How to Build a Bull Neck at Home (Exercises, Workout Program)

In the last article we looked at the main reasons to shake your neck.

Let me remind you:

1. You will look courageous
2. This will protect you in a fight or accident
3. This is the fastest way to look better
4. This will help you gain a proud masculine posture

How to pump up your bull neck so you stop looking like a little teenager and start looking like a man?

I have included everything in this guide: a warm-up, a list of exercises and a workout program so that you can tone your neck at home as quickly as possible.

Warm up for the neck

It is very important to stretch your neck thoroughly to avoid injuries, sprains and other crap.

Shaking your neck is harmful if you haven't warmed up. So ALWAYS stretch your neck before exercising.

Warm-up for the neck is stretching it in four directions.

First, do some static stretching. Tilt/turn your head in each direction and hold it in the most extended position for 3-4 seconds.

Then mobile stretching. Twist your head like you usually do in gym class.

Here is a video on how to stretch your neck:

Now let's move on to the exercises.

Loading the neck with support on the back of the head

Another way to make your neck thicker? Prepare a platform of sorts by stacking several boards on the floor. The height of such a podium should be about 8-10 cm. Place a gymnastic mat on top, which will soften the surface. Lie on your back with the back of your head resting on the device. Move into a bridge position with your back arched. Use your feet as opposite support.

A support placed in the back of the head will allow you to increase the amplitude of body body sway. As a result, the neck muscles will be maintained under increased tension. When performing the exercise, it is advisable to use your legs minimally. Focus on creating a wide range of movement of your chin from your chest.

Neck Curl

This will help pump up the front of your neck - the most visible part.

Rewind the video from the top to 3:05 and you will see how to do neck curls.

First he does an exercise with his own weight, then he does an exercise with a 20-kilogram plate on his forehead, and then with two 20-kg plates.

If someone tells you that it is dangerous and so on, don’t listen to him.

I've personally done neck curls with a 20kg plate - and I feel great!

But you need to reach heavy weights, as in any exercise.

Moreover, from the first year I suffered from neck pain after I once caught a cold in my neck.

I spent a lot of money treating her, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage - but it always helped for a couple of months, and then she started getting sick again.

So - my neck has never felt better than when I started training it, first with my own weight, and then with plates!

So, working out your neck is the perfect way to look cooler and improve your health at the same time.

Always squeeze your neck to the maximum so that it burns and hurts at the top!

This will help it grow faster.

Do I need to download it?

Before answering the question of how to properly pump up your neck, let’s find out for whom this is generally advisable.

Targeted pumping of the neck muscles is not common. We are not talking about physical therapy exercises, but about the additional development of the muscles in this area.

A strong neck is usually needed by wrestlers. Bodybuilders usually do not pay special attention to this part of the body. And this is primarily due to the danger of damaging the spine.

The cervical spine is the most fragile, mobile and weakest place in our spinal column. Damage to it will lead to consequences of varying severity. And it’s very easy to damage your neck – just take too much weight.

If strengthening your neck muscles is important to you, then I'll tell you how to do it safely. But first, pay attention to those points in the presence of which neck training should be limited only to exercise therapy exercises.

Neck extensions

Neck extensions work the back of the neck.

They are needed for maximum volume and to make your neck look powerful from the back.

Rewind to 5:39 and you'll see neck extensions.

Bortsovsky Bridge

The exercise justifies its name - it comes from a sport like wrestling.

You need to take the “bridge” position with small features: your feet should be on the floor, another point of support is your head.

It is necessary to carefully make circular movements with your head.

The number of approaches can be any, the indicator of correctness is the appearance of fatigue.

When the neck muscles are tired enough, you should move on to training other groups.

Lateral neck lifts

Lateral neck bends are very important for martial arts and for not getting knocked out easily in a fight.

This exercise is not the most effective for appearance, but it is very effective for stability and maximum development.

I regularly include it in my neck training program.

It is shown at 7:00.

These three exercises are the best to train your neck at home.

If you don't have pancakes, then your hands come to the rescue.

American YouTubers love to do these exercises with weights, but our guys prefer to press their hands on their foreheads.

When you push with your hands, the load is constant, and you can control the movement at difficult points.

Here is a video on how to train your neck with your hands:

While you are a beginner, it is better not to rush headlong into the pool.

Barbell training

How to quickly pump up your neck? Include shoulder raises while holding a barbell in your training program. The technique of performing the exercise is particularly simple. Hold a medium-heavy barbell with a wide grip while in a vertical stance. Keep your back muscles tense. After taking a deep breath, slowly pull your shoulders up. As you exhale, relax, letting the bar hang freely on your hands. During subsequent workouts, increase the weight of the sports equipment, which will allow you to achieve noticeable progress in working out the neck muscles.

Preparatory stage

The first week of training you will do:

1. 100 neck curls
2. 100 neck extensions
3. 100 bends to the left
4. 100 bends to the right

This is the introductory stage of your training. You don't try to put pressure on your forehead to increase the load.

Your goal now is to learn how to contract your neck muscles well and prepare yourself for real work.

At the very beginning, if you have never trained your neck, then bodyweight exercises will be enough for you to start the growth mechanism of a bull thick neck.

Most likely, you will not be able to immediately do 100 reps in one approach.

If this is difficult, then divide one set of 100 repetitions into two sets of 50 repetitions.

50 repetitions – rest 1-2 minutes – another 50 repetitions.

Can you do 100 at once? Then do it right away, it will be better.

Don't skip the preparatory stage - it will prepare your neck for serious stress!

Tips and tricks

For strengthening to proceed correctly, you must follow these tips:

1. Give your neck muscles a rest. You can get a relaxing massage.
2. If the next day there is a pulling sensation in the neck area, then this is normal and means that the training was successful.
3. If after training there is acute pain in the neck, then this is also not scary. However, you need to give your neck a couple of weeks to rest. During this time she will recover. You can visit a traumatologist.
4. If there is such acute pain in the neck that it cannot be moved, then it is possible that the vertebrae have shifted. The reason for this may be too much force or too much weight. It is necessary to call an ambulance.
5. The main rule when pumping up your neck is not to overdo it. It’s better to underdo it a little and not get a serious injury. The best solution in this matter would be to train with a trainer. However, if this is not possible, then it is necessary to strictly follow safety precautions and monitor possible signs of injury.
6. Many people ask: how long does it take to pump up your neck? Everything here is individual and depends on the regularity of training and the correctness of their implementation.

Real Bull Neck Workout

Now that you're ready for the real workout, you have a choice.

First type of neck training:

You can continue to work on the preparatory program:

1. 100 neck curls
2. 100 neck extensions
3. 100 lateral bends to the left
4. 100 lateral bends to the right

Only now you begin to press your hands on your forehead, side and back of your head (as in the video above) with just enough force to last you 100 repetitions, neither more nor less.

If you did it 100 times and you still had some strength left, you had to push harder.

If you gave up before reaching 100 times, then you had to push less.

It’s okay if you’re tired over 70 times and you can’t complete a set with weights. Just remove your hands or plate and complete the remaining 30 reps with your body weight.

The main thing is to get it 100 times. The neck loves a lot of repetition.

Second type of neck training:

This workout is more intense and less time consuming.

I recommend it to those who have already trained for at least a few weeks.

You will do:

1. 20 easy reps
2. 12 medium-heavy reps
3. 8 VERY HARD reps
4. 20 easy reps

You do the first 20 repetitions with very little pressure on your forehead, without working to failure.

This approach is designed to warm up your muscles.

Rest 1 minute.

The next approach you do is of medium intensity. You reach a slight failure.

Rest 1 minute.

The third approach is the most important. You press on your forehead with such force to do, or rather squeeze out, exactly eight repetitions.

By the eighth rep, you should feel like if they put a gun to your head to do another rep with at least your body weight, you won’t do it.

Rest 2-3 minutes.

The last approach for the final driving is light-medium intensity. You apply gentle pressure to your forehead and squeeze out the last 20 reps from your neck.

According to this principle, you work first the front part of the neck (flexion), then the back part of the neck (extension), then the left side and right side in any order.

Exercise technique with strap

Procedures must be followed to reduce the risk of injury and achieve good results.

Stages of training:

1. Attach the strap to your head and add weights. You need to bend over so that the angle between your body and legs is 45°. The back must be straight!
2. Bend over, reaching your forehead toward the floor until you feel a pleasant stretch.
3. Raise your head very carefully, pausing at the highest point of the movement.
4. On the next repetition, turn your head left and right, then up and down.

Head training with weights should be carried out in 14-16 approaches.

It is very important to do all movements slowly so as not to injure your spine!

Features of neck training

Always focus on contracting the neck muscles. If you just shake your head, it will be of little use.

You have to Squeeze your neck muscles to get them to light up and start growing.

One big mistake is lifting your entire torso as if you were doing abs.

No. You need to isolate your neck!

Make it so that ALL THE WORK is done only by the neck - and not a single muscle helps it.

When you just start training it, you will have a strange sensation in your tongue and throat.

It's like there's a fire in there and you can't swallow.

This is completely normal because the muscles of the tongue and throat muscles are connected to the neck.

Over time, you will come to love this feeling because it means your neck muscles are working well and growing.

If you don’t feel this burning sensation in your neck, tongue and throat, then you haven’t trained well! Next time, squeeze your neck harder.

Preparation for classes

Before you start doing neck exercises, you need to do a preparatory warm-up. It helps warm up the muscles and prevent sprains.

The most suitable exercises for warming up:

1. Tilts in different directions.
2. Turns left and right. You should try to touch your ear to your shoulder.
3. Rotational movements to the left and to the right.
4. To warm up the side muscles, you need to raise your arm up, bend it at the elbow and reach for the ear on the other side.
5. For the neck muscles in front, make a lock with your fingers and move them to the back of the head. While holding your head, bend backwards.
6. For the back muscles of the neck, you need to rest your palms on your forehead and try to bend forward.

All exercises are done at a slow and calm pace. You cannot make sudden movements and increase speed. If you do not follow simple rules, severe pain may occur.

Exercises are performed 5-7 times. When performing them, you need to feel the tension and tension of the muscles. Warm-up duration is 3-5 minutes.

Is it possible to shorten the training program?

If you don't have enough time or are very lazy, then you can do just one exercise.

This is neck flexion.

Neck curls will give you optimal development of the anterior and lateral neck muscles.

For a purely visual effect, only this exercise will be enough.

But if you want maximum development of the neck, which will save you in a difficult situation and will be the most bullish neck, then be so kind as to train the side and back of the neck.

I tried to make the instructions as complete as possible so that you don’t need any other resource to pump up your bull neck. Open it and everything you need is here.

If I missed something, please comment and I will add to the instructions.

Start training today and get a thick neck in just a few months.

I wish you to achieve results and look powerful, man!

See you later.

Vlad Makeev.

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What neck muscles need to be trained?

In order to train your neck muscles correctly, you need to understand some details. The neck is a muscle like any other. Consequently, training it without knowing what muscles it consists of and what function they perform is, at a minimum, useless and traumatic. With such an attitude towards training, you will have to wait a very, very long time for results. For us as bodybuilders, several muscles are interesting:

Neck muscle training

Sternocleidomastoid muscle.

It is the largest of the superficial muscles of the neck. It has two heads: sternal and clavicular. They connect the mastoid process (the posterior part of the temporal bone) with the manubrium of the sternum and the inner end of the clavicle. Shaped like an inverted “V”

Function: When one of the muscles contracts, it tilts the head in its direction. When two muscles contract at the same time, the head is raised upward with the possibility of rotation of the face. Also keeps the head upright.

Neck muscle training

Belt (plaster) muscle. Located at the back of the neck, covered by the trapezius, rhomboid and brachiocephalic muscles. It also consists of two parts:

• The head part which is attached to the occipital bone
• The cervical part is attached to the cervical vertebrae

Function: When one muscle contracts, it pulls the head in its direction. By contracting two muscles at the same time, the head rises.

Based on what was written above, we can conclude: that during training, greater emphasis is placed on the sternocleidomastoid muscle,

because it is more noticeable.
After working it, your neck will become more powerful. But the wide splenius muscle
also needs to be worked out, although it is less noticeable, but with joint training it will give your neck the ideal shape.

Shaking our necks in the hall

In the gym, in addition to such devices as TPX loops and harnesses, you can use a special exercise machine.

Let's figure out how to use this simulator to pump the front and back of the neck.

• Exercises for the posterior muscles. Sit in the machine with your back to the roller. Adjust its height so that it rests on the back of your head. Slowly move your head back, overcoming the resistance of the roller. Then also slowly return to the starting position. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions. As additional exercises, you can use extensions with a disc or harness.
• Exercises for the sternocleidomastoid muscles. Now turn your face to the roller and rest your forehead against it. Bend your head forward, overcoming the weight, then return to the starting position. Again, 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions will be enough. To diversify your workout, do 1-2 approaches in TPX loops.
• Trapezium exercises. Everything here is classic. Only shrugs, only hardcore.

With what weight to perform the movement is up to you. This could be dumbbells, barbells, weights or a special machine. The main thing is to do 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

• Deltoid exercises. The painting will not be complete if the shoulders lag behind. Therefore, pay enough attention to them! The best movement for the shoulders is abduction.

In second place are pull-ups or barbell rows to the chin.

And only on the third bench press.

Why is that? Because the shape of the shoulders is formed by the developed middle deltas, and they receive maximum load in the first two exercises! For all movements, perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Rubiel Mosquera

Not long ago, photographs of a young bodybuilder from Colombia named Rubiel Mosquera appeared on the Internet. In them, Rubiel demonstrated a powerful body with well-developed muscles. Moreover, huge hips, arms, and shoulders deserve attention. Social media users were especially struck by the size of the muscleman’s wide neck. It was indicated that her girth was 52 cm. This is an incredible result. I would like to hope that more detailed information about this promising young athlete will appear online soon.

And also read: 5 bodybuilders with arms over 60 cm → 4 striking ectomorph bodybuilders → Top 4 bodybuilders with a big belly → What do mass bodybuilders look like? 6 bodybuilders who retired too early →

Weight training

Currently, there is a lot of different equipment that can be used for training.

• Training with TPX loops. There is such a popular exercise among fighters as the wrestling bridge. Using TPX loops you can do a lighter version of this exercise! Take the loops in your hands and interlock your fingers. Place your forehead on the back of your hands. Take a position so that your body is slightly tilted forward and has only two points of support: your feet resting on the floor and your forehead resting on the back of your hands. In the starting position, the whole body is extended into a “string”. The cervical spine has a natural deflection. Gently tilt your head forward, then return to the starting position. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. As your training progresses, increase your forward bend. Similarly, you can bend to the sides and tilt your head back.
• With disk. All you need is a pancake with a value of 5 to 20 kg and a towel. Lie down on a bench press bench with your head and neck extending beyond the bench. If you are going to do an exercise on the muscles that extend or flex the head and neck, then place the disc on the back of the head or forehead, respectively. For lateral bending, place a plate on the area above your ear.

• With a head helmet. Of course, you can avoid the inconvenience of the “pancake + towel” design. But for this you will have to purchase a harness.

The exercise is most conveniently performed while sitting on a bench. To load the extensor muscles, lean your entire body forward and place your hands on your hips. By taking the “lying on your side” position, you will pump up the muscles responsible for tilting your head to the side. And if you lie on your back, you can give a load to the sternocleidomastoid (thrusting the head forward) muscles. Since the harness is a special device for training the neck muscles, it allows you to specifically load the muscles.

By using relatively heavy weights, you can achieve significant results in increasing muscle strength and volume. But keep in mind that the neck is a rather vulnerable organ and should be trained with extreme caution.

Use weights in your exercises that will allow you to perform 10-12 repetitions with the most correct technique!

You can learn more about the basic rules and exercises for training your neck at home in the following video

Bill Goldberg

Universal Champion in wrestling, actor, businessman, and former professional American football player, Bill Goldberg, also has an outstanding powerful neck. Its dimensions are very impressive. With a height of 192 cm, he weighs more than 120 kg. And yet, the athlete’s calling card is his exorbitantly voluminous neck, which makes his appearance more intimidating, which helps create “cinematic” images. An example is his acting work in the film “Universal Soldier 2: The Return,” in which Bill convincingly played the thug Romeo. The great-grandson of a Russian immigrant practiced judo and jiu-jitsu in his youth, but became famous in films and wrestling. He is a sports commentator and participates in numerous shows. Bill is now 54 years old and an active athlete. The developers of more than 15 computer games have made Bill Goldberg their character. He is also married and has a son.

Jeff King

One of the outstanding bodybuilders of the 20th century with a huge neck volume is the American Jeff King. This renowned bodybuilder, born in 1961, had a unique ability to build muscle mass. Natural abilities, coupled with intense and hard training, gave excellent results and helped Jeff develop a powerful, muscular body.

Against the background of excellent general proportions, his widest neck stood out, the volume of which was 49.5 cm. It turns out that the athlete paid special attention to the development of these particular muscles. King's sports career lasted about 10 years. He took part in the most prestigious world-class competitions and won 13 victories, including the title of “Mr. America” and “Mr. Universe” in 1983. After leaving the big sport, persistent and persistent Jeff received a doctorate in physical therapy and worked successfully in medical institutions for many years, managing to simultaneously graduate from the police academy.

Jeff King is a strong-willed and versatile person with an enviable sense of purpose. Combining his work as a physiotherapist and a police officer, he did not stop training regularly 4 times a week. True, he had to reduce the intensity of the load due to serious injuries. King lives in a small town near Vermont. He is a happy family man and father of three children. In 2009, having decided to take up directing, he made several films. Jeff King managed to succeed in sports, in his profession and in his personal life. Unfortunately, the general public remembers him as “Scheesaurus.”

Contraindications and precautions

Before working with the simulator, it is necessary to warm up.
Despite the possibility of maintaining the health of the cervical spine with the help of simulators, such devices have some contraindications for use:

• pathologies of a genetic nature, which are characterized by increased fragility of bones;
• sprain of ligaments, muscles, periarticular bursae;
• inflammatory process of any origin in the cervical spine.

To get the maximum benefit from classes, you need to follow the recommendations of doctors:

• before the main complex, do a light warm-up for the neck, thereby warming up the muscles;
• perform exercises in a ventilated room, wearing clothes made of cotton fabric that allows air to pass through well and does not create a greenhouse effect;
• exclude sudden movements, jerks, which can cause injury to the department;
• If pain occurs, stop doing the exercise; if there is no relief for several days, consult a doctor.

The duration of the workout should not exceed 10 minutes.