Neck Building Part 1

8/19/2019 Neck Building Part 1

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View of the New River Gorge area in West Virginia. Photograph by

Robert Drucker.

Muscles of IronHigh Voltage Bodybuilding and Heavy Lifting

Building Neck and Body Power - Part 1By 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.

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View captured at the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Photograph

by Robert Drucker.

View captured at Historic Jamestowne, the original site of the

Jamestown colony. That's the James River in the background.

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


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Things were lively at Virginia Beach. Photograph by Robert Drucker.

Rob hitting the bridge at the Hampton Inn fitness room in Rehoboth,

Delaware. Photograph by Shelia Brock.

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 theoriginal 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 surprisedwhen 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


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Wonder Book and Video in Hagerstown, Maryland. This is no ordinarybook place. The shelves in this store are crammed with over 1,000,000

used books. Their warehouse has even a larger number of books.

Photograph by Robert Drucker.

View from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland. This structure

connects the state's rural Eastern Shore region with the more urban

Western Shore. This bridge is over four miles in length, making it one

of the longest over-water structures in the world. Photograph by Shelia

Brock.

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 onlygive 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 neckcurl 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


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Another good neck warm-up exercise - head movement with light

A good warm-up exercise for neck training - head movement with light

resistance to the right. Supply resistance with your right arm. Repeat

warm-up movement to the left side while using your left arm to supply

resistance. Photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

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 neckwork, 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.

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


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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.

NECK CURL STEP 1: Photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

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


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NECK CURL STEP 2: Photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

NECK CURL STEP 3: photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

NECK CURL STEP 4: photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

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


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NECK CURL STEP 5: The Starting Position. photograph by Oldtime

Lifting staff.

NECK CURL STEP 6: The Mid Position. photograph by Oldtime Liftingstaff.

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


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NECK CURL STEP 7: The Bottom Position. Note stretch of the rib box.

photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

NECK CURL STEP 9: Return of the Weight. photograph by Oldtime

Lifting staff.

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 andSLOWLY 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 backon 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),


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The author poses for the camera after a hard set of neck curls. This

exercise is one of his favorites. photograph by Oldtime Lifting staff.

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 theneck 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. Mymovements 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.


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Atlas Drucker - The "King" of Neck Strength. He is no longer with us,

but his powerful spirit lives on. Photograph by Robert Drucker.

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 thewrestler'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 4: 90 lbs x 6 repsSet 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


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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.

Other Useful Articles About Neck and Power Building:

How To Build Neck and Body Power - Part 2

Reg Park On Neck and Trap Training

Back to Articles

Copyright © 2015 by Robert Drucker. All rights reserved.
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Neck Building Part 1

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