# Which lifts build the neck the most? **URL:** \ **Category:** Training Q&A \[Moderated\]\ **Created:** [October 27, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/which-lifts-build-the-neck-the-most/3815 "2018-10-27T23:51:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![weakmang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@weakmang](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/weakmang)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/which-lifts-build-the-neck-the-most/3815/1 "2018-10-27T23:51:28Z")
Overhead press? Deadlift? I’ve been using a neck harness but i’m getting sick of it and my neck is always stiff. In your experience does pencil neck syndrome disappear as people get overall strong / jacked from doing enough volume on the main lifts? Thinking about getting the press template especially if it can help with this goal. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Kovaleski](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/alex_kovaleski/32/1297_2.png) [@Alex\_Kovaleski](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Alex_Kovaleski)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2018, 10:59am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/which-lifts-build-the-neck-the-most/3815/2 "2018-10-28T10:59:39Z")
Theoretically, the only exercises that will improve neck musculature strength and size are exercises that directly load the neck musculature - i.e., not the barbell movements. Training with a barbell and gaining overall size might take others’ attention away from your Pencil Neck Syndrome, though. > [@weakmang](#): > > I’ve been using a neck harness but i’m getting sick of it and my neck is always stiff. I don’t know the specifics of your neck training program, but you might want to take a closer look at how it is organized if this is happening. I’ve been training my neck, and programming neck work for a few clients, for several months now. Training neck flexion and extension 2-3x/wk with low-moderate volume per session (3x15 on each movement) has worked fairly well and minimized soreness - which was something we noticed a lot when programming a 1x/wk frequency with high volume per session. I also noticed that gently trying to move my neck through a full active ROM after neck training sessions and on rest days helped me minimize stiffness/soreness to maintain full ROM (think like how you’d slowly try to squat deeper to warm-up for squats, but using this approach on all of the neck movements [flexion, extension, right lateral flexion, left lateral flexion, right rotation, left rotation]). ---
**Author:** ![weakmang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@weakmang](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/weakmang)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/which-lifts-build-the-neck-the-most/3815/3 "2018-10-29T01:45:59Z")
Thanks for the detailed response! I have been taking the intensity a bit far lately to the point where im using my abs a bit on lying neck flexion instead of just stopping. I also havnt been sticking to the most consistent schedule with it. Will definately try your reccomendation ---
**Author:** ![WonderCat4Life](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/wondercat4life/32/5097_2.png) [@WonderCat4Life](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/WonderCat4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/which-lifts-build-the-neck-the-most/3815/4 "2018-10-30T12:26:11Z")
> [@weakmang](#): > > Overhead press? Deadlift? I’ve been using a neck harness but i’m getting sick of it and my neck is always stiff. In your experience does pencil neck syndrome disappear as people get overall strong / jacked from doing enough volume on the main lifts? Thinking about getting the press template especially if it can help with this goal. I began training my neck with a leather neck harness after 3-4 years of consistent neck pain (probably due to pro-wrestling and various other sources of stress) and I experienced an enormous reduction in felt soreness and stiffness. Cause and effect? Who can say? Pain is complex phenomena. It is bio-psycho-social, as they say. It’s possible that challenging my neck to move weight gave my brain/mind a sort of confidence in the health of my neck which removed the pain response. Watching my neck get bigger and stronger may have also played a role. That said, my experience should at least provide some reassurance there isn’t a necessary, causal relationship between training with a neck harness and experiencing neck pain and stiffness. I began with a 35lb dumbbell and eventually moved to a 62lb dumbbell for 3-5 sets of 20-25 3-5x per week. I’ve also done 2 minute timed sets for AMRAP.