As a man it is no fun having a pencil-neck. It makes one look weak, and if the rest of the body is well muscled, it looks a little silly to say the least. Plus, having a stronger neck is never a bad thing as it helps prevent injury to this delicate area of the body.
In this article I will show you how to get a bigger neck using an isometrics exercise which I call ‘head holds.’
Performing head holds is done in two ways to hit both parts of the neck – the rear muscles and the side muscles.
To hit the side neck muscles:
- In a seated position or laying on your back, the head is held in a neutral straight forward-looking direction.
- Place one or both hands on your forehead.
- Try as hard as you can to force your chin to your chest by moving your forehead up. (As if you are laying down, and wish to look at your toes by simply moving your head up.)
- Resist as hard as you can with your hands, and continue the pressure with your neck for around 15-20 seconds.
- Relax for a minute, then repeat.
- Repeat for a total of 3 times.
To hit the rear neck muscles:
1. In a seated position, your head in a neutral, forward looking direction, place your hands on the rear of your head and lock your fingers.
2. Try as hard as you can to move your head upwards to face the ceiling using the neck muscles only.
3. Resist as hard as you can with your hands, and continue the pressure with your neck for around 15-20 seconds.
4. Relax for a minute, then repeat.
5. Repeat for a total of 3 times.
The neck is much stronger in the rear, so it may take more sets to work it sufficiently.
I advise you to do this no more than twice a week, possibly only once a week for the first couple of weeks, with a minimum of 72 hours rest in between each time.
Don’t be surprised if your neck aches a lot after the first time of trying this – providing it’s aching muscles and not an injury type of ache, that’s a good sign you worked it hard.