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.

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*** 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.

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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.

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!

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Part One

“Is Neck Bridging The Best Neck Exercise?”

That’s a good question!

Here’s my opinion:

It’s definitely one of the best… however, there are so many great neck exercises, I wouldn’t wanna pick just one as my favorite. I do ‘em ALL.

That being said, the neck bridge should be a MANDATORY exercise for all wrestlers, submission grapplers, and fighters.

Neck bridges are definitely at the top of my list of the best neck exercises for combat sports.

Why?

I’ll tell ya why…

“7 Reasons Why You Should Be Doing Neck Bridges If You’re A Combat Athlete”

1.  Neck Bridges Are “Sport-Specific” (If you can’t perform a good neck bridge, you’re putting yourself at a significant competitive disadvantage. There are a variety of techniques, both offensive and defensive – like sweeps and escapes – that require you to have an explosive neck bridge. If you can’t do a neck bridge or aren’t strong enough to do one, you’re gonna be in big trouble.)

2.  Neck bridges can be used to develop strength (In grappling, your opponents will be constantly working hard to control your head. Some are gonna be beat on your head pretty hard. The stronger your neck is, the harder it’s gonna be for your competition to control your head.)

3.  Neck bridges can be used to build muscle (Who wants a skinny pencil neck? Not me! In fact, the amount of thick, dense muscle I had piled onto my neck is what literally save my life!)

4.  Neck bridges can be used to gain explosive power (A powerful neck bridge will allow you to explode off the bottom from a variety of specific positions.)

5.  Neck bridges can keep you from getting pinned (In wrestling, you can’t let your opponent pin your shoulder blades to the mat… if you do, you lose. In submission wrestling or BJJ, if you can’t bridge out to make space when your opponent pins you, it’ll be easy for him to tap you out.)

6.  Neck bridges are one of the best “all-in-one” type of neck exercises (Once you get the basic movements down, you can do neck bridges to work just about every area of your neck.)

7.  Neck bridging can prevent injury (Neck bridging, when done properly and safely, can help to prevent injury by conditioning your neck, making your neck muscles bigger and stronger, and making your neck tougher. I’m not paralyzed right now as a direct result of all the neck bridging I did, so it’s pretty tough to argue with me on this one. As long as you’re careful and do the proper neck bridging progressions, you won’t have any problems doing a neck bridge. However, if you’ve had surgery or have a pre-existing condition, you better consult with your doctor to see if bridging is safe for you to do.)

I could go on and on… and I will… (this is just part one)… but there you have 7 great reasons to start building your neck up to be able to perform this valuable neck exercise.

If you’re a wrestler, mixed martial artist, BJJ grappler or any kind of combat athlete, you’d better know how to bridge!

Here’s a clip of a neck bridge workout that I do a lot once I’m sweating and my neck is warm.

Press the “Play” button on the video below to watch…

Neck Bridging Workout Video Clip:

WARNING!

There are specific neck bridging progressions you should follow in order to stay safe while you build up your neck. Start off slow and be careful.

Never go from doing nothing for your neck to all of a sudden trying to do a full-blown neck bridge workout like the one above.

Always consult a physician before trying any kind of neck exercises or any physical activity whatsoever. These videos and tips are not meant to be used as medical advice. Use these neck exercises at your own risk.

To learn more about how to build a big, strong neck and to get free access to the neck training secrets I’ve learned over the years, go to my website at

www.NoMoreNeckProblems.com

Protect Your Neck!

Jim Kelly

Team Lloyd Irvin

P.S. For more neck exercise tips and neck workout videos for wrestling and grappling just like the one above, give me your name and email so I can send you my free “Neck Training For Grapplers” ezine…

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Sport-Specific Neck Exercise For Wrestling – Video

This neck exercise drill has been one of my favorites for a long time, and lately, I’ve been having my wrestling class do this drill as part of their warm-up before we start going really hard, and also at the end of wrestling practice as part of their conditioning.

Neck Workout Video: Click the play button below to watch…

Here’s why doing this neck exercise drill is important…

While you wrestle, you’re gonna be getting your head beat on at some point during a match, and if your neck isn’t conditioned or strong enough to keep your head up, you’re gonna be in trouble.

One of the most important things in wrestling is your stance. That’s really the first thing anyone should learn. It all starts with a good stance. If you don’t have a good, solid stance, and you’re not strong from there, well, you’re toast.

In a good wrestling stance, you need to have your head up, your back straight, your hips under you, your elbows in, and you need to have “shoulder-knee alignment” at all times (I explain that more in the video).

Your job is to stay in your stance at all times and set up your attacks. Your opponent’s job is to take you out of your stance. So if your neck’s not strong enough to keep your head up and in good position while your opponent is trying to beat you down, well, you’d better focus more on neck exercises like this one.

Along with specific neck exercises like the one in the video above, I’ll be posting different techniques and drills to help you with keeping your opponents off your head. Techniques for clearing collar ties, guillotine choke escapes, front headlock counters and more. So keep your eyes open for those.

For more neck exercise tips and neck workout videos for wrestling and grappling just like the one above, give me your name and email so I can send you my free “Neck Training For Grapplers” ezine…

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Always consult a physician before trying any kind of neck exercises or any physical activity whatsoever. These videos and tips are not meant to be used as medical advice.

Jim Kelly
Team Lloyd Irvin

www.GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com

Visit www.GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com to receive free neck exercises and neck training tips to get your neck big and strong for wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), submission grappling, mixed martial arts fighting (MMA) and all combat sports.

You’ve got to protect your neck! Go to www.GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com to get the whole story.

Visit www.GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com right away to get your free “Neck Exercises & Neck Training For Grapplers & Combat Athletes” Ezine sent directly to your email inbox. On a regular basis, you’ll get neck training tips and all kinds of neck exercises and neck workouts to build neck strength and mass on your neck, back and shoulders.

If you’re a grappler, wrestler, fighter or combat athlete of any kind, you’ve got to protect your neck!

Go to www.GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com to read the newspaper articles from my neck injury so you can find out for yourself how important neck exercises and neck training are for wrestlers and fighters.

Jim Kelly
Team Lloyd Irvin MMA

www.GrapplersProtectYourNeck.com