Preparing the Neck for Contact
The upper neck/traps region is a very aesthetic part of a man and woman’s physique, and it plays a big role in the stabilization of the head in contact sports like BJJ, wrestling, and contact sports. The neck takes a big hit especially in the MMA world so it’s important to prioritize the neck in training. Whether it’s a big tackle in football, a big force of your opponent pushing your head down in BJJ as they try to dominate you, or your neck is just feeling unsteady - there are a couple of exercises that are simple and effective demonstrated in the video.
Trapezius
The main function of the trapezius is to stabilize the scapula, which is the region directly behind the chest. The trapezius is also involved in controlling the shoulder and is largely activated in throwing sports like football or baseball, and largely used in MMA like BJJ during pull motions. Often times you’ll see someone with weaker traps/neck pull someone with the shoulder rather than use the back/traps. In aesthetics like body sculpting the trapezius is a essential part of a well developed upper body as it gives the graceful yet strong look on a human.
Their are 3 sections of the traps: upper, middle, and lower. Each part can be trained accordingly. Below are a couple of my favorite trap exercises:
Deadlifts
Reverse DB flys
Face pulls
Reverse flys on pec dec machine
Shrugs
Farmer carry
How to Grow Traps
It all comes down to consistency, and patience. I’d suggest starting with 3 days a week, and train them after you stretched them and warmed up properly. Not doing so will result in discomfort and may irritate the muscles and thus prevent them from growing. If you can not do deadlifts and want more isolation I prefer the face pulls as it strengthens the rear deltoid/shoulder region which works in conjunction with the traps.
Shrugs example workout all in 1 set
Alternate grip on barbell x10
Switch to the other alternate grip on barbell x10
Overhand grip x10
Underhand grip x10
Repeat all 4 times aka 4 sets.
In the video above I demonstrated the 3 way neck stretch which will open up the upper body cavity and lengthen the muscles to prevent injury. Ideally the stretch can be performed everyday especially if you sit in front of the computer for too long.
The Main Takeaway
It’s super important to start training the neck especially if you are into contact sports because it can be vulnerable to injury if you are not careful when training and competing. If you feel tight in the upper traps/neck region then it is time to consider adding in the 3 way stretch exercise, as demonstrated in the video, and do those every day for at least 2 sets x 20 reps.
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