Great stuff, the neck is avoided so often and many are scared to train it for fear of injury. Mobility and strength exercises are a must do IMO. There's a reason why wrestlers live on neck exercises and bridging. Football players used to, but eventually football strength coaches became maintenance workers and are now afraid to train the low back and neck. Excellent post!
Thank you brother. Love the iron neck, harness, and bands. That being said, being able to comprehensively train it without any gear is the best. Just got done doing it as a finisher to a workout and it was brutally awesome.
That’s awesome! Louie Simmons always used to say that if he saw a big guy with a big neck he knew he played football, if he saw a small guy with a big neck he knew he wrestled. He also felt that concussion occurrences could be dramatically reduced in football players if they would start training neck again. Now football strength coaches are afraid to train the necks and low backs. I see them literally recommending things like front squats and trap bar deadlifts to reduce lower back involvement. Makes no sense. I used to work with a ton of football players, they all did safety bar squats (big stress on the back extensors), regular deadlifts and never had back issues. They also did a ton of reverse hypers, back extensions and kettlebell swings too.
Yep-I also think if they went back to minimal equipment that would solve a lot of the head injury problem. I feel like the high tech pads and helmets allow people to hit harder and are more inclined to drop their heads. You don't see rugby players hitting like that!
Are you making fun of my big ass head?! My mini me, James, finally grew into his. Looked like Stewie from family guy, just like I did at his age, until recently.
A common Shepard trait, fat head with a brain that doesn’t seem to fill it well so we compensate with effort.
As an 80 year old living in an over 55 community in Florida where most are over 70, I've seen how too many can barely move their head to 45 degrees let alone look over their shoulders. And that's so important because too many of these folks are still driving and can't possibly see traffic around them. Thus, far too many accidents. I've never done these exercises other than the head circles but somehow I have good flexibility. Will see what I can do with these. Thanks
Got it where I get most of my ideas. Convergence of several different sources into one. My background in vestibular audiology helped with this one too. I still need to work on my subsequent post related to that…
I suffer from lack of thoracic mobility. This morning, I did a set supine with a roller across the lower portion of my shoulder blades. I think it made supine more challenging, but it also helped me mobilize my thoracic spine.
Sounds like someone is crinkling paper in my neck when I do it, especially in supine position. I have a bulging disc in the C4/5 region and some other past injuries that probably are the cause. No worries unless you feel pain in the spine, should just be fatigue in the neck in my experience.
I think the supine position is the hardest. I’ll be doing supine and table top each day and then adding in sides when I have extra time. You can definitely switch it up though and do just the sides on one day or break each side up over consecutive days as you mentioned.
So you’re going do a round in supine and then follow it with another round in tabletop? Hmmm. I just did four rounds one in each position to test it. I thought side was more challenging. OK, I’ll do supine and then one other alternating every day. Game in.
Ive been starting supine, followed by table top, and then finishing on each side when I do all four. Did it this morning for a workout finisher with my team. Supine still felt the hardest even though I started with it. Maybe our necks currently have different strengths haha
The head bone’s connected to the body bone, so this is a good focus, Kyle! When I first added some neck strength/flexibility moves to my daily fitness program (which gets longer by the year!), I was amazed how weak and stiff it was. Always a warning sign of underutilization. Our modern lifestyle is a killer!
Great stuff, the neck is avoided so often and many are scared to train it for fear of injury. Mobility and strength exercises are a must do IMO. There's a reason why wrestlers live on neck exercises and bridging. Football players used to, but eventually football strength coaches became maintenance workers and are now afraid to train the low back and neck. Excellent post!
Thank you brother. Love the iron neck, harness, and bands. That being said, being able to comprehensively train it without any gear is the best. Just got done doing it as a finisher to a workout and it was brutally awesome.
So true Scott. My father played college football in the late 30’s. In the pictures from that era his neck is wider than his head.
That’s awesome! Louie Simmons always used to say that if he saw a big guy with a big neck he knew he played football, if he saw a small guy with a big neck he knew he wrestled. He also felt that concussion occurrences could be dramatically reduced in football players if they would start training neck again. Now football strength coaches are afraid to train the necks and low backs. I see them literally recommending things like front squats and trap bar deadlifts to reduce lower back involvement. Makes no sense. I used to work with a ton of football players, they all did safety bar squats (big stress on the back extensors), regular deadlifts and never had back issues. They also did a ton of reverse hypers, back extensions and kettlebell swings too.
I think it was probably particularly necessary then as his helmet was made of leather
Yep-I also think if they went back to minimal equipment that would solve a lot of the head injury problem. I feel like the high tech pads and helmets allow people to hit harder and are more inclined to drop their heads. You don't see rugby players hitting like that!
Having seen Kyle's neck, I can attest he practices what he preaches.
I’m honored you checked out my neck. I think yours is pretty hot too
🫡
Of course. As hard as his head is, it’s clearly heavy, so his neck gets a constant workout. It’s astounding that he’s so good at burpees.
Are you making fun of my big ass head?! My mini me, James, finally grew into his. Looked like Stewie from family guy, just like I did at his age, until recently.
A common Shepard trait, fat head with a brain that doesn’t seem to fill it well so we compensate with effort.
Thanks for this Kyle! I’ve jacked up my neck many times, yet still somehow fail to train it. Never neglect the neck!!
As an 80 year old living in an over 55 community in Florida where most are over 70, I've seen how too many can barely move their head to 45 degrees let alone look over their shoulders. And that's so important because too many of these folks are still driving and can't possibly see traffic around them. Thus, far too many accidents. I've never done these exercises other than the head circles but somehow I have good flexibility. Will see what I can do with these. Thanks
Thank you for sharing Tom! Looking forward to seeing what you think of them.
I can’t believe how much better my neck feels after only a week of these movements. I don’t know where you got this idea, but it was a great one.
Got it where I get most of my ideas. Convergence of several different sources into one. My background in vestibular audiology helped with this one too. I still need to work on my subsequent post related to that…
Great to hear about your neck!
Let’s get it!
❤️👊🏻
I suffer from lack of thoracic mobility. This morning, I did a set supine with a roller across the lower portion of my shoulder blades. I think it made supine more challenging, but it also helped me mobilize my thoracic spine.
I know what I’m trying tomorrow! Thanks for the share brother
My only problem with this challenge are the loud noises my neck makes while doing these. I’m going to have to go visit an audiologist.
These are quite interesting, it’s sad to recognize how poor my ROM is.
Am I correct that your suggestion for the hardest way is on your side? This means alternating from one day to the next left and right?
Thanks for this, I think.
Sounds like someone is crinkling paper in my neck when I do it, especially in supine position. I have a bulging disc in the C4/5 region and some other past injuries that probably are the cause. No worries unless you feel pain in the spine, should just be fatigue in the neck in my experience.
I think the supine position is the hardest. I’ll be doing supine and table top each day and then adding in sides when I have extra time. You can definitely switch it up though and do just the sides on one day or break each side up over consecutive days as you mentioned.
So you’re going do a round in supine and then follow it with another round in tabletop? Hmmm. I just did four rounds one in each position to test it. I thought side was more challenging. OK, I’ll do supine and then one other alternating every day. Game in.
Love it.
Ive been starting supine, followed by table top, and then finishing on each side when I do all four. Did it this morning for a workout finisher with my team. Supine still felt the hardest even though I started with it. Maybe our necks currently have different strengths haha
The head bone’s connected to the body bone, so this is a good focus, Kyle! When I first added some neck strength/flexibility moves to my daily fitness program (which gets longer by the year!), I was amazed how weak and stiff it was. Always a warning sign of underutilization. Our modern lifestyle is a killer!
No surprise you’re already dialed in Baird! It’s all connected and the weakest link will compromise the system!