Neck Harness Flexion
Strength
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Neck Harness Flexion is a strength exercise performed with a neck harness loaded with weight plates, targeting the anterior neck muscles like the sternocleidomastoid and scalenes as you flex your neck forward against resistance. Its primary purpose is to build neck strength and stability, enhancing resilience against impacts in contact sports. Athletes in football, wrestling, or martial arts benefit most, and it requires a neck harness plus plates, making it a more advanced, loaded progression than unweighted neck flexion drills.
How to Perform Neck Harness Flexion
- 1Attach a neck harness to your head with the strap positioned across your forehead and the chain/loop hanging down in front of you. Load the harness with a light weight plate.
- 2Lie face-up on a bench with your head and neck extending just off the end, shoulders supported by the bench, so the loaded harness can hang freely below.
- 3Let your head drop back into a comfortable extended position, feeling a stretch in the front of your neck, with the plate pulling the harness downward.
- 4Place your hands lightly on the bench or your thighs for stability, keeping your torso still throughout the set.
- 5Inhale to prepare, then exhale as you flex your neck forward, tucking your chin toward your chest to lift the loaded harness against gravity.
- 6Pause briefly at the top of the flexion, squeezing the front of your neck.
- 7Inhale as you slowly lower your head back to the starting extended position, controlling the harness on the way down.
- 8Repeat for the desired reps, keeping movements slow and controlled throughout.
- 9Key form tips: Keep movements slow and controlled (2-3 seconds per direction) to avoid strain; use only the loaded harness for resistance—never jerk your head. Common mistakes: Loading too much weight too soon, rounding the upper back, or using hands to assist the lift instead of the neck muscles.
