Neck Training Made Simple

Want to build a strong neck? Unfortunately, a decent 4-way neck machine is hard to come by in most commercial gyms. Luckily, you can do two simple neck exercises in any gym with minimal equipment.

1. The Plate Neck Crunch

All you need is a weight plate, a bench, and a small towel.

First, lie on your back on the bench with your head unsupported. Place the center of the weight plate on your forehead and hold it in place with your hands.

Now extend your head back and down, then crunch your head back up, taking your chin to your chest. Make sure to let your neck do most of the work, only using your arms to keep the plate steady.

This hits the anterior musculature in the neck. Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.

2. The Banded Push-Away

Place both feet inside one end of a medium band. Place the other end of the band over the back of the head. (Use a towel over the back of the head for comfort.)

As you extend your head up and back, push the band away from you with your hands. This creates the proper tension and resistance to target the posterior musculature of the neck effectively.

Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.