Neck

Do you guys ever work this muscle group?

I used to gooi amateur wrestling when I was younger, where lots of bridging exercises were part of the training. But after playing hooker for a bit too long, I try not to move my neck too much, so I stick to shrugs.

Um, training your traps is really all you would need.

spike wrote: Um, training your traps is really all you would need.

i'd like to be in this camp as well. There are way too many things that can go wrong with nerves.

If you do sport that is heavy on your neck please get professional advice on how to prevent neck injuries with special attention given to nerves.

You have no idea how many problems you might end up with later in your life. Ask this old rugby player!

I gave up rugby after high school. I'm asking in terms of just recreational body-building.

I have a number of exercises that i may give to patients if i feel that strengthening their neck would benefit them, but these are all isometric contractions and are very light and gentle. Other wise upper traps is the closest you should be getting to your actual neck. As jack said, this is a very easy area to injure. Correct neck and head posture is very important when doing any excerise, especially traps

spike wrote: I have a number of exercises that i may give to patients if i feel that strengthening their neck would benefit them, but these are all isometric contractions and are very light and gentle. Other wise upper traps is the closest you should be getting to your actual neck. As jack said, this is a very easy area to injure. Correct neck and head posture is very important when doing any excerise, especially traps

So you can't really 'build' neck muscle only strengthen them?

Yes, and im failing to see why you would want to build your neck??
The neck will thicken and build in conjunction with upper body exercises, especially back and shoulders, but no, you shouldnt try exercise the neck in isolation, and more importantly, you shouldnt need to

spike wrote: Yes, and im failing to see why you would want to build your neck??
The neck will thicken and build in conjunction with upper body exercises, especially back and shoulders, but no, you shouldnt try exercise the neck in isolation, and more importantly, you shouldnt need to

Thanks, do you think its necessary to isolate one's traps when the upright row is a staple in their routine?

That will depend on the individuals genetics. I never isolate traps further than upright rows. No shrugs for me. And the reason is i dont need to, my traps grow like weeds and are one of the things most people complement me on.