Weighted Lateral Neck Flexion
Neck Full Gym
Primary musclesNeck
EquipmentFull Gym
Level—
Suggested3 × 8–12
Overview
Weighted Lateral Neck Flexion on an incline bench trains the side muscles of the neck, mainly the sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles. Building these neck muscles improves neck versatility, expands range of motion, eases neck tension, and helps the neck resist injury. It is especially useful for athletes in sports that demand strong neck muscles, including football, rugby, wrestle, MMA, or other combative sports.
How to do it
- 1
Fasten the head harness snugly to your head, then clip on a weight plate.
- 2
Set yourself on your side on an incline bench, with your head hanging past the end.
- 3
Let the weight plate suspended from the head harness hang down toward the floor.
- 4
Drop your head until you feel a gentle stretch on the opposite side of your neck.
- 5
Exhale, then slowly and carefully raise the weight plate by laterally flexing your neck.
- 6
Pause at the top for one or two counts.
- 7
Inhale, then slowly and carefully return the weight plate to the start position.
- 8
Continue for the prescribed number of repetitions.
- 9
Then perform the exercise on the other side.
Muscles worked
Target
Sternocleidomastoid، Scalene Muscles
Synergists
Splenius، Trapezius، Upper
