Exercise article - Neck Strengthening
This article is motivated by the timing of local winter collision sport pre-season. I know a lot of guys who play, or S&C coach, at various levels from club to professional. Whilst I want the players to run faster and longer, I also want them to play safely. An area I was obsessed with working with rugby was neck strength. Anyone who has suffered a sore or stiff neck is aware how limiting in can be. At the Force, we had several career threatening neck injuries with potential lifelong complications.
The uniqueness of each sport lends to “signature injury” traits. Think of soccer/football or Australian Rules Football and the unique running and kicking demands leads to higher prevalence of hamstring injuries. With netball an injury is more likely to be to the ankle or knee. In collision based sports such as rugby union or league, whilst tackling leads to shoulder injuries, there is also a risk to the neck. Whilst it is illegal to hit the head, solid body contact or falling to the ground can also induce whiplash like forces that can be absorbed by the neck. Whilst historically prescribed for front row players (those involved in the scrum engagement) neck training is important for all players who tackle. Like any training, it does not prevent injury, but it may make it harder to get hurt or facilitate a quicker recovery. Training the neck is not as “exciting” as other body parts and it certainly won’t make anyone faster or change direction better, but from my perspective for collision sports, it is a high priority. So my first exercise article is a reminder to my friends playing or coaching collision sports to include some neck strengthening work in your program.
Below are three simple arrangements for training the neck and how coaches and athletes can train this pitch side at training, or at the gym. There are tips and considerations for these exercises as they must be performed very carefully. I use these for injury prevention, not rehabilitation - that’s a different level of programming. With so much emphasis on bigger, stronger, faster, I want to remind coaches working with collision sport athletes that “safer” is also important and the neck can be easily overlooked. (There is also a great article here on the importance of neck strength.)
Anatomy
Very briefly, the cervical spine is very flexible being supported and moved by flexor (deep and superficial), extensor and rotator muscle groups. Lateral flexion is a synchronization of left or right groups. I tend to focus on the flexors and extensors - not rotation. Underlying my prescription of neck training is the belief that these groups are designed to position the head on the shoulders and not for heavy load (although they can achieve load after a long training period). I also want to prevent harm and am mindful of the wonderfully competitive and energetic lifting nature of athletes wanting to lift heavy and measure progress by load. All the training I prescribe is isometric with a long, slow load/intensity progression. I’m aware that there are neck exercises involving movement and sports such as wrestling have very good exercises - they are also very well coached and ingrained in the sport.
Exercises - General points
If I have more than one session per week I would program forward flexion and extension on one session and lateral flexion in the other session (two directions in each session). I program neck exercises into the warm-up to highlight the importance. Done last, they may not be given the serious attention to technique. My priority would be flexors over extensors as rows and pulls can incorporate the trapezius.
It is very important to control load and speed of contraction carefully. Front flexors are smaller muscles and generally weaker compared to extensors which have a much greater cross sectional area (from anatomical perspective, where the head is positioned on the neck does not really require muscular effort to look down, so the flexors do not need to be strong in that sense). The front/anterior muscles will not require as much resistance or volume compared to posterior.
Start slowly and carefully with exercise and load prescription. If you are not confident with prescribing these, please find a coach who is and up-skill yourself in this important area.
Band Assisted
I would start with simple band resisted, working very closely with the player to make sure band tension is taken up gently and that neutral head alignment is maintained throughout.
Beginner program: 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions of 2-3 seconds.
Experienced program: 2-3 sets of 6-10 repetitions of 3-5 seconds.
Partner Assisted
A progression from the band is using a partner. The attention of the partner providing the resistance is critical - it is not a competition! They are just trying to match the force of the player on the bench.
Beginner program: 1-2 sets of 6-10 repetitions of 2-5 seconds.
Experienced program: 2-3 sets of 4-6 repetitions of 2-3 seconds.
Weighted
Whilst there are commercially available neck machines, I have not had access to them and use a standard cable machine and harness. There are specific harnesses for neck training. In the image to the right, the player is using a chin-up belt with a thick pad to rest on the forehead. It can be orientated at the front, rear or side of the head, depending on the neck muscle group you wish to work. This is for experienced players only as the capacity to add external resistance can lead to technical breakdown.
Beginner program: 2-3 sets of 6-10 repetitions of 3-5 seconds.
Experienced program: 2-3 sets of 4-6 repetitions of 2-3 seconds.
Take home message
Neck strengthening is important for collision sport athletes.
For Coaches
Start with low load, isometric exercises, incorporated in warm-ups, working four directions.
For Athletes
Important for combative sports. Not as exciting as stronger legs or shoulders, but a stronger neck may be harder to injure in a tackle contest.
Start gently - this is a long, steady journey.
Band resisted. Excellent self directed and safe start. A slow body weight shift into the band to increase tension. The athlete can also be side on to work the lateral flexors, or face the band to work the extensors.
Partner assisted neck extension. Requiring minimal equipment, but definitely needs a partner who knows how to match resistance. It is not a competition. A 2-5s hold for reps for beginners working on general strength endurance.
Cable weight machine forward flexion. An advanced exercise. The tennis ball under the chin helps keep steady head alignment during front flexion exercise. Facing the cable with the belt at the back of the head can work the extensor group.
I hope this article helps with exercise prescription for the potentially overlooked but critical area of athlete development for collision sports. If you have specific questions, please feel free to add a comment or contact me.