1. Hold Your Head High
A strong, thick neck is a status symbol among weight lifters. It signifies that a lifter is dedicated and shows it. For other athletes and fitness fanatics, a strong neck is the basis upon which the rest of the body relies. For people who just want to stay healthy, a strong neck helps support good posture, freedom of movement and stability for a regular workout routine. You can save yourself from serious injury when playing sports and working out by possessing a neck that can support you when you fall and hold your head in place to take a hit. Besides working it with focused exercises, always hold your head erect to maintain the strength that is the key to good form, proper respiration and a fine figure.
2. Shrug it off
Shrugging your shoulders is the classic exercise used to strengthen the neck muscles. You can shrug even when you know all the answers. Shrugging can be done as an isometric exercise to isolate the tendons or to build muscles with weights. Stand erect with your arms at your side. Make sure your feet are planted firmly to hold your balance. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lift your shoulders. Lift and hold for a count of ten to strain the muscles and build them up. Tone the neck area by performing the shrugs in rapid progression. Increase the weights of the dumbbells when the routine becomes too easy and you don't feel any pressure.
3. Lift for Strength
While lying flat on the floor, lift just your head. Don't allow any other body part to interfere; use only the neck muscles to lift. Increase the resistance on this exercise by adding weights. Put a towel on your head and lay a round, flat weight from your adjustable barbell set, on top of your forehead. The neck is really a delicate structure and vital to good health, so be careful when putting weight on it. Start out with light weights, like a one-pounder and see how it feels. If you can lift your head easily, then increase the weight in one-pound increments. Do not tilt your head when doing this exercise. You don't want the weight to slide off while you're moving and you don't want to have to hold it to keep it from falling. If you must, lightly hold the weight in place, but do not impose your arms on the lifting.
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