Want to know how often to train neck muscles? We’ve got you covered in this complete guide to neck training frequency!
Deciding how often to train the neck can be a big decision, but it should not be lightly made. The reason is that neck training frequency can be detrimental to promoting progress in your training or promoting injury. Exercising the neck too often, without proper rest in between sessions, can overwork the neck muscles, causing them to strain and tense up. These concerns can only worsen if not approached correctly, raising the risk of further injury, like whiplash.
In this article, we’ll show you how to determine your neck training frequency to achieve the utmost success in your neck training!
Why Neck Training Frequency Matters
Neck training frequency determines whether you’re touting progress or injury from workout sessions. Let’s dive into why neck training frequency should be emphasized more!
Why Training Your Neck Too Often Does More Harm Than Good
Going too hard too often can be more damaging than beneficial when it comes to unweighted and weighted neck training frequency. Some examples of how you may be experiencing the adverse effects of training the neck too often can show if your neck feels tight or if you suffer from neck pain after workout sessions.
Though these factors can be attributed to other neck-related issues like poor posture, they are also associated with overtraining. Like other muscles, the neck requires time to heal after training to recover and strengthen. If the proper amount of time is not availed to the neck muscles, it can significantly increase the risk of injury.
Finding the Sweet Spot for How Often to Train Neck is Hard - But We’ll Help You Out!
Figuring out how often should you train your neck can be a lot of trial and error, which can be frustrating, which is why we’re here to help!
The benefits of neck exercises, such as injury prevention, are not ones you should miss out on if you want to improve overall neck health with neck training. That’s why figuring out the sweet spot for training frequency is crucial to receiving these benefits without harming the neck muscles. We will show you how to build neck muscles at home and the gym with the utmost efficiency and success by guiding you in determining your beneficial neck training frequency!
Factors Affecting How Often to Train Neck Muscles
To determine training frequency, you must first examine these factors that can affect your answer. Whether the training volume or your neck training goals, these can decide how often you should train the neck. Read more below!
Training Volume
Training volume can be a factor that contributes to the frequency at which you train. Volume in training refers to repetitions. For example, if you work with a trainer or make your training program, you may toy with repetitions to encourage hypertrophy and further progress in your workout routine. This can be seen as moving one workout phase’s repetitions from three sets of six repetitions to four sets of six reps. Another example could be three sets of six to three sets of ten repetitions.
Training Intensity
The training intensity of your workouts can be a significant factor regarding weighted neck training frequency or neck training in general.
The intensity of training differs. Often for weight resistance, training intensity refers to the amount of weight lifted. Intensity can increase by loading up with more weight. For cardio-type exercise, like H.I.I.T. training, is often time-centered, whether it be shorter rest periods or longer work periods.
Your Recovery Regimen
As aforementioned earlier in the article, recovery is vital for success in your training routine. If you want to see progress, there needs to be an incorporated recovery regimen to allow the muscles time to heal to grow stronger and protect the healing muscles from injury.
Your Goals
Depending on your goals, this can determine how often you train the neck muscles. An example would be F1 neck training for high-speed drivers that need to train side neck muscles and counteract any neck weakness to protect themselves from whiplash or concussion. Therefore, these drivers will require more frequent and dedicated neck training.
Individuals looking for the aesthetic goal of a thick neck will also require a dedicated amount of weighted neck training frequency to encourage hypertrophy gains. For general neck training to improve overall neck health, the frequency you incorporate neck training will differ from the previously mentioned neck training goals.
Age & Fitness Level
Prominent contributors to determining neck training frequency are age and fitness level. When you are younger, you are more likely to heal faster than when you are older, as many bodily functions slow down and deteriorate. Therefore, someone older, in their 60s, may require more healing time between neck training sessions paired with lower training frequency than someone in their teenage years who can train more frequently and require fewer recovery days.
Another attribute to consider is fitness level. Beginners will require a lower training frequency at the start of neck training. This is because the body needs time to adjust to the new strain placed upon it, which will most often result in soreness for beginners. More seasoned neck training goers, or more active individuals, will often find themselves more equipped to handle a greater training frequency since their body is more accustomed to adapting to new loads.
So, How Often Should You Train Your Neck?
Now that we’ve discussed all the factors contributing to training frequency, how often should you train your neck?
At the minimum, training your neck twice a week is recommended. Individuals with intense goals, like F1 drivers, athletes, or seasoned gym goers, can increase training frequency to 3-4 times a week, depending on their goals. Of course, adding recovery time is crucial to promoting progress in neck training and assessing how your body reacts to the frequency at which you train.
Other Factors to Consider Beyond Neck Training Frequency in Order to Reach Your Goals
There are other factors to consider other than neck training frequency that may hinder you from reaching your goals. From exercise selection to neck training equipment, learn how to spark more results in your neck training below!
Exercise Selection & the Training Plan Itself
Catering your training plan and exercise selection to your goals are other factors besides training frequency that need to be considered. Our blog provides informative guides for various neck training purposes, from turkey neck exercises to eliminate saggy skin to the best neck exercises for mass for promoting a thick neck. And they don’t stop there!
We detail the best neck fat exercises, neck spasm exercises, neck posture exercises, neck tightening exercises, and neck exercises for pinched nerve to help you cater your training regimen to your goals.
Neck Training Equipment
Purchase the best neck exercise equipment to drastically enhance progress results to reach your goals!
At Iron Neck, our quality equipment for neck exercises provides safe and optimal resistance to the neck to challenge the neck muscles to encourage desirable outcomes. For example, using a dynamic tension braking system with haptic feedback, our Iron Neck 3.0 Pro incorporates 4-in-1 mobility, prevention, recovery, and posture benefits by applying resistance through head rotation.
Another great piece of neck training equipment is our neck harness. This is made from high-strength, durable materials that permit linear training up and down and side to side. The neck harness is ideal for performing traditional weighted neck exercises and rotational movements using bands.
Rest & Recovery Habits
If you want the best neck training results, besides incorporating resistance neck training with Iron Neck’s equipment, you must prioritize rest and recovery habits. Give the neck muscles time to adapt, heal, and strengthen between neck training sessions. This will allow the muscles time to recover, so your neck training results will continue progressing!
Final Thoughts on How Often to Train Neck Muscles
Throughout this article, we answered how often to train neck muscles by providing the optimal neck training frequency for your goals.
Numerous factors can contribute to how frequently the neck should be trained. Examples include your neck training goals, age, and fitness level. Depending on these factors, you can adjust your training frequency to encourage progress in your neck training but to truly enhance your results, Iron Neck’s top-quality neck training equipment is what you need! Our neck training equipment optimizes resistance in a broad range of movement patterns to safely incorporate neck training while taking progress to a whole other level.
Achieve your neck training goals today with Iron Neck’s neck training equipment!