RESISTENCE

With this season starting, something is happening for those players out there banging around. It’s time to prepare in the weight room for what going to happens on the field.

We’re finally into football season! If you’re like me, you pretty much set your year around this season. I literally attach memories and life events to games and scores. Sad, I know, but football is in my blood. Having played in the NFL, it kind of just naturally happens. 

Young athletes are waking up after games and practices with sore necks and shoulders. Not to mention that some athletes sadly suffer injuries such as concussions.

Prepare in the Weight Room

The hard part is preventing this from happening. You can’t mimic the impact that happens on that football field in a weight room, but you can prepare the neck to handle the blows.

Most people don’t understand exactly how to do that.

When I was growing up, I didn’t understand how myself. My college coach showed me though.

You see the neck is a grouping of a bunch of muscles that are oriented at weird angles and can be incredibly hard to target. 

Here’s how you do it: You can get a head harness and add a weight plate but I’ve always been fond of the partner strengthening.

The way you do this is by getting a towel and placing it in your hand. You’ll then place your covered hand in six different positions completing 10 reps for each positions movement.  

Start by placing your hand on the forehead and resisting your partner’s head motion as they bring their head from neutral to chin on chest.

Then resist the same motion but opposite with your hand on the back of their head.

Then the side of their head as they bring their ear to each shoulder.

Finally the side of their face/chin as they twist their head right and then left.

This targets six different directions and helps to build and strengthen the neck to ward off injury and prevent soreness from repeat impact

Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers strength training for SportStars.