Neck Extension
Lying face down with your head off the end of a bench, you lift your head by looking up and back, then lower it slowly, training the back of the neck with help from the traps.
- Primary muscles
- Neck
- Secondary
- Traps
- Logged as
- Reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
This is the counterpart to the neck curl: it trains the muscles along the back of the neck, with the upper traps helping. Fighters, wrestlers and rugby players use it alongside the curl so both sides get stronger together, and lifters add it for a fuller-looking neck and upper back. With your chest on the bench, the rest of your body stays out of it. Progress slowly, from bodyweight to a small plate held against the back of your head, and keep every rep smooth.
How to do it
Lie face down on a bench with your head hanging just past the edge and your chest supported.
Lift your head by looking up and back as far as is comfortable.
Pause for a second at the top.
Lower slowly until your chin nears your chest. Hold a small plate against the back of your head once bodyweight feels easy, and never jerk the movement.
Common mistakes
Cranking your head too far back
Forcing your head back past a comfortable range doesn't add useful work. Lift only as far as feels comfortable and pause there.
Bouncing at the bottom
Dropping your chin and rebounding back up uses momentum. Lift and lower at the same slow pace, and never jerk the movement.
Lifting your chest off the bench
Raising your chest brings your lower back in and takes load off the neck. Keep your chest down on the bench and move only from the neck.
Letting the plate slide around
A plate that shifts mid-rep changes the load unpredictably. Hold it flat against the back of your head with both hands, with a towel under it if it digs in.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
