A Strong Neck To Keep Head Banging To Bad Ass Rock & Metal

 Every now and then, I think about some of the concerts I've been to in my life. Seen plenty of groups including Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Joan Jett and others. One of my favorites to go see was my friends Archer who consisted of three members (Dylan Rose, Tyler Bramlett and Isaiah May) and would play covers of 80's metal bands and their original songs. They did battle of the bands type gigs and played a lot on the main stage and atrium at this place in Santa Cruz called the Catalyst which I think isn't going to be in that area much longer. 

Going to those concerts were a lot of fun and got to be in mosh pits, head bang with other friends and even hung around a guy once or twice who was an American Idol contestant back in the day who had the legendary guitar icon Zakk Wylde on stage. Isaiah was the bass player for Archer at the time, one concert, I got too close to the stage and was head banging and all that. All of a sudden, I got hit by the bass like it uppercut me and it was hard enough that it could've knocked me out but with all those bridges I was doing at the time, my chin and my neck was strong enough to withstand the blow and just laughed it off. I told him about it later on at a gathering for a BBQ or something and he apologized to me about it and just shrugged it off, it was my fault and he was doing his thing.

I love rocking out man and having a strong neck that doesn't cause pain later on, even when the adrenaline wears off is a key to keep having fun. Having a neck that can handle more than just rocking out is an aspect of health that is really neglected. It's having that possible whiplash and may even get hurt getting out of bed. Doing bridges are awesome and if you're healthy, practice them using the methods from Logan Christopher's Advanced Bridging Course. 

The next best thing in addition to bridges or even self resistance is using the Neck Flex. Working your neck in various positions using the resistance band that comes with it can develop muscle and even utilize injury prevention as much as possible. Do you need to do a ton of reps? Not really, especially in the beginning where you're learning to control the movements and not flopping that thing around like its a fish out of water. It's about feeling the muscles, controlling the resistance and understanding the mechanics. I worked up to high volume because that works for me and I enjoy training that way. 

If you're going to train with weights, be sure to get going using weight that gives you the opportunity to work the neck with control. In the wise words of Yoda, "Control, control, you must learn control." Now, that doesn't mean your neck is going to grow two inches in less than a couple weeks that some people have claimed while looking like they have a pencil neck that looks exactly the same after using a cheap knock off for 5 minutes. Growth takes time like anything else and it's not always about size either. Shit, I love having a thick and strong neck but in reality, what I love more is the fact that I can turn in all sorts of directions and not feel pain or feel like there are kinks that need work. Each exercise is focused and as precise as I can make it. That's the true way to do it whether it's for high volume or whatever.

Even as a Rock/Metal Artist, having a healthy and strong neck goes a long way to keep rocking out as you perform to the crowd. Neck work is mainly neglected because it's out of fear that if you do things and work the wrong way, it can lead to some kind of disaster. That can be said for practically any exercise but when it comes to the Neck, it can potentially be fatal. It sounds scary, I understand but working those muscles whether you're an athlete, a head banging spectator or whatever can help generate nerve force and strengthen the spinal cord along with the muscles of the neck. 

Having a healthy and strong neck can potentially limit headaches and migraines at an alarming rate. This doesn't mean they cure them and I wouldn't test the theory while having either one but with consistent training, it potentially takes things down a notch and be able to have greater clarity and neurological function. 

Take care of your neck, it's one of the things that keeps you alive LOL. I really hope you enjoyed this post and got a little kick out of it. It's fun playing off the little things in life and giving people an outlook that makes strength training worthwhile for the things that matter to you. Go to https://www.theneckflex.com/ and get your hands on the cream of the crop when it comes to Neck Harnesses. Learn the valuable info of training using the band and chain from The Emperor of Neck Training Mike The Machine Bruce at his Youtube Channel HERE!!! Want to shave off some money on your order? Use my code POWERANDMIGHT and tell them I sent you. They're good guys. Also check out for info from Neck Flex themselves by going HERE to their Youtube Channel. 

I got to tell you man, Mike Bruce's neck is so thick and powerful, if he was at the plate in Oracle Park, he could use his head as the bat and hit one out to McCovey Cove and it be just another walk in the park for him. 

Little Neck-Ism just for kicks since it has been a minute. 

Be amazingly awesome and don't stop having a blast. Rock on everyone. 

Here is a little old school metal to rock out to....One of my personal favorites from Black Label Society

The Farmer Vs. The Machine

 

If there was ever a competition to determine certain aspects on what it means to have a strong neck, it be two powerhouse wrestlers that defied the meaning of Neck Strength. Farmer Burns and Marine Mike "The Machine" Bruce come to mind and I want to break down why.

First off, although they come from completely different backgrounds and training style, there's no question both men have a higher IQ on Submission Grappling than many today and out of the two, Mike is very underrated. He came from beginnings that would put a lot of average guys in therapy but he persevered and became one of the strongest guys for his size pound for pound and a great athlete overall in his prime.

Martin Burns was born during the most important war in American History and busted his ass to take care of his family even at an early age. He made wrestling an artform but knew what it took to cripple somebody if he wanted to. Arguably the greatest hooker of any generation but was also most likely the GOAT when it came to being a coach. If you ever understood the dominance of Frank Gotch, you can thank the Farmer for that and many other champions he developed. 

When it comes to training the neck, these two alone are in many aspects without equal. Both devoted time and training to make their neck as strong as possible while also maintaining health. Mike trained in an era during the early UFC years and became a hell of a grappler and fighter training under coaches like Tim Gillett. In a time where steroids and other drugs were growing in sports, this bad ass marine never went that route and relied heavily on good old fashioned conditioning, crazy heavy strength training and old time strongmen principles by bending steel such as spikes and horseshoes. He was trained in the old time strongman feats by Bud Jeffries and because of Bud's guidance and wisdom, Mike developed a level of performing strongman very few if any can comprehend. 

Burns was not only a man of principle, he was heavily into systems that weren't considered the norm at the time and utilized the idea that although conditioning was a priority for wrestling, the ability to practice precision and timing made the biggest difference and reading an opponent with such accuracy that getting them into practically any position he wanted, made him one of the most dangerous wrestlers of all time. The man rarely ever lost a bout and this was in a time where contests were mostly legit and had scientific entities along with tactics that broke bones, shattered tendons and destroyed the spirit of any man that tested him. 

Both men made an impact in their time and although the Farmer is more famous of the two, there's no question that Mike had an impact on others in the shadows. Now the purpose of this post is to look at their styles when it came to training the neck. They knew the ins and outs of neck training for their sport but took things to a level most are baffled to this day when you dig into what they did. 

Burns' biggest known feat of Neck Strength was the Hangman's Noose Feat where he trained his neck to the degree of not only developing a 20 incher on a 165 lb frame but can hang from the noose itself for a solid of period of time and not get injured or for that matter die. If you could choke out the Farmer, you might as well be celebrated as royalty because the man's neck was so freakishly strong, it was damn near impossible. In his book Lessons In Wrestling & Physical Culture, he puts quite a stint of neck training where you do self resistance exercises and bridges to create a powerful entity and even threw in rocking in the front bridge until fatigue. How can you go wrong with that?

For Mike? If it came to the science and hardcore truth about training the neck next to Ted Williams teaching you how to hit a baseball, it ranks right at that level of greatness. There wasn't a method The Machine didn't do that made his neck a force of nature. From heavy weights, to high rep training, band work, bridges and more, it is above and beyond what others before or since have accumulated. When it came to feats of strength, even the Farmer would question Mike's sanity because he made almost the hangman's noose look like a joke. Mike had steel bars bent across his throat. Even Horseshoes didn't stand a chance, Mike had them bent and it is incredible the way it is done. It's hard enough bending horseshoes with your bare hands but to have them bent across the throat where it could easily crush the windpipe of a normal human being is just nuts.

Who would win in a contest of this context? I would put my money on Mike and this isn't about being biased, when you look into the feats and the training methods, Mike took it steps further than Burns did. Wrestling wise, even Mike might say Burns was the better wrestler because with Catch in Burns' time, you had to learn how to cripple someone and get dirty when it was called upon because back then, there weren't big payoffs let alone medical modalities. Mike could still go if he wanted to and knows how to break a limb but he also has that marine mentality. Not taking away anything from either man, they both could fight in ways that question a lot of other guys' manhood with the way they handle themselves. 

If you want to have the strongest neck possible, check out Mike's Channel on YouTube on Building A Thick Neck . Want to train without weights or doing bridges, check out the Neck Flex that also uses a resistance band. Train myself with these little fuckers and will do a total of 300 or more reps hitting 25-50 in different directions. Keeps my neck at around 18 inches in my 40's. Be amazingly awesome and keep things going. A strong neck could save your life one day.