moment, I have been determined to replace my "skinny" neck with one of great power and size. This has been no easy task, for I was born with a thin neck, and it remained weak for over 40 years. I should also point out that until a few years ago, I never once trained my neck. In retrospect, this was a huge mistake. But, over the last year or so, I have made HUGE improvements by doing two powerful exercises, the neck curl and the wrestler's bridge. You too can add inches of powerful muscle to your neck by doing these two result-producing exercises.

If you believe that the neck curl or the wrestler's bridge is good only for building the neck, you may be surprised to learn that both of these movements build muscular power across the entire body. This is why I get away with doing just these two exercises while on lengthy vacations. And, with a little ingenuity, you can do either of these two powerful exercises practically anywhere. A gym is not required!

The neck curl will build a bigger neck for sure, but it also builds the chest muscles, stretches the rib box, strengthens the calves, adds power to the midsection, develops the upper muscles of the back, and strengthens various stabilizer muscles. The neck curl may look like an isolation exercise at first glance, but it is a true and complex compound movement. Try it as illustrated below and you will discover this fact for yourself.

The wrestler's bridge is one of the best strength-building exercises that you can possibly do. This exercise will not only give you a bigger and stronger neck, it will strengthen the hips, the legs, and the entire back to a large degree. The bridge will also greatly improve the flexibility of the spine, and it will build tremendous overall body power and coordination by "teaching" the major skeletal muscles of the body to work together in perfect harmony. As such, practice of the bridge will dramatically enhance neuromuscular coordination and timing skills.

While I prefer performing the neck curl to build the front of the neck, I consider the wrestler's bridge, as described in this article, to be the finest builder for the back of the neck and trapezius muscles. Combined, the neck curl and the wrestler's bridge give complete neck development. It is for this reason that I find it unnecessary to practice any other "neck" exercises. The bridge and the curl covers it all.

My experience has shown me that neck training is best followed either directly after back training or after working the squat exercise. Leg and back work limbers up the various muscles along the spine, and this makes follow-up neck training easier, safer, and more productive. I personally work the neck curl once a week following heavy standing barbell presses. On the other end of the week, I work the wrestler's bridge following one set of all-out breathing squats. As the neck curl can be a superb rib-box stretcher, I sometimes also perform a set of this exercise with a relatively light weight immediately after my squats. The emphasis here is on deep breathing, higher reps, and a thorough expansion of the ribcage, rather than on heavy neck work. The neck curl is a marvelous exercise for ribcage expansion when performed as described in this article, especially when done in conjunction with breathing squats.

The need to warm-up properly before training the neck with high intensity cannot be overemphasized. Additionally, other preliminary actions can be taken to minimize the risk of injury and ensure a productive neck workout. Below are key neck-training safety and preparation tips worth paying attention to.

Tips for Training Your Neck Safely and Productively

1. Train your neck after first training your back or your legs. Doing so will limber up the muscles along the spine and aid flexibility.
2. Prior to performing heavy neck work, repeatedly incline your head forward, backward, and to both sides while using your arms for moderate resistance. One or two "easy" sets of 10 to 20 reps in each of the four directions is usually sufficient. See accompanying photos.
3. Pyramid the neck curl and wrestler's bridge (if additional weight is used) by starting each movement with a light weight and working up in weight with each set.
4. While performing a neck exercise, use impeccable form at all times. Each rep of the neck curl or wrestler's bridge should be done in a fully controlled manner, without jerking, bouncing, or excessive strain. If you cannot perform each rep with complete and deliberate control, the weight is too heavy.


Another good neck warm-up exercise - head movement with light resistance to the front. Supply resistance with both of your arms. Repeat exercise by moving the head back and with the hands held behind the head. Photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

5. Do not get carried away with using super heavy poundages. Instead, use a moderate weight for your neck exercises and perform your reps slowly and in perfect style. This approach will reduce stress on your spinal column and minimize the potential risk for injury.
6. Never force a movement if you feel pain anywhere along your neck or spinal column. If pain develops, immediately stop what you are doing. Continue with your neck exercise only after you have made the necessary adjustments to ensure your safety.
7. If you are new to the wrestler's bridge, work up to full form slowly, and don't even think about using added resistance until you have first mastered the movement with just your bodyweight. If you are too weak or too inflexible to perform the bridge as shown in this article, start with partial movements and gradually build up to full form. You can also use your arms and legs to assist with this exercise until your strength builds up.
8. For your work sets, stop the neck curl or the wrestler's bridge just shy of the point where you can no longer perform the exercise in reasonably good form. I do not advise training the neck to total failure. Doing so could cause your exercise form to degrade to the point where the risk of injury is significantly magnified.

How To Perform The Neck Curl Exercise

To get the most from the neck curl, you will need a barbell, a flat weight bench, a pair of barbell stands, and a small pad. For best results, be sure to do all of the barbell handling and maneuver work by yourself. Do not allow your training partner to hand you or remove the working weight, and do not drop the barbell onto the floor at the conclusion of a set. Positioning and maneuvering the barbell in this exercise, as described below, builds great power in the legs, the chest, the back, the shoulders, the arms, and in the various core and stabilizer muscles. If you neglect the handling portions of this exercise, you will rob yourself these valuable power-building benefits.

STEP 1

Begin the neck curl by sitting upright on your bench as shown by Photo 1. Grasp onto the padded barbell and remove it from the stands. Once the weight is lifted off of the bench stands, keep your muscles "tight" and hold onto the bar with a rugged grip. Then start to descend downward while holding firmly onto the barbell by doing a reverse sit-up.

STEP 2

As you descend downward while holding the weight, your whole body will be under great tension, and your thighs, calves, abs, chest, back, shoulders, and arms will bulge. Lower yourself SLOWLY, especially as you approach the mid position shown by Photo 2. Doing so will maximize the resultant muscle tension and make this exercise more effective for building overall body strength and power. Note how I keep my feet flat on the floor.

STEP 3

Continue to slowly descend your upper body until your back rests flat on the bench top. Once your back is flat on the bench, your shoulders should rest across the bench's edge as shown by Photo 3. In this position, your head will be free to move up and down without restraint. Adjust your position, if necessary, by scooting yourself backwards or forwards.

STEP 4

While keeping your back flat on the bench, move your head forward and bring the barbell towards your forehead as shown by Photo 4. Alternatively, you can raise your back slightly off the bench to make it easier to place the weight. You will need to experiment a bit to determine the best resting position of the barbell for you. I like to place the bar high on my forehead, as the barbell provides maximum torque effect at this location.

STEP 5

Once the weight is placed on your forehead, position yourself into the starting position as shown in Photo 5. Your head should be up, your back flat on the bench, and your feet flat on the floor. Do not over-round your shoulders in an attempt to get your head higher. Doing so will place too much emphasis on the waist muscles and cause them to give out before your neck can be sufficiently taxed. Also, if your head is raised too high, your arms and shoulders will end up absorbing much of the weight load.

STEP 6

Slowly lower your head while keeping the barbell in place across your forehead. Keep the movement under control at all times, and pause briefly in the mid position, as shown by Photo 6. Near the mid position, the effective barbell resistance will be at a maximum because the forehead will be positioned in the direct line of gravity. A slight pause while the head is in the mid position will cause almost every skeletal muscle in the body to contract with great intensity. These intense contractions, in turn, aid in the development of body strength and power.

STEP 7

After a brief pause in the mid position, inhale slowly and deeply as you continue to lower your head towards the bottom position. Try to peak your inhalation at the point where your head reaches the bottom position (Photo 7). Pause briefly at the bottom position and really give your rib box a good stretch. You can expect to obtain a larger chest if you practice this technique consistently.

Step 8

After a brief pause and deep inhalation at the bottom position, exhale and SLOWLY start raising your head towards the mid position (Photo 6). As before, once you reach the mid position you should pause the weight briefly. Then, continue to slowly raise your head until you reach the top position (Photo 5). This completes the first repetition. Pause briefly, and then repeat this exercise, as described above, for the desired number of reps, or until you come close to reaching failure.

STEP 9

After the completion of your last rep, return the weight to the bench stands by "sitting up" with the weight as shown by Photo 9. Note that the barbell must not dropped onto the floor or taken by your training partner. You must place it back on bench stands without assistance and with brute strength if you want to develop maximum muscle power. Be prepared for some serious abs punishment during this final step.

Weight, Reps, Sets, and All That

After about six or seven months of practicing the neck curl, I worked up to some rather heavy poundages. I pushed myself hard to increase the weight on the bar as much and as fast as possible, and I utilized a relatively low-rep scheme, about 4 to 6 counts for my heaviest sets.

Working up to a relatively heavy weight in the neck curl offers a couple of advantages. First, it is psychologically pleasing to see a lot of iron on the bar, and big iron can be quite an ego booster. Second, a heavier poundage makes it more difficult to take the barbell from the bench stands (Step 1), to lower yourself from the sitting to the lying-down position (Step 2), and to return the barbell to the bench stands after the last rep (Step 9). The extra effort to complete these steps results in greater overall body power and strength.

Despite these two advantages, however, using too much weight in the neck curl (or any other exercise) can invite some troubles. I have found that too much focus on using "ego-pleasing" weights inevitably leads to poor exercise performance and an increased likelihood of neck strain or injury.

A few months ago, I videotaped my neck-curl workout for the first time. Upon reviewing my performance, I was quite surprised to see that my exercise form was not very good. My movements were sudden and jerky, and I rounded my shoulders off of the bench rather excessively as I curled the mammoth weight upward. I also failed to pause briefly at the top, middle, and bottom positions as advocated in this article. In short, I was using too much weight, and my exercise performance was adversely affected as a result. Rather than moving the barbell under strict control with sheer muscle power alone, I inadvertently was relying on outside momentum forces to "carry" the weight for me.

Subsequent to my video critique, I started performing the neck curl with a much lighter weight, but with superior form. I was quite surprised to discover just how hard and productive the neck curl can be when performed with a relatively light weight, if the movement is done slowly and relatively strictly. Whereas I had previously used up to 135 pounds in this movement, I found myself using a mere 40 to 50 pounds during my last neck-curl workout. The lighter weight allowed me to really concentrate on pure muscular exertion and deep breathing, and strain on my neck vertebrae was significantly reduced.

My preference now is to generally utilize a relatively light weight while performing the neck curl and focus on superb form and deep breathing. I believe that this approach is most effective for neck and rib-box development, and it is inherently safer. Nonetheless, I continue to work up to relatively heavy weights during my neck curl workout on an occasional basis to build greater overall body strength and power.

The neck tends to respond best when relatively high reps are employed with light to moderate poundages. Furthermore, for safety reasons, low-rep, high-force power training should not be practiced while performing neck exercises of any kind - at least not without a great deal of caution and experience. Extreme force on the neck vertebrae can cause injury and permanent damage, and care must be taken to ensure that excessive stress is not placed on the neck's support structure. Few things in life are more painful and debilitating than a neck injury.

I cannot say for certain how often the neck should be trained for the achievement of optimal results. However, I have attained good results by working both the neck curl and the wrestler's bridge just once a week. My preference for the neck curl is to begin the exercise, after a general neck warm-up as described above, with an empty bar and progressively increase the weight with each successive set. Pyramiding the weight in this fashion minimizes the risk of injury and prepares the neck muscles for maximum power output. The number of neck-curl sets I do depends upon how heavy I work the exercise. As a general rule, however, I do no more than two or three "all-out" sets of neck curls in any one workout.

A typical neck-curl workout for me now looks like this:

Set 1: Warm-up with empty barbell – 20 reps
Set 2: 20 lbs x 15 reps
Set 3: 40 lbs x 15-20 reps - all out effort
Set 4: 50 lbs x 10 – 15 reps - all out effort

During such a workout, as you can see, relatively light weights are employed. Here the focus is on near-perfect exercise form and deep breathing for rib-box expansion. However, as mentioned previously, on occasion I will work the neck curl with a looser style and with much heavier weights. Such a workout goes like this:

Set 1: Warm-up with empty barbell – 20 reps
Set 2: 50 lbs x 15 reps
Set 3: 70 lbs x 12 reps
Set 4: 90 lbs x 6 reps
Set 5: 110 lbs x 6 to 8 reps - all out effort
Set 6: 120 lbs x 5 to 7 reps - all out effort

Although I have described how I practice the neck curl, you will be able to determine the workout formula that is best suited for yourself only through trial and error. If you have never practiced this exercise, I strongly recommend starting it with light weights. And, be sure to perfect your form before working up to heavy iron. Remember that good form and the elimination of outside momentum forces will minimize the risk of injury, and such a style of training will generally yield better results.

This concludes Part 1 of Building Neck and Body Power. I hope that you will benefit from it. As always, your comments are welcome. In Part 2 of this article, we will look at the wrestler's bridge in great detail, and we will see how to employ this exercise to pack on many pounds of athletic muscle. Stay tuned.

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© 2012 Rob Drucker

contact email address: robdrucker@musclesofiron.com