Wrestling is one of the sports for which you'll need to build neck strength because of the stress the sport places on this body part. In fact, a good neck-conditioning program is vital for reducing risk of injury, advise Dennis John Caine and Nicola Maffulli in "Epidemiology of Pediatric Sports Injuries." You can improve neck strength both in the weight room and on the mat, advises Joe McFarland, University of Michigan wrestling program head coach.
Four-Way
Perform the four-way neck exercise. You'll need a partner for this drill. Get on all fours with your partner behind you. The partner will press your neck in four directions--up, down and to each side--providing moderate resistance. Do six to eight repetitions in each direction, advises "The Wrestling Drill Book" by Bill Welker.
Lifts
Lie on your back, tighten your stomach muscles and lift your head 1 to 2 inches off the ground. Raise your head and move it forward, as if reaching for your stomach with your neck. Do not crunch your chin into the chest. Keep your neck long. Lower your head but don't quite touch the ground. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions, advises Paul Sanclemente, head strength and conditioning coach at The Rivers School in Massachusetts.
30-Degree Rotations
Lying on your back, raise your neck about one-third of the way possible. Turn your chin toward your shoulder. Go about 30 degrees. Turn to the other side. Move slowly, to a count of four, advises Sanclemente. Do 10 to 15 repetitions.
Reverse Raises
Lie on your stomach. Keep your hands slightly in front of you and to the sides of your shoulder, with forearms resting on the floor. Tighten your abs. Raise your chest slightly and look down with your head. Slowly raise and lower your head. Repeat 10 to 15 times, advises Sanclemente.
Bridges
Perform front and back bridges to develop neck endurance, strength and flexibility, advises McFarland. For the front version, face the mat with your body, raise your hips and rest on your toes and head. Start out with your hands also on the mat. Rock back and forth as well as side to side. To perform a back bridge, lie on the mat and arch your back so your abdomen moves toward the ceiling. Rest your feet and hands on the ground. Rock front and back as well as side to side. Next, pivot your head back as far as you can. Eventually you'll be able to contact the mat with your nose, according to McFarland. You'll also gain enough strength eventually to keep your hands off the mat. Perform each type of bridge for 30 to 40 seconds.
Flexibility Exercise
Turn your neck to the left and then to the right side. Do eight counts. Bend your neck down and back up for eight counts. This will make your neck muscles more flexible, according to "Dph Sports Series Wrestling," by H. C. Dubey.
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