Our necks have a vital mission, move and protect the head.

The extension of your core bridges body and brain.

Train your neck as much as your abdominals and you’ll be more stable than ever.

This thread presents exercises to steady the weight of the world on your shoulders.
1/ Chin Tucks

You weaken your extensor muscles when you look down at a screen all day.

This exercise will balance the front and back of your neck to give you some much needed support.
2/ Neck Supports

A similar movement as the first except with more resistance.

You push your head into the exercise ball, which then tries to shove you right back.

You’ll feel power jolt through your upper back muscles after this one.
3/ Isometrics

No equipment necessary for these ones.

Push your head against your hand and resist for 10-60 seconds on each side.

I learned this one from a boxing coach.
4/ The Snatch

Many people’s necks have lost their shock absorption capacities nowadays.

This exercise is excellent to build a strong foundation for your neck.

You learn how to create momentum and absorb it over your head.

Start with the seated variation.
5/ Neck Harness

A great, low-cost tool to load your neck extensors with weight.
6/ @TheIronNeck

My favorite tool to train the neck by far, used by professional athletes ranging from fighting to football, hockey, and race car driving.

There’s nothing like The Iron Neck out there.
7/ Jaw Exercises and Massages

Your jaw and your neck muscles have a close connection.

You don’t want your head to recoil every time you chew a hard piece of food.

A weak/tight jaw will hinder the grounding work of your neck and cause an accumulation of excess tension.
8/ T3 Raises

Many people want to build thick upper traps, yet ignore the lower part of the muscle in their workouts.

Avoid. Weak lower traps limit your strength/size potential and put your shoulders and neck joints at risk.

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More from @mythoughtfood

23 Sep
Few exercises expose bad hip mobility better than the Split Squat.

You should see how many people who consult me for pain and posture issues fail this movement.

They either lack the balance or their hips are too tight to go through a full range of motion.

Can you do 12/leg?
Start with your front-foot elevated if you have terrible hip/ankle mobility and weak knees.
Split Squats combined with Unilateral Hip Thrusts will repel the ill effects off sitting on your lower back.
Read 6 tweets
30 Aug
Our wings weigh more than we think, and few have the strength to support them anymore.

The modern world weakens your scapular muscles without training, unable to steady the thick bones on your back.

You compromise every arm motion once you lose this support.

Act now.
One of the most failed exercises I find in my Muscle Assessments.

Many people have poor control of their lower trapezius and lack the mobility to use them through a full range of motion.

Not good.
Read 8 tweets
29 Aug
Our calf muscles protect our knees and ankles, yet most people ignore them in their workout routines.

They are your posture’s first vertical pillars from the ground and must be up to par.

Train them well to withstand the physical demands of your life. Image
You can train your calves anywhere, standing or seated, without the need of equipment.

Take a pause at the bottom of each rep to stretch all these tissues.

Weighted calf exercises will enhance this mobility effect. Image
Do one and two legged exercises. You’d be surprised how much weaker one side can be compared to the other.
Read 5 tweets
23 Aug
We navigate the world with our muscles.

They help you breathe and even fuel your immune system during infections.

The loss of muscle mass known as Sarcopenia is a serious risk factor with severe implications on your health.

This thread will shed more light on the matter.
Sarcopenia refers to the decline of muscle mass, strength, and quality stemming from:

- Aging
- Inactivity
- Chronic diseases
- Cancer progression
- Nutritional deficiencies

This progressive condition affects 10% of the older adult population, up to 40% in nursing homes.
The quantity and quality of your muscles influence your movements and how you breathe or swallow.

Your inner armor also affects your immune response and metabolic stress during acute infections or major surgery.

More muscle mass = More protection.
Read 7 tweets
7 Aug
Our back muscles are essential to an upright life, yet few people give them the time of day.

Your posture stands no chance against this weakness.

Rear-side muscle strength is a must in today’s world.

Your body will fall forward otherwise.
Strength train for the benefit of your skeleton, and you'll find an endless source of motivation.

Most of your back muscles have their tendons pass through your arm pits.

This area gets real tense when you lift heavy weights or spend your day typing away.

Use your thumb to gently massage your arm pits, or even better, get a deep tissue professional do it for you.
Read 4 tweets
2 Aug
A small gain in leg strength has a big impact on our postures.

You take pressure off your spine and improve your ability to move.

A weak lower body will wear your out slowly over time.

Strengthen them 1-2x/week + daily walks to give your posture the support it deserves Image
You sit on your body’s most powerful muscles all day long and choke the strength out of them.

Your posture collapses slowly over the years until you can’t support yourself anymore.

Avoid this fall.
Leg workouts affect more than your muscles.

They improve blood flow through your lower body.
Read 5 tweets

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