The neck is an underrated part of your body. It's one of the most important parts of your body. A strong neck can help you avoid injuries and improve your posture. The best way to build up neck muscle is by using specific exercises that target different parts of the musculature in this area. In this post, we'll discuss how to do them, at home or at the gym!
Start with a good stretch.
Stretching is an important part of any workout routine, but it's especially crucial when you're focusing on building muscle in the neck. It's not just about preventing injury; stretching helps increase flexibility, improve circulation and range of motion, reduce tension throughout the body, and even improve posture. Stretching also allows you to become more aware of how your muscles feel during exercise--this can help prevent injury by letting you know when something isn't right with your form or technique.
If you want to start stretching out those neck muscles immediately after reading this article (and who wouldn't?), here are some simple stretches that will get things going:
Do the neck bridge exercise.
- Neck bridge: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Place hands behind head, palms facing forward. Lift your shoulders off the floor as high as possible, then lower back down slowly while keeping your neck straight (don't let your chin touch). Repeat 10 times.
- Cobra sit-up: Lie face down on a mat with arms extended straight in front of you so they're parallel to the floor and palms flat against the mat (or rest hands on the ball). Raise the torso off the mat by lifting the chest and hips until only the legs remain touching the floor, then return to starting position; repeat 10 times.*
Do the cobra sit-up.
The cobra sit-up is a great exercise for strengthening your neck muscles. To do this exercise, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head and lift up until only your shoulders and upper back are touching the ground. Hold this position for 10 seconds before lowering yourself back down slowly (1).
The cobra pushup is another effective way to build muscle strength in your neck area. To perform this exercise: Begin by getting into a plank position with legs straight but not locked out at the knees; keep your core tight throughout the entire movement (2). Next lower down into a pushup position but instead of going all way down bend at the waist so that the top half of the body is parallel with the floor; hold for 2 seconds then return back up into starting position by reversing steps above (3).
Do the cobra pushup.
To do a cobra pushup, start in the regular pushup position with your feet together and hands on the floor under your shoulders. Bend at the waist to bring your chest toward the floor while keeping your legs straight. Then extend back up into an upright position again. Repeat this motion for 10 to 20 repetitions depending on how much weight you want to put on these muscles. If you find it difficult to hold yourself up with straight arms during this exercise, place a pillow under each hand or use an incline bench instead of placing them directly onto hardwood floors as we did here at home video production company NYC Studio Productions Incorporated!
If you want even more of a challenge, try doing single-arm cobra pushups where only one arm goes down at a time instead of both together like we did here today."
Practice neck strengthening exercises every day.
Practice neck strengthening exercises every day.
Do them 3-4 times a week, for 10-15 minutes at a time. You can do them in the morning, evening, and before or after working out. If you have time before going to sleep then that is also good because your neck muscles are relaxed when you sleep so they will get tired and relaxed faster than if they were still tense from the day's activities (which may include sitting at work or driving).
Neck muscles are important for avoiding injury, so you should be sure to build them up properly!
Neck muscles are important for avoiding injury, so you should be sure to build them up properly!
- Neck bridges can be done with a partner or at the gym. You can use weights and resistance bands to help build up your neck muscles. Make sure to do a thorough warmup first.
- If you're looking for an exercise that puts less stress on your lower back, try doing crunches with bent knees instead of straight legs--it will still work those upper abs but also target the muscles in between them (the obliques). This can be done lying down or sitting up with bent knees against a wall for support if necessary (you don't want to strain yourself!).
Conclusion
That's it! If you're looking for a way to strengthen your neck, these exercises are a great place to start. Remember that consistency is key when it comes to building muscle and doing these exercises every day will help keep them from getting too sore or tired out by the end of the week. Good luck!
