Build bigger traps with shoulder shrugs

I’ve gotten a ton of questions from my subscribers about shoulder shrugs to build neck strength and neck size. Lots of people want to know how to get bigger traps (trapezius muscles).

So here’s part 1 of some Q&A about shoulder shrugs . (If you have any questions, email me or leave a comment below.)

QUESTION: “Sometimes at the gym I see people doing shrugs straight up and down and some shrug up and roll their shoulders back before bringing the weight back down. Which way is better?”

ANSWER: Keep it simple. Go up and down. And go LIGHT – at least at first. Once you build your neck up slowly, you can start gradually adding weight and increasing the intensity.

Beginner/Basic Tips For Shoulder Shrugging To Build Neck Size & Neck Strength

QUESTION: “I just got into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I’m just starting to do some shoulder shrugs because I want to get my traps and neck bigger and stronger. Which versions of shrugs are the best to do? Any suggestions and/or tips for me since I’m just getting into shrugging?”

ANSWER:

There are all kinds of different versions of shrugs you can do, too. Since you’re just starting out, there’s no reason to do all kinds of different shrugs. Just keep things simple.

Dumbbell shrugs develop big traps

I suggest starting off with standing dumbbell shrugs, because since you’re a beginner, you can keep your spine more aligned a little more easily with dumbbells (you want to keep your back completely straight) and you can keep the dumbbells at your sides which will help to keep you from hunching over.

Make sure your posture is good and straight. Don’t hunch your back or roll your shoulders or let them tilt forward; keep your shoulders back and your abs tight. Stand about shoulder-width apart and don’t lock your knees; you want to stay tight but keep your knees bent slightly.

As you hold the dumbbells, keep a tight grip on them so you don’t drop them. Your arms should be pretty tight, but just enough to hold the dumbbells in a fixed position.

Then you just raise up the dumbbells as if you’re trying to touch your shoulders to your ears. Exhale as you raise the dumbbells, pausing and squeezing your trap muscles at the top. Inhale in as you lower the weight slowly back down. Don’t keep your elbows locked straight, bend them slightly, but don’t bring the weight up with your arms; lift the weight straight up with your trap muscles.

IMPORTANT: Make sure to get a good warm-up before starting your actual neck/shrug workout!

Start out with 3-4 sets of shrugs, with your reps in the 8-12 range. Rest about 45 seconds to a minute in between sets to start off.

Later on, we’ll work on upping the intensity, but now, you need to build a firm base, so pick a weight you can use comfortably for the first few shrug workouts. Don’t go to failure yet on any of your sets.

Recovery is just as important as the workout itself.

You need to give your body ample time to recover. I wouldn’t do shrugs more than 2 times a week starting off. You want at least 3 or 4 days rest in between shrug workouts, at least in the beginning.

In addition, if you’re on the mats wrestling or doing any kind of grappling, you’ll be working your neck during practice. So if your traps are really sore and you have a shrug workout scheduled, don’t worry about using an extra day for recovery. Make sure you’re fully recovered for each shrug workout.

Make sure you’re thoroughly warmed up then start light and work your way up in weight slowly. I don’t suggest you go heavy for while though until you get your form down and build a good foundation of strength in your neck and traps.

Shoulder shrugs are a great way to build a lot of size and strength in your neck and traps.

Remember, keeping things simple and slow is the best way to go when you first start training your neck.

If you have any more questions or suggestions, just email me or leave comments here on my blog.

Protect Your Neck!

James Kelly, Founder of GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com

In submission wrestling (grappling), Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA), the ultimate goal is to finish your opponent. One of the most common ways to finish an MMA fight, submission wrestling grappling match or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) match is with a choke.

A strong neck will improve your choke defense and make it harder for your opponents to submit you with choke holds. Note: nobody is “choke proof.” Everybody, and I mean everybody, is susceptible to chokes. However, people with strong necks are often tougher to choke than people with tiny, weak “pencil necks.”

Mike Tyson had a huge neck in his prime!

In boxing and MMA, a big strong neck will help you take punches. Look at the thick necks of boxers such as Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Many boxers train their necks directly with neck exercises like neck bridges, neck extensions, etc.

Evander Holyfield has a big neck with high traps

As a combat athlete, chances are you’ve heard the common phrase, “Where the head goes, the body goes.” It’s very true. So as a combat athlete, it’s your job to make sure your opponents don’t control where your head goes. One of the ways to do that is by having a strong, powerful neck.

If you’d like to learn more about how to develop a big strong neck for combat sports like wrestling, submission grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), boxing, Judo or mixed martial arts (MMA), just use your name and valid email to get exclusive access to this valuable neck training information – then click the “Get A Strong Neck!” button to enter (All information kept 100% confidential)…

(Video Below)

Don’t forget about your shoulders!

As you probably know by now, I’m BIG on WARMING UP before you train. It prevents injury and makes your workout more productive.

Besides warming up my neck directly, I make sure to also warm up my SHOULDERS. After all, your neck, shoulders and back all work together.

One of my previous emails I wrote about SHRUGS, which work your traps, but make sure to get that blood flowing in your shoulders too.

Here’s one of the shoulder warm-ups I do EVERY single time I lift weights or do a conditioning circuit:

I’ll use either a 2.5 – 10 pound plates or dumbbells for my first warm up set. If weights are not available, I’ll use whatever I can get my hands on, like gallon jugs filled with water, something like that (gotta be creative here; all you need is a little weight for some resistance).

I do at least one big compound set (maybe 2 or 3 depending on how I’m feeling) with the following exercises:

I’ll start by doing standing side lateral raises, with my arms STRAIGHT out (I don’t bend my elbows at all), and do 10-20 reps.

Then I’ll bend over, keeping my back straight at about a 30 degree angle to the floor and do rear lateral raises. 10-20 reps.

Then I’ll stand back up and do front raises. 10-20 reps.

Follow up with 10-20 reps of shoulder presses.

Then 10-20 reps of shrugs.

Then I’ll put my arm at my side, elbow glued to my side and bent at 90 degrees, and go in and out just to get some motion going in my rotator cuff. Because I’m going in and out to the side, there is hardly any resistance; I’m doing this more for the range of motion and just to get my rotator cuff moving a little bit. (There are a lot of variations of rotator cuff exercises so I’ll post more of them soon.)

Then 10-20 push-ups.

All back to back, no rest until you go through the WHOLE thing.

All those exercises put together in one large compound set (I call this a “compound set” instead of a “super set” just because all the exercises are working some part of the shoulder).

Then I’ll rest a little bit for about a minute, stretch a little during that time and then do the whole “warm-up circuit” again, sometimes 3 or even 4 times in a row to make sure my shoulders are good and warmed up before I hit the training hard.

I’ll do at least one of these compound sets before I do any kind of conditioning circuit, any time I do a bodyweight workout, any lift – including legs, squats, etc. (gotta make sure my shoulders and neck are warmed up before I put those big weights on the back of my neck) or even BJJ class.

That little warm-up for my shoulders and neck might seem like a regular workout to a lot of folks, but keep in mind, I’m using VERY light weights for this.

I have to make sure to get the blood pumping in my delts and neck before I train! A lot of tweaks, kinks, strains, sprains, stingers and pinched nerves happen because of a failure to thoroughly warm up the shoulders and neck properly before training.

So don’t neglect your shoulders! Do this IN ADDITION to your neck warm up.

Here’s the video:

Give this a try and let me know what you think!

Protect Your Neck!

James Kelly
Founder of GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com

P.S. You can use the above “warm up circuit” for the shoulders and neck as a workout too, of course. Just make sure to do the warm-up first, then gradually up the weights to make it more intense. Always work with what you’re comfortable with.

P.P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to my NEW free “Neck Training For Grapplers & Combat Athletes” ezine, just enter your name and valid email in the box below and I’ll immediately send you exclusive content that will help get your neck bigger and stronger.

My Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Kelly/513207583

*** These emails are in no way intended as medical advice. Always consult a physician before beginning any new fitness program or trying a new exercise. Safety should always be your first concern, and if you feel any pain or discomfort, stop immediately. ***

(Video Below)

Question:  How important is “isometric” neck strength for grappling and wrestling?

Answer: Isometric neck strength is VERY important. Isometric neck exercises should be a regular part of your grappling exercise routine. It’s important for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), submission grappling, wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA).

Here’s why.

In BJJ, when you’re inside the guard working to pass, your opponent is most likely working hard to break your posture, either by directly pulling your head down or by pulling your gi lapels.

BJJ rule for maintaining posture in the guard: Keep your head up!

So, your neck better be strong enough to handle that pressure. At the BJJ black belt level, matches are 10 minutes; that means potentially that someone could be pulling your head down for close to 10 full minutes! Are you able to hold posture and keep your head up for that long? Is your neck strong enough to do that?

In wrestling, when you’re in on a shot, good position is hips in, elbows in, back straight, HEAD UP. You better believe a tough wrestler will be working like crazy to stuff your head down and get you out of position.

Wrestling rule for maintaining good position while in on the leg: Keep your head up!

Is your neck strong enough to hold good position while your opponent is trying to push your head down?

In submission wrestling, BJJ or MMA, if you get into a bad spot and your opponent is working to choke you unconscious, whether it’s a guillotine choke, mata leon choke (rear naked choke), or whatever, sometimes you’re gonna have to hold your neck in a static position for a long time to fight that choke off.

If you have to keep your chin down to fight off a choke but you don’t have the isometric neck strength to hold your chin down while your opponent relentlessly tries to pull your chin up, well, it’s gonna be bad news. Choke in, game over, man! But if you have the isometric neck strength to keep your chin down, it’ll give you a little more time to work an escape.

Those are just 3 positional examples. I could go on and on.

Sure, explosive neck strength is important, but you also need isometric neck strength.

Watch the video below to see an example of how to get a good isometric neck strength workout:

You can also do something like this.

Sit with your back straight, head upright, and just push on your forehead with both hands while you keep your head in the same position, and hold for a count of 10-20 seconds. For the back of your neck, just put both your hands on the back of your head and push, keeping your head in the same upright position. For your right side, push against your neck with your right hand; left side, left hand. Your muscles will contract, but it’s an isometric contraction, meaning your head and neck should not be moving at all. It’s like you’re trying to move your head, but you’re making it so that your hands are like a wall, keeping your head from moving.

Believe me, you do this long enough and you’ll feel your neck muscles working.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

‘Til next time…

Protect Your Neck!

Coach James Kelly

Founder of GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com

A big MISTAKE a lot of grapplers make is going straight for the hard neck exercises, or even dynamic ones like bridging, before doing the basics.

You gotta warm up those muscles BEFORE you train! And you gotta build up your neck muscles and develop a solid base of neck strength BEFORE you start going for the more advanced neck exercises.

Even just a couple extra minutes of direct neck work before you get on the mats is better than NOTHING.

I wouldn’t even think of stepping on the mats to train without DIRECTLY warming up my neck! Now, this is coming from someone who’s had a serious neck injury and has been through major neck surgery. And one of the best ways to PREVENT neck injuries, even the little ‘kinks’, is to directly warm up your neck EVERY SINGLE TIME you hit the mats.

If you’ve been going to practice or training without first warming up, then NOW is the time to start. Even if it’s just a couple minutes, then you can gradually work your way up.

So here’s another exercise you can work on, and you don’t have to lie on the mat to do it.

I like this both for a warm-up and for a workout.

For this one I like to use one of those big stability balls, (there’s a bunch of them here at Lloyd Irvin’s MMA Academy in Maryland). You really don’t need one though. You can use a folded up towel, t-shirt, your gi, basically whatever will give you some padding. BUT – I recommend using a stability ball, a rubber exercise ball or anything that has a little bit of give to it. One of my “Neck Training Secrets For Grapplers” ezine subscribers, Antoine M. from Switzerland, said he uses a kids beach ball and likes it even more than the stability ball; so you can try that too (thanks Antoine!).

Simply stand up against the wall, place whatever you’re using for padding at head-level, and put your forehead on the padding. Now just slowly push your head forward into the padding as you breathe, and as your neck gets stronger you can start leaning more of your body weight into it (just be careful you don’t slip and fall).

You can do short contractions or longer contractions, where you push up until your neck gets really tired. You won’t be able to get as many reps with the longer ones, but either one works well. I recommend trying both; I do both versions depending on how I’m feeling that day. Great isometric muscle work is involved with these.

For the back of your neck, just place the back of your head against the padding and press back with your head so you feel your neck muscles contract. You can hold for a long count, relax for a second or two, then do it again until you reach your desired amount of reps.

Same thing for the sides of your neck. Because you’ll be facing your side, you might want to use a little more padding to take up some more space so you won’t have to lean into it as much (because of your shoulders – that’s why I like to use the big stability ball for these, especially the sides).

I recommend trying out this exercise before you train to see how it feels. Do all for sides (front, back, left side, right side), then take a little break before starting your next set (if you’re going to do more than one set).

Do as many sets and reps as you feel comfortable doing, and if you feel any pain, stop immediately. I recommend doing 1 to 3 sets of 10 reps each side, then gradually work your way up.

Start out slow, and keep things nice and easy, because remember, it may seem easy, maybe even a little ‘too easy’ while you’re doing these exercises, but if you’re new to training your neck and you’ve never done these before, you can expect to be a little sore. Don’t try to kill yourself in the beginning–just work to build up your strength and stay consistent with your training.

So give that one a try and let me know what you think!

I’ll post a video of this routine soon!

Remember: you can always submit your questions to me about neck strength training and conditioning by simply dropping me an email or replying back to any email I send you (just write “Question” in the subject line).

Protect your neck!

Coach James Kelly
Team Lloyd Irvin MMA

P.S. I’m excited to see how much stronger your neck gets after using these tips (I have a lot more coming). So thanks again for trusting in me enough to give this neck training stuff a try. I’ll be working my butt off to give you as much value as I can because I know how important neck training is, especially for combat athletes like you.

Join me on Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jimkelly1

*** This information is not given as medical advice or treatment. Always consult a physician before starting any physical fitness program. Safety should always be your first concern.

— — — — — — Reminder — — — — — —
Sign up for my free “Neck Training Secrets For Grapplers” ezine.
Enter your name and valid email below to get exclusive, valuable information that I will share with you for free. You’ll get lots of neck training articles, neck exercise routines, neck workout videos and you’ll be in direct contact with me so you can ask questions and get answers that will help you with your neck training and neck health so you can protect your neck and build a strong neck for your combat sport.

— — — — — — ******** — — — — — —

Let’s get started.

First I want to focus on the most IMPORTANT thing you need to do to protect your neck before you begin your training.

That’s the WARM UP.

Lots of people warm up with jogging, pushups, situps, but hardly anyone ever really concentrates on warming up the NECK! That’s a huge MISTAKE.

As a combat athlete, serious competitor or not, you MUST focus on specific neck exercises and warm-ups every single training session!

So here’s a basic neck warmup exercise routine can use RIGHT AWAY.

Remember, this one’s a warm-up so it should be nice and easy just to get the blood flowing through your neck.

Now’s not the time to start with neck rolls or bridging, or any other dynamic neck movement. Keeping it simple for now and building things up (you’ll be getting plenty of exercises and workouts to use as long as you’re on this list).

No weights or equipment needed for this one. This is a quick warm-up routine, 3 exercises in one (back, front, and each side). Your set and rep scheme should be easy at first. Just do as many reps as you feel comfortable doing, and if you feel any pain, stop immediately (consult with a doctor before engaging in any kind of exercise routine).

I’ll recommend shooting for 10 reps each exercise then work up from there. If you have a strong neck already, you can do more of course, just be careful; safety should always be your top priority.

The other day I did 500 reps of each exercise, but I’ve been training for a while so this wasn’t a big thing for me and I make sure to FOCUS on my neck training more than anything else I do. Why? Because I have to. Neck training and neck health has to be my #1 priority, especially now since having my first neck surgery. Bottom line is that if I want to stay in this sport and be able to train hard to achieve my goals, I gotta protect my neck.

Okay, let’s get to these exercises.

Do each exercise back to back, then rest for 30 seconds to a minute (longer is okay too, just rest until you feel comfortable and ready to start your next set). Then repeat again for 1 or 2 more sets. (Remember, these are just recommendations.)

First, get on all fours, knees and hands, with your back parallel to the mat. Then simply lift your head all the way up so that if you were facing a mirror, you can see your face; then bring it back down so your chin just about touches your chest. Do the amount of reps you feel comfortable doing. This exercise will work the back part of the neck.

Next, lie on your flat on your back with your legs straight (don’t bend your knees your put the soles of your feet on the ground), and bring your chin up to your chest, then slowly back down, and right before the back of your head touches the mat, bring your head back up again. This exercise will work the front part of the neck. Do the amount of reps you feel comfortable doing.

Now let’s work the sides. Lie on your right side, with your right arm relaxed in front of you (you shouldn’t be lying on top of your arm). Now slowly bring your head up as if you’re trying to touch your left ear to your shoulder, then slowly bring your head back down and a little after you pass the point where your head is parallel with the mat, bring it back up again. Do the amount of reps you feel comfortable doing. Then make sure to do your other side and do the same amount of reps. (Just do what’s comfortable for you.)

That’s it. 3 exercises done back to back, in one “compound set.” I call it a “compound set” because you’re working one body part with a variety of different movements back to back.

This routine will help warm up your neck and get you ready to get into the hard training.

This is great for a warm-up; however, you can also burn out your neck by doing this after you train as well. I always make a habit of doing something for my neck before AND after I train—every time. It’s that important. The intensity of what I choose to do varies, but I always do some kind of focused neck work.

I have a TON of these routines, some easy, some highly advanced, and I’m going to spill the beans on EVERYTHING. I guarantee some of what I’m going to give you, you’ve never seen before.

I learned a lot of great stuff over the years, and I’ve made mistakes too, and I’m going to share them all with you because I know I can help a lot of people like you get a strong neck and be able to enjoy your training more and not worry as much about injuries that can take you off and keep you off the mats for good. There’s going to be a LOT more to come, including more neck training videos and neck strengthening articles, so keep your eyes open and make sure you’re signed up for my free “Neck Training Secrets For Grapplers & Combat Athletes” e-zine so you don’t miss any exclusive content.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If you have a specific question you’d like to ask me about neck training, email me at any time and I’ll do my best to get back to you; just write “question” in the subject line.

Protect Your Neck!

Coach James Kelly
Team Lloyd Irvin MMA

Follow me on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jimkelly1

Disclaimer: These emails are in no way intended to be used as medical advice. Always consult a physician before starting any physical training program.

Neck bridges are NOT for “everyone.”

I think neck bridging is great, but not for everyone. Neck bridges can be dangerous sometimes. Some people get hurt when they’re not smart about their training. Sometimes people will see a picture of guys bridging with their nose touching the mat, or with crazy weights or people on top of them while in a bridge, and they’ll just go and try that stuff without FIRST having the necessary “foundational strength” built up in the first place.

Big mistake.

(Note: I’m not knocking those versions of the neck bridge. Not at all. I love that stuff too and I teach how to build up to where you can do those more advanced versions. I just get frustrated when people don’t go through the necessary fundamental progressions of the neck bridge so they can build up that strong foundation first.)

Safety tip: a good warm up is needed BEFORE you even attempt to bridge. More or less warm up depending on how strong your neck is. Neck bridging is easy for some who have strong necks and of course for those who train their necks on a regular basis. Plus, if you’re doing neck bridges, you better make sure your back is warmed up too. If you do ANY kind of strenuous physical activity without a good, thorough warm-up, you’re asking for injuries.

With your neck training, it is absolutely crucial that you don’t over-do things. Especially if you’re at a beginner level. We want to build up, not just break down. So we have to train smart and be diligent with when and how we train our necks and also how we recover.

Do I think everyone should be doing neck bridges?

Well, I don’t think neck bridges are necessary to build a strong neck. You can do plenty of other direct neck exercises that stress your neck muscles enough to get bigger and stronger. But having said that, we’re grapplers – and if you’re a wrestler, a BJJ’er or a mixed martial arts fighter, you’d better have a good neck bridge because the fact is, if you don’t, you’ll be at a significant disadvantage to your competition—and even the slightest advantage can be the difference between silver and gold.

Go slow, train smart, make sure you get a good warm up, and if you try to bridge and it starts to hurt, stop. See a sports doctor who specializes in the neck before you begin any kind of training program and let them know exactly what you’re doing. If you have neck pain, explain to your doctor where and when you’re getting neck pain and find out what your next step should be. (That’s my disclaimer.)

I have a warm spot in my heart for neck bridges, because they were a HUGE part of my neck training before my injury, and I was able to build up my neck a lot from doing them, at first with my own bodyweight, then I’d start adding weights (just like those “crazy” neck bridges I mentioned in the beginning of this email.

You’ll make good gains in size and strength if you stay consistent with these exercises.

If you haven’t seen the video of me doing a short neck bridging routine during a workout, you can see it here:

Neck bridging, on top of the other neck training I did, saved my life. After breaking my neck the doctors told me I’d NEVER be able to train hard again, do any kind of neck bridging, and they said to forget about ever setting foot on the mats again because I wouldn’t be able to wrestle or do BJJ much less walk normally without a significant limp. They were DEAD WRONG!

Here’s a tip: don’t just hold the position on the top of your head and stay there, not moving. That’s one way to do it, but you should be doing neck bridges with movement, too. (If you’re a beginner, stick to a limited range of motion and only go up and down, not side to side.) You’ll work your neck muscles more if you move rather than just stay in one spot.

Don’t push it too hard as far as range of motion goes with regards to neck bridging. For example, if you go all out and try to touch your nose to the mat the first few times you work on neck bridging, you may experience some pain. There’s really no need to push it that far when you’re starting out.

For beginners: Don’t just start neck bridging without first building up your neck with easier neck exercises. Always warm up, go slow, be careful with your range of motion and make sure to stop if you experience any pain.

Protect Your Neck!

Coach James Kelly
Team Lloyd Irvin MMA
Founder of GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com

PS. I love feedback and I value your opinion, so please let me know what you think about these tips, and especially what YOU would like to know specifically.

Send me a friend request on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/jimkelly1

*** This content is not medical advice. Always consult with a physician before doing any kind of physical activity whatsoever. If you experience any pain, stop immediately and go see a doctor. ***

14 years ago at a wrestling camp in Virginia, I got to train with a 4-time Pennsylvania state champion and NCAA champion named John Hughes. What I didn’t realize at the time was how that experience would end up literally SAVING MY LIFE.

Now John Hughes only wrestled at 142 pounds, but he was built up for his size–he had that “farm boy” type strength–and he had these gnarly cauliflower ears with this big, thick neck. When you wrestled him and tried to get him out of position, he felt like a brick wall–just about impossible to move (at least for me). His stance was solid as a rock and you couldn’t get him out of position or snap him down because his neck was so strong (aside from his wrestling skills).

I wanted to train with John Hughes ever since my coach Mr. Denny gave me some video from the years Coach Hughes won the PA state title along with his twin brother Russ and fellow 4-time PA state champion Cary Kolat. I would study those videos every day with the goal of one day winning the PA state title in high school. So, needless to say, I looked up to him a ton.

When I got to meet him and train with him at a wrestling camp the summer before my junior year of high school, i had no idea how those few days of working with him would literally end up saving my life.

I already knew a little bit about weightlifting and was built up pretty well physically from years of body weight training, martial arts and football. But after seeing Coach Hughes’ neck and feeling how ridiculously strong he was, I knew there was something I was lacking in: solid neck development.

One night at the camp, my coach Mr. Denny told me I’d better go see what he did to build up his neck like that. So I did.

When I approached Coach Hughes and asked him if he could show me some stuff I could do to build up my neck more like his, he really opened up and spent a good amount of time showing me some of his neck training secrets. Some of the exercises were so advanced I couldn’t even do them at the time (I had to work up to it). I just stood there in awe while he went through the different neck exercises he used; he made it look easy (even though I knew the advanced neck exercises he was doing were super tough).

After he showed me his neck training secrets, I did them every single day. I was 100% committed to building my neck strength and staying consistent with my training –- to the point of obsession.

I learned not just how to build up the muscles in my neck to be bigger, but also to have endurance and more “functional” strength for wrestling.

From that day in the summer of 1996, I have practiced the neck exercises Coach John Hughes taught me, as well as many others that I learned throughout my athletic and martial arts career–and I have never looked back.

Since I started sharing these neck training secrets with other fellow grapplers online, I have now passed my knowledge onto ’students’ all over the WORLD. (Gotta love the internet!) Many people started out only being able to do the bare bones basics(and sometimes even less than that); some people couldn’t even do a full neck or back bridge; but in each case, no matter how little the person could do in the beginning, if he or she sticks with the program — results come, and often quickly, too.

Today, my neck strengthening secrets and neck health tips are being followed by men and women of all ages and professions. From the hardcore seasoned competitor to the still-wet-behind-the-ears beginner grappler… from world class BJJ black belts to white belts who are giving it a try for the first time… from top-ranked competitive wrestlers, to wrestling coaches, to brand new students of the sport. The advice and stories I share in my ezine and blog are used by people in the U.S. military, it is used by many in law enforcement, by men and women who participate in all kinds of sports as well as the martial arts and combat sports fanatics.

The neck training secrets I’ll be providing you with will help you get your neck stronger, you’ll learn ways to eliminate back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain, you’ll discover how I can still train hard on the mats after breaking my neck and you’ll get to find out about other grapplers’ success stories and comeback-from-injury tales of triumph.

I’m going to open up and share with you even my biggest and most embarrassing mistakes I made when trying to come back from my neck injury during training — I don’t want you making the same mistakes! So you’ll be getting the good and the bad — and both will help you with your neck training, whether you’re doing it just to gain more neck strength or you’re trying to come back from a neck injury or you just want to protect your neck and stay in the sport longer as a wrestler, grappler or fighter.

Plain and simple, my neck training program WORKS and I’m here to help you. If you take this advice and train smart, it WILL change your life and who knows — it might actually end up SAVING YOUR LIFE like it did mine.

Thanks again for being a part of this with me. I look forward to seeing how I can help you.

Protect your neck!

Coach James KellyFounder of GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com

Add me on Facebook —> http://www.facebook.com/jimkelly1

No neck training equipment? No problem. No mats to use for neck bridging? No problem. No weights? No problem.

Here’s a basic neck exercise routine you can do using your hands/arms as resistance. (Watch the video below to see me take you through it.)

This neck strengthening routine works great as a warm up, a separate neck training workout, or as extra strength building after a tough wrestling practice.

If you’ve been wrestling for years or already have a strong neck, it’ll take a bit longer for you to get a good burn in your neck muscles doing these exercises. For me, I do these more as a warm-up before practice. If I’m riding on the Airdyne for a warm up, I make sure I hit all four sides of my neck with these manual resistance movements. For example, I’ll ride for 2 minutes pumping my arms and legs, then do the manual neck resistance for 2 minutes while pumping the pedals, then keep rotating back and forth for 10-16 minutes.

I also like to do these neck exercises while sitting at my desk working. It feels good getting the blood to flow through my neck and get a bit of a pump in the muscles. I make sure to work all four sides of my neck every time I do this exercise routine (front, back, left, right).

Here’s a video of a basic neck exercise routine using manual neck resistance that you can do by yourself:

As you can see, you can still work your neck muscles even if you don’t have any access to any kind of workout equipment, weights or mats. I do this exact routine all the time and it really helps me out. Hopefully it can help you out too.

As a wrestling coach, I make sure all the combat athletes I work with understand the importance of neck strengthening. When I see people getting to practice early, I like seeing them doing stuff like this to prepare their necks a little bit extra. Even an extra couple minutes a day can make a huge difference!

Protect your neck!

Coach James Kelly

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for my neck training e-zine for grapplers if you haven’t already. I’d hate for you to miss out on anything!

Sign Up For FREE Neck Training Tips & Videos:

Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy

I recently invested in this exact 4-Way Neck Machine from this exact company.

Click on the link below to check it out for yourself…

Neck Machine (EA) – Black

When I get this 4-Way Neck Machine, I’m putting it in my room. I’ll post pictures and video as soon as it arrives and I get it all set up. I’m fired up about this!