Anybody else workout their neck?

[Hogsmo Kramer]

I know it's a weird question to ask but just was curious if anyone else works out their neck with specific exercises?

I just started doing neck specific exercises like the old school neck harness, etc. again just recently and I swear its changed the way my physique looks.

What prompted me to start working my neck again was I was going through some older photos from like 10 years ago when I was playing college ball and man did my neck and traps look a ton bigger. It made me look like a pencil neck in my more recent photos so I decided to start doing some of the old exercises I used to do back in the day.

So after a steady dose of snatch grip high pulls, cleans, neck flexion and extension exercises, heavy face pulls, etc. for a couple months my "yoke" and neck seem to be growing like crazy.

Anyway it has been well worth it focusing on these areas again and I'm happy to say there's no more pencil neck and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in gaining a more "powerful" football player type look.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

Well I figured I'd respond back to my own thread, lame I know but oh well I'm bored.

Anyway did some heavy snatch grip high pulls yesterday along with some deads and some assistance work and Holy crap my traps are sore as frick all the way down to my middle back and up to my neck.

Also threw in some direct neck work too.

Overall a good heavy workout, can't beat it!

[H&D]

I need to do some direct neck work.  Since putting on about 15lbs over the last few months none of my dress shirts fit anyways, I might as well keep going. I'm going to start looking around for a head harness. I know I could just order one, but I enjoy the hunt of finding stuff gym stuff really cheap.

On deadlift day I do heavy shrugs as my assistance work, I want to see how my shoulder will do with behind the back grip shrugs, but I'm chicken. 

[clutch]

I do a lot of shrugs and high pulls, but don't really do any direct neck work like with the harness. I'm really wanting my traps to get big.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

I need to do some direct neck work.  Since putting on about 15lbs over the last few months none of my dress shirts fit anyways, I might as well keep going. I'm going to start looking around for a head harness. I know I could just order one, but I enjoy the hunt of finding stuff gym stuff really cheap.

On deadlift day I do heavy shrugs as my assistance work, I want to see how my shoulder will do with behind the back grip shrugs, but I'm chicken.

Man I haven't done behind the back shrugs in a while, might have to throw those back in myself.

Not sure how your shoulder is but if it can handle it those high pulls are awesome for the traps (regular or snatch grip). I'm sure you already know but if not its kinda like an upright row but with a lot more body English and you're not pulling the bar as high so it's easier on the shoulders (at least it is for me).

Anyway congrats on the 15 pounds that's a significant gain and its always sweet when the shirts start to get tight around the shoulders, arms, and chest.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

I do a lot of shrugs and high pulls, but don't really do any direct neck work like with the harness. I'm really wanting my traps to get big.

See you and H&D are my kinda peeps.

As much as I like big arms and stuff a set of traps like a brahma bull and a neck as thick as most people's thighs just give a don't frick with me look you can't get from other things. 

As far as the neck work I've been surprised since throwing it in how it's helped build my traps. I sometimes do a superset of shrugs, neck harness, and either facepulls or band pull aparts and it torches my traps from the base of my head all the way to the bottom of my shoulder blades but I don't seem to get the same effect without the neck work in there. It seems to hit areas of my traps I can't get any other way.

Also if you don't have a harness neck bridges are awesome and you can do neck extensions using a stability ball too. I also do neck flexions too just by placing a towel or something on my forehead with a 25 or 35 pound plate on top then lying on a bench move my head in a "yes" type motion.

A couple sets of high pulls or shrugs, some face pulls or band pull aparts, and some neck flexion and extension twice a week seem to get the job done.

Oh also heavy dumbell rows and some heavy rack pulls here and there hit the traps well too but a little lower trap than shrugs at least that's been my mileage.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../building_a_bigger_yoke

Of course you guys know I'm a Wendler fan so here's a good program Clutch that I've personally followed myself and had great results.

It's a "yoke" specific program with 531 built in so it should be close to what you're already doing.

Anyway I was skeptical at first of the 100 rep sets but that program freaking works and was the initial program I used to start focusing on my neck and traps again.

[H&D]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../building_a_bigger_yoke

Of course you guys know I'm a Wendler fan so here's a good program Clutch that I've personally followed myself and had great results.

It's a "yoke" specific program with 531 built in so it should be close to what you're already doing.

Anyway I was skeptical at first of the 100 rep sets but that program freaking works and was the initial program I used to start focusing on my neck and traps again.

+1 for that.. I bookmarked it for future use. 

[clutch]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../building_a_bigger_yoke

Of course you guys know I'm a Wendler fan so here's a good program Clutch that I've personally followed myself and had great results.

It's a "yoke" specific program with 531 built in so it should be close to what you're already doing.

Anyway I was skeptical at first of the 100 rep sets but that program freaking works and was the initial program I used to start focusing on my neck and traps again.

Nice. I'm going to try this out for sure.

[DeltaBoy]

You don't see those shock absorber neck machines any more.  I loved those things.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

You don't see those shock absorber neck machines any more.  I loved those things.

Yeah those four way neck machines were awesome!

[spe450]

+1 for that.. I bookmarked it for future use. 

I did the same.  The 100 rep shrugs are ridiculous.  I feel like an idiot once I hit about 70.

[Hogsmo Kramer]

I did the same.  The 100 rep shrugs are ridiculous.  I feel like an idiot once I hit about 70.

Lol, they are no freaking joke and very humbling for sure!

[DeltaBoy]

Yeah those four way neck machines were awesome!

Yes Yes they were.