7 Best workouts to train your neck

Neck Anatomy: 

Neck muscles are one of the important muscle groups in your body as most of the nerves from your brain passes through your neck, there are more than 20 muscle fibres around your neck. These muscles support your posture and protect the spine which passes through your neck. Neck muscles involve,

• Semispinalis Capitis
• Splenius Capitis
• Levator Scapulae 
• Scalenes
• Trapezius
• Sternohyoid
• Sternocleidomastoid 

7 best workouts to train your neck:

• Dumbbell Shrugs: This is an exercise that targets both your Neck and Shoulders. It is one of the most popular workouts used to build your neck muscles, which is why it is at the top of the list. Take a pair of dumbbells and stand straight with your arms along your body and your legs hip-width apart. Make sure you use light weights if you are a beginner as neck muscles could be easily injured. Loosen your arms focus on the neck muscles and slowly raise your shoulders all the way up and squeeze your neck muscles, and lower shoulders to complete one repetition. 
• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set.
• Targeted muscles: Trapezius, Semispinalis Capitis, Splenius Capitis, Levator Scapulae, Scalenes. 

• Face Down Resistance: Lie on a flat bench (face down), make sure that your head, neck and shoulders are hanging over the edge of the bench. Take a lightweight dumbbell or a bottle filled with water and hold it behind your head. Now slowly move your head down by inhaling hold for a second and raise your head back to the starting position to complete one rep.

• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set.
• Targeted muscles: Upper Trapezius, Semispinalis Capitis, Splenius Capitis, Levator Scapulae, Scalenes. 

• Single-arm Dumbbell row: If you think that this workout targets the back muscles you are correct, however, all workouts are not isolated workouts, some workouts like a single-arm dumbbell row could affect several muscles like the lat, shoulders, arms and back of your neck at the same time. Get yourself on a flat bench and place your right knee on it by keeping your left leg firmly on the floor, bend forward and take a dumbbell in your left hand, make sure your back is straight as much as possible, place your right hand on the flat bench for support. Now lift the dumbbell close to your body and parallel to the floor then squeeze your trap muscles hold for a second and return to the starting position to complete one repetition. After completing one set change sides and repeat the same procedure for your right side.  

• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set for each side.
• Targeted muscles: Upper Trapezius, lat, arms, shoulders and inner back.

•  Lateral raise: Unlike single-arm dumbbell row, lateral raises are a complex exercise that targets two or more muscles at the same time. To start your workout take a set of dumbbells, stand straight with your arms along your body and your legs hip-width apart. Now slowly raise the dumbbells to your sideways, such that the dumbbells move away from your body, make sure to squeeze your traps hold for a second and return to the starting position to complete one repetition.

• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set for each side.
• Targeted muscles: Upper Trapezius, lat, arms, shoulders and inner back.

• Face up Resistance: The face-up resistance is similar to the face-down resistance workout. However, a face-up resistance workout hits different muscle fibres of the neck. To perform this exercise lie on a flat bench as if your head, neck and shoulders are hanging at the edge of the bench. Make sure your face is upward. Take light weights and bring them over your forehead, now slightly move your head downward hold for a second and return to the starting position to complete one repetition. 

• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set for each side.
• Targeted muscles: Sternocleidomastoid, Sternohyoid, Scalenes.

• Reverse fly: Reverse flyes are one of the best workouts to build your traps and posterior deltoid. You can perform this either using a reverse fly machine or a set of dumbbells. To get started, take a set of dumbbells and stand straight with your arms along your body and your legs hip-width apart. Slightly bend your body forward and raise the dumbbells up to your shoulder level such that you target your back of the neck and posterior part of the shoulders, hold for a second and return to the starting position to complete one repetition. 

• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set for each side.
• Targeted muscles: Trapezius.

• Front raise: Front raises highly targets the anterior part of your shoulders, however, it also helps to build a strong Sternocleidomastoid. To start your workout take a set of dumbbells, stand straight with your arms along your body and your legs hip-width apart. Now slowly raise the dumbbells to your front, such that the dumbbells move away from your body, hold for a second and return to the starting position to complete one repetition.

• Workout : 3 sets (8-12 reps) and rest for 30 seconds in between each set for each side.
• Targeted muscles: Sternocleidomastoid.

Tip: Once you complete your workouts, make sure to stretch each muscle group and take a warm and cold bath to maintain the flexibility of your muscles and avoid injuries.