Why you, as a combat athlete, should have a strong neck.

[Flyingneckbar]

You'd be suprised. I've seen many a people with big traps and small necks.

Fair enough. It just doesn't seem like something your body should allow.

[Emevas]

Fair enough. It just doesn't seem like something your body should allow.

It's the difference between isolation work and compound stuff. It's the same reason you see so many kids with over developed biceps vs triceps.

[IronWolverine]

I've been thinking about making a thread on this for a while, as too many guys I've trained with have been unable to even bridge off their head, let alone fight in a Thai clinch.

There are various reasons why combat athletes absolutely need a strong neck. The first and most obvious, especially in sports involving grappling, is protection from injury.

this link: http://www.onthemat.com/articles/Whe...1_30_2007.html
explains some of the most common neck injuries that occur as a result of mma training.



I myself have experienced neck injuries from MMA training, in fact I'm suffering from one now where I fucked up a no gi judo throw and essentially spiked both me and my partner on our heads, lucky for him my head hit the ground first. The doctor's opinion was pretty straight forward:
1) I'm an idiot (I agreed with this one)
2) my neck is just sprained
3) it would have been a **** load worse if I didn't have a strong neck.

as MMA is such a versatile sport, and contains so many opportunities to get injured, strengthening your body, particularly the really important bits, to aid them in resisting injury is common sense no?

Another reason for needing a strong neck in MMA is essentially the technical advantage you gain from it. Obviously the difference isn't ground breaking but the fact is guys with strong necks can essentially use it in their wrestling, particularly clinching, as another way of controlling their opponent. Also, ever noticed why a **** ton of skinny ass muay thai fighters tend to have kinda big necks for their size? A strong neck does give a definite advantage in the Thai clinch.

Personally, I've also found that bridging off your head instead of your shoulders provides you with a little extra height which might make the difference in escaping mount or side control.

The last reason, and this one is a bit dubious, is the possible 'shock absorber' affect that a strong neck can have in regards to receiving punches.

This article: http://rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym15.htm on Rossboxing gives a reasonable argument as to the benefits of a strong neck in striking sports, as well as an effective training regimen that I have been following for over a year.



Now I can't vouch for or deny this principle, as I've never been one to wobble from a good shot. However, I have experienced first hand the benefits of a strong neck in grappling and Muay Thai.

comments are welcome, as are opinions and arguments on the necessity of a strong neck in combat sports and its neglect in most training regimens.

Well, I think you should have a strong neck because:You want to be able,
to absorb the strikes, and certain chokes hold,you be able to resist them.

[MMAMickey]

Just thought I'd add something..

Since i've been out of sparring for a couple of weeks now due to the neck injury mentioned in the OP I've been trying out a bit of 'ashtanga' yoga. It contains alot of bridging poses off of the shoulders and head and ends with a sequence involving headstands.

As far as I can tell its helped quite a bit with my DIY rehab and it contains all of the other obvious benefits of yoga (flexibility etc).

I would suggest that this is probably a great alternative to using actual weights on the neck and/or a good way of building up some preliminary muscle and tendon strength before the use of weights.

If you can't find an instructor you can get a practice guide on amazon: Amazon.com: [Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual][Swenson, David][Hardcover]: David Swenson:…

as well as DVDs: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss..._0_0_1.202_158

[erezb]

What we do in our boxing gym is a worm up thing, we stick our fists under the chin and stretch the neck backwards, and apply some resistance while crunching down the chin towards the chest. For the back of the neck we simulate a clinch grip just applying it yourself, and work the full range with resistance that you feel good with (The Same thing for the sides). When I did judo we used those bridges and that was more than enough. Lately I started using a big rubber ball (the common one u see in gyms). Press it to the wall with your head in a fighting stance and you can move slightly all the time pressing into the ball. The angle of the stress simulates perfectly a blow coming to your head while you advance in a low crouching stance. The relatively low intensity in this exercise enables you to utilize full range without fear of injury. If you just starting to condition your neck I would urge you to start with one set for each exercise and see the next two days how you feel. If you didn’t suffer any soreness of the neck muscles than progress to 2,3 sets. If you feel soreness afterwards, (the good muscle kind) than start with twice a week.