A strong and healthy neck is important for any person, be it a martial artist who is professionally engaged in martial arts, or an office employee. There are a fairly large number of exercises, performing which, you can develop neck muscles. Especially among them the wrestling bridge stands out. If you begin to regularly perform this exercise, you will receive the necessary protection against injuries during training in martial arts, as well as fitness activities and everyday life. From this article you will learn all the necessary information about the exercise "wrestling bridge".
Neck muscles
There are quite a few muscles in the neck. They can be divided into three large groups - deep, median and superficial. They participate in the turns and tilts of the head, and also hold it in a straight position. In addition, they are involved in the processes of swallowing, breathing and playing sounds. For example, the scalene muscle is involved in raising the ribs during inhalation, and the biceal muscle in chewing food and swallowing.
The importance of neck strength
Most people discourage training for this part of the body because they think they can hurt themselves. But this is exactly the reason why you need to train your neck muscles. As support for the cervical spine and skull, these muscles should be strong enough.
Undoubtedly, professional athletes (soccer players or wrestlers) need absolute neck strength. Compared to other athletes, it is the wrestlers who have the most strong and powerfully developed necks. This allows you to protect yourself from damage and suffocating tricks, and also helps with a missed blow to the head, cushioning and absorbing the blow.
Wrestling bridge is a key exercise for developing neck muscles. However, this exercise is good for the whole body. The work involves the spine and all the muscles of the back of the body. Even the abs, legs and hips are involved. Therefore, it is reasonable to complete the wrestling bridge for absolutely everyone, including women and children.
Working muscles
During the exercise, the following muscles are included in the work.
- Basic: hamstrings, buttocks, extensors of the back, trapezium, muscles of the back of the neck.
- Muscle Stabilizers: Bark Muscles .
Benefits of exercise
Bortsovsky bridge:
- works out the entire back of the body from head to toe;
- builds a strong lower back, buttocks and thighs;
- strengthens the neck;
- improves posture;
- improves strength and stability of core muscles.
Exercise technique
So, let's move on to the technique of performing the exercise "wrestling bridge". Exercise is a bit like a gymnastic bridge, where you need to tear the torso off the floor, supporting the body with feet and hands. Wrestling bridge is a more difficult exercise, which involves almost the entire body.
This exercise is recommended on a soft surface. A rolled-up towel or any other pillow can be used to place under your head. It is also very important to perform all movements slowly and smoothly. If you move too sharply, then there is a chance of injury, as in any other exercise.
- Step 1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent. Feet stand firmly on the floor near the buttocks. The narrower your legs are, the more difficult the exercise will be, and, accordingly, the wider they are, the easier.
- Step 2. Put your hands behind your head, tighten your hamstrings, buttocks and back of the neck. Then raise your hips as high as you can. Try to touch the rug with your nose and achieve good deflection in the back. Keep your heels closer to your head for maximum deflection.
- Step 3. At this stage, you can perform exercises statically or dynamically. For the static version, just keep the position in the maximum range of motion, swaying slightly a couple of centimeters back and forth. For a dynamic option, move forward and backward with a large range.
Perform exercises from two to five approaches once or twice a week for a quality study of the muscles of the cervical spine. Also, do not forget that after training it is necessary to stretch the muscles of the neck so as not to get compression or blockade between the vertebrae in the cervical spine.
Exercise options
If you can complete a classic wrestling bridge in a few minutes without much effort, then you are probably ready for the next step. The goal is to take your hands off the floor. In this case, the body weight will be completely on the head and neck. As an intermediate step, you can lift yourself at your fingertips.
There is also an exercise called "running on a wrestling bridge." To do this, you need to take the initial position, as in the classic embodiment, and then start to run the legs around the head. The head is constantly turned in one direction and does not come off the mat. Runs are performed clockwise and counterclockwise several revolutions.
Alternative exercises
Despite all the benefits of a wrestling bridge, harm from it can also occur if the exercise is performed incorrectly. Therefore, for beginners, other exercise options for developing neck muscles should be considered.
- Lie on your back and raise your head slightly. Start fast enough, but in a controlled way to move your head back and forth, holding your chin to your chest, and then back again. Start with 20 or 30 reps per set. You can add some resistance by tapping your forehead with your fingers.
- Lie with your back on an exercise bench with your head on the edge. Now put the folded towel on your forehead and place extra weight on it. Raise your head up and down in the same way as in the previous exercise, but for fewer repetitions.
- Lie on your back, as in the first exercise, but now turn your head from side to side, looking at one shoulder and then at the other. Start with 10 repetitions for each side. This exercise can be alternated with the first in this list.
- The neck straps used by wrestlers and boxers can be used to strengthen the extensor muscles of the back of the neck. They are a leather structure with a soft inner lining made of cotton and a stainless steel chain to which you can attach an additional load.
Conclusion
So, now you have learned all the information about such a wonderful exercise for developing neck muscles, like a wrestling bridge. Many athletes avoid this exercise for fear of injuring their neck. However, with the right technique, you can reduce the risk of injury to a minimum. Start slowly and gradually increase your time in the work position. Also, the wrestling bridge is useful not only for professional athletes, but also for ordinary people who want to improve their health and keep their body in good shape.