5 Minutes

Time to Get Your Neck Big

Dan Rileywas the Head Strength Coach at Penn State University.  He was also the Head Strength Coach at the Washington Redskins, the Houston Texans, and at West Point.  While with the Redskins, Riley served as an integral part of three Super Bowl and four NFC Championships.  While at Penn State they competed for the National Championship in the Sugar Bowl.

Dan Riley had a simple, yet extremely effective approach to neck training. Connected to each neck machine he secured a 60 second timer with a bell. The athlete began each exercise by hitting the start button.

The athletes goal was 12 perfect repetitions in 60 seconds.  Each repetition was done with a pause at the top and was performed maintaining muscular tension as well as addressing  speed and momentum (no bouncing or throwing weight).  12 repetitions each done in 5 seconds was the lifters rule.

Dan would admonish the athlete for not performing repetitions perfectly.  Incorrect form means not activating all the available muscle fibers.  “Which muscle fibers in your neck are most important to protect you on Sunday?“, Coach Riley would ask.  The players learned to respond “All of them.”

When the reps were exactly correct, meaning the time was achieved, the weight and reps would be recorded and then the weight raised for the next workout.  The same concept and form was used in four directions on the 4 way neck machine, plus a shrugging exercise.  Every single rep, every single workout was coached.

You will be surprised how difficult this is and how strong the athlete becomes.  A bigger stronger neck dissipates force and lowers the subconcussive forces… so Get those necks Strong.

Training the Neck -Colgate University

Training the Neck -Colgate University

Colgate University Knows How to Train the Head and Neck Musculature of Their Athletes.

Gabe Harrington and I worked together at The United States Military Academy at West Point as assistant strength coaches.

It was there that we found that we had been taught proper neck training protocol from our previous (mentors) Head Strength coaches, Dan Riley and Ken Mannie.

Dan instilled in me the importance and priority the muscles of the head and neck play with regards to protecting the athlete.

Gabe had a great teacher in Ken Mannie, Head Strength Coach Michigan State University, who also emphasize  the need for training the neck and making the neck region as strong as possible.

Dan told me on several occasions if we had time to only train the neck and trapezius we did our job.

Gabe and I trained hundreds of necks while at West Point.

Now Gabe is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Colgate University.

Gabe has carried on the tradition and protocol of training the entire anatomical unit. And making the neck priority number ONE.

Gabe and the Team Physician at Colgate concur many injuries were avoided or reduced due to very strong head and neck muscles of the Colgate athletes. Gabe had a female hockey player crash through the glass and strike her head on a steel I-beam. She required several stitches to close the laceration, but the team doctor was amazed that was all. He said, “she has an incredibly strong neck and that probably saved her from more severe injuries.”

Gabe is one the young strength coaches that will help us combat the National Concussion Epidemic.

If you measure a coach by the performance of his athletes. Dan Riley and Ken Mannie are winners. They also have the gratitude  of their athletes for protecting and preparing them for their sport.

Gabe Harrington carries on the tradition of protecting the athlete first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: athlete, colgate, conditioning, cornwell, harrington, mannie, neck, point, protection, riley