A head harness is used by weightlifters, bodybuilders, and athletes to strengthen and define neck muscles. It consists of a long strap that runs over the head and two shorter stabilizing straps. Routine use can increase muscle mass and prevent injury, but safety is important to avoid damage to the vertebrae and nerves.
Weightlifters, bodybuilders, and other athletes often use a head harness to strengthen and define their neck muscles. Typically made of leather or nylon, this piece of exercise equipment is used in conjunction with free weight plates and can weigh up to 250 pounds (113.4 kilograms). Routine use of a head harness can increase muscle mass and strengthen the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
A head harness typically consists of one long strap that runs over the top of the head and two shorter stabilizing straps across the front and back of the head. Each end of the long strap is attached to steel chains that are later attached to free weights. As the person wearing the head harness raises or lowers their head, the resistance against the attached weight plate works the neck, shoulders and upper back muscles for strength and definition. Many fitness experts recommend strengthening your neck to help prevent injury while doing other exercises or physical activities.
Weight lifting is often intended to show off muscle mass and body definition. The neck is usually the most obvious muscle group since other parts of the body are usually covered by clothing. By defining the neck muscles with a head harness, a bodybuilder can easily exhibit muscular development.
Using a head harness as exercise equipment generally includes standing, sitting, and prone postures. Standing or sitting and lowering and lifting your chin while wearing a head harness attached to a weight plate can strengthen your neck muscles. The neck exercise in a prone position can be accomplished by lying on your back or on your side. When wearing the harness from the front while lying down, exercising on both sides of the neck generally leads to symmetrical development.
Many fitness experts emphasize the need for safety when wearing a head harness. The neck is a critical area to protect, as damage to the vertebrae and nerves can lead to loss of proper limb function and paralysis. Using low weights and high reps instead of heavy weights and lower reps is a common method of neck protection.
Athletes who regularly wear head harnesses for neck strength include wrestlers, boxers, weightlifters, and bodybuilders. The harness is also commonly used by other participants in sports that require strong, well-developed necks, shoulders, and upper backs. Competitive bodybuilders who increase muscle mass in other areas of the body but neglect the neck generally receive lower competition scores, as do competitors who overdevelop the neck area.
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