Exercises For A Bigger Neck

A muscular neck is a sign of physical strength and bodybuilding success. A big neck is considered by many to be aesthetically pleasing, however strengthened neck muscles also offer protective benefits to the cervical spine during a fall or other accident. An effective way to build a bigger neck is to develop the trapezius muscle with resistance training.

Farmer's Walk

The farmer's walk targets the upper portion of the trapezius muscle with a static contraction. Place a heavy dumbbell on either side of your feet. Bend at the waist and knees to squat down. Grasp each weight with an overhand grip. Stabilizing your core and keeping your back straight, push through your heels to stand up. Keeping your back and abdominal muscles contracted, begin to walk with the weights. Carry them as far as you can and then place them back on the floor. Repeat the walk two more times. With each workout, attempt to walk farther than you did in the previous workout or you can increase the weight of your dumbbells.

Shrug

The shrug is a fundamental exercise used to develop the upper portion of the trapezius muscle. Place a barbell on a stand and load it with a challenging weight. Stand with your legs slightly apart and face the bar. Grasp the bar with a comfortable grip wider than shoulder-width. Stabilize your core and back and then remove the barbell from the stand. Keeping your arms relaxed and your back straight, shrug your shoulders toward your ears. With control, relax your shoulders back down. Perform two to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. This exercise can also be performed with dumbbells.

Hise Breathing Shrug

The Hise breathing shrug is a variation to the traditional shrug and targets the trapezius with a powerful contraction. Set a barbell on a squat rack as if you were going to perform squats. Load the bar with a challenging weight. Slide under the bar and position it so that it lies across your upper back and shoulders. Grasp the bar with a comfortable overhand grip. Stabilize your back and abdominal muscles and then, with the barbell secure on your shoulders, take a step away from the squat rack. When you're ready, all you have to do is shrug you shoulders upward. Perform as many repetitions as you can.

Back Press

The back press works the trapezius as well as the deltoids and triceps. Sit with your back straight and secure the barbell across the back of your neck with an overhand grip. Keeping your core contracted and your back as straight as possible, press the bar straight up by extending your arms. With control, lower the bar back to the starting position. To prevent injury to your shoulder, lower the bar only as far as you shoulder structure and flexibility will allow. If the move causes you pain then you are lowering the bar too low. Complete two to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Upright Row

The upright row targets the trapezius, deltoids, biceps and the muscles of your forearms. Stand with your legs slightly apart with your abdominal muscles contracted and your back straight. Grasp a loaded barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip and allow it to rest against the front of your thighs. Keeping your core contracted, pull the bar up your body to your chin keeping your elbows as high as possible. With control, lower the bar back to the initial position. Perform two to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Incline Reverse Lateral Dumbbell Raise

The reverse lateral dumbbell raise primarily works the trapezius, rhomboids and the muscles of the posterior shoulders. Sit on an incline bench with your chest and stomach pressed against the back rest. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in. Contract your abdominal muscles to provide stabilization for your torso. Keeping your back straight, slowly raise the dumbbells out to your sides until your arms reach a horizontal position. At the top of the movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together. With control, lower the weights back down toward the floor. Complete two to three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.