Safe Neck Strengthening for BJJ, with Dr Rosi Sexton (UFC Fighter)
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- My podcast episode with Rosi goes DEEP into neck strengthening and rehab: check it out at www.grappleart.... All episodes of my podcast, The Strenuous Life Podcast, are filed at www.grappleart...
Also check out Rosi's site at www.combatspor...
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Why do wrestlers and bjj practitioners continue to do these exercises ? I know so many with neck injuries caused by outdated neck exercises. The worse is when they show little kids these bad exercises. Isn't obvious how bad they are?!
In a certain sense wrestlers have no choice but to do this - the rules of the sport dictate that they have to bridge on the head to avoid giving up points. So it's a sports specific exercise for them. But for BJJ it makes no sense and should be avoided in my opinion and experience.
@@StephanKesting Thank you!
@@StephanKesting Hell, you've already given up points if you're bridging in a wrestling match. You're doing it to avoid getting pinned and losing immediately regardless of points. So without a strong bridge you're toast unless your goal is to never ever have to defend from a pin.
@Healy Alvarado Wow.. Sounds dangerous.. Lol
@@jav.angel1205tried doing the wrestler exercise early in my bjj career, and after a couple of days of doing it, i began having really bad next pains. I stop thankfully and this might be a better way of doing things.
Thanks everyone for the nice comments and support, and to Stephan for inviting me on his podcast!
I'm going to try this. Thank you so much for showing a safer way. Please continue to make more videos.
Am including this to my routine, thank you so much Miss Sexton.
Rosi used to fight in the ufc 😃. She was always really smart and spoke so eloquently. Good to see her keeping up with the game. Keep it up Rosi 👍
Thank you! Appreciate the suppor!
Wow, this is really an eye opener for neck strengthening, appreciated!
Yes, there are better ways to do it!!
Its An Eye Closer Genius...
You Won’t Recover Properly And Only Lead To Damaged Tendons If You Do It Her Way... That I Will Guarantee You, Cause I Ran Into The Same Problem, There Is No Adapting To This Improper Technique Properly, Only Damage Awaits lmao...
Do It The Way It Is Shown By The Masters, Once You Adjust And Adapt Then You Can Properly Support Yourself With That Body Weight Times Or Else You WILL Damage You Tendons, Believe Me...
@@GameDevAraz exactly if it hurts dont do it, if it doesnt hurt go for it
@@SS3213gsdf doing it fully allows you to adapt to the whole thing, Go slow and you won't get any injuries, and go all the way when training the neck, Also if you do injure your neck, Your gonna have to sleep without a pillow for a month or 2, Then, You'll get stronger.
Doing it fully like Mike Tyson will allow you to adapt fully or else you won't adapt fully and you won't get stronger and you won't get a thicker neck, You'll just strain parts of the neck due to over whelming amount of pressure in one position, This doesn't work, I tried this at first thought it was wise, But doing it properly means no injury actually, This is true, Just be careful until you get used to it.
@@GameDevAraz Pretty sure Mike said his neck is fucked up from doing those neck bridges tho.
So pleased to see Rosi on your channel. Some advice for fixing ourselves is much appreciated.
As a previous wrestler who has done neck bridge exercises his whole life i thought I was going to disagree with you. But I didn't. Great info. Great variations. Thank you
Have you had any serious neck injuries or issues? Like are people right about messing your neck up later in life because of neck bridges done in your early to prime years of training?
@@1p_edits replying to a 6 month old comment and not a wrestler, but I have done neck bridges going for the full stretch for hypertrophy. One day I woke up with numbness in my ring and pinky fingers in both hands, I would guess from pinching nerve. The numbness went away in my right hand eventually but I still have some numbness in my left hand about 6 months after this happened.
@@bw3372 Brotherman, thanks a lot for the reply. Your feedback truly helps. I've been wanting to train my neck but it's kinda messed up from neck cranks in Jiujitsu. For now I'm considering just using resistance bands and eventually I might just progress or doing frontal and lateral raises with a weight plate in my head.
So I was on the right track then. Thank you, seeing it from pros and coaches verifies it and confirms it.
Excellent replacement exercise, strengthen the neck and the core at the same time with out the risk of injury.
Thank you! Thank you so much! I am currently looking up neck strengthening techniques for bjj, and all I kept seeing was the bridging technique. With my neck the way that it is, it just didn’t seem that good for me or safe. So, thank you for this alternative!
Bless up. Rosi is great 😎
MerseyMinded Yup! So smart and practical too!
Ok so this addresses the back of the neck, how about the front and sides? Can we do the exact same thing, but with our forehead to the bench (for front), and the side of our head (for side)?
true bride has yur npse tp the mat, not top of head, and some would argue actually stretches, npt compresses ( done correctly)
i do not know- but she specifically said top of head, very different. for what its worth
Yes, the full bridge should take the nose to the mat (I can't - if you saw my neck MRI results, you'd understand why. I could perhaps have been clearer on the technique, though that wasn't my focus). The same applies though - more so, in fact as that actually compresses the facet joints in the neck even more.
@@rosisexton What about for kids? I have 3 kids who all do BJJ & have done bridging exercises (front & back, + kickovers) for several years now. I'll stop them doing them based on your video (& a similar one by Jeff from Athlean X). What are some good options for them? Anything they can do just on the floor (no bench)?
@@benwarwick2824 Hi Ben - although we don't have much information about long term effects of these exercises, I think that if anything, children are likely to find them less problematic than adults. I have a range of neck strength exercises that I use with my athletes - a simple one is a partner drill like this: instagram.com/p/BpcIje2gqm4/
Excellent point. As we age, even the most robust of us, need to have variations in how we maintain our "combat chassis". I see my kids (who wrestle) and the bridging they can do, and frankly should do, would leave me with a numb arm if I tried it :)
thank you..it's so obvious once you know.. I needed a good neck exercise and the archaic one never felt good to me.
I didn't get injuries but from the science behind it I literally stopped doin' dynamic neck exercises with axial load(compression of the spine) after the first few workous. I still do loads of dynamic exercises but I make sure the load comes from somewhere a lil above 90° to the neck so the muscles have to work but there's no, or at least less sheer and abrasion on the joints, except for neck curls and sometimes rotational exercises that somehow also are a bit of a neck curl which I do with weights or for high reps and warm ups without weights, I use a neck harness and attach the cable or band a bit above the head. I also do compression but only isometrics where I put on a cable to the neck harness in a slight squat, then just straighten my legs to move the weight and just hold it there for a few seconds and repeat 3-5 times, the primary purpose is to increase bone density to prevent a broken neck (I know it's rare, but I also do a lot of stuff where I climb, fish and film on cliffs and a broken neck or skull is the last thing I want. Then there's openin' and closin' the jaw against resistance like bands to create more stability as well, I think it's mostly about stronger tendons and ligaments (for the jaw at least, strong neck muscles definitely help and the muscles that open your jaw sit in the neck) cause they are what's gonna keep everythin' together, but it comes with muscle exercise as well, so...
I do much of the same as you
From what I've heard you should use the bridge for accessories and use weight to build it like a compound lift
thanks a lots, doing this and my neck feel really good
Are there any dynamic bodyweight exercise to strengthen neck safely?
How does this transfer to bjj? Is it not better to do exercises in the closest way to how you would actually use them?
Great video
YES YES YES !! Thank you for showing a great, safe way to strengthen the neck. Jeff from Athlean-x goes a little further on safe neck exercises as well.
Let's get that thick neck !
Absolutely love this exercise!
I honestly think that direct neck training outside of your combat training/grappling should be done once a weak high intensity hit the muscles hard and give the rest of the week a break on your joints and muscle to recover and not become inflamed
also people who bridge go a little fast most of the time.
How is the bench different than the floor?
Is there a way to do this without a bench, say, in a group setting? Soo glad that you have Rosi Sexton with you. I remember her from an English MMA magazine (whose name now escapes me), from back in the day. It was way before women's MMA was a huge thing, maybe ten years ago. But she was already really, really cool.
Mackan Andersson maybe small boxes or anything sturdy of about that height. I don’t know if you could do this against a wall or not.
@@TRA25 I am pretty sure it does not work just against a wall, but maybe I can put chairs around the edges of the mat. Hmmm. Thanks for the input, though.
I've got a few variations that I use for groups. It's possible to do it with a partner on all fours instead of a bench, or there's a nice push up exercise here that you might like! instagram.com/p/BpcIje2gqm4/
i used a soft topped chair, seems perfect
do it on the ground IF you can, completely stretched out and "simply" raise the body, if only the head and heels touch the ground-iam sure its enough pressure
Please show variations
Great video!!!
My coach has us roll on neck on the mat with our body in a bridge kinda position it's part of our warm up
I use a neck harness. I hope that's not a bad thing!
Thanks but i still really like traditional way
Its so funny i used to really like that exercise! But the neutral position seems to be god sent.
Interesting this, about 3 years ago i was doing press ups ( i do several hundred a week and have done for years) when i noticed my shoulder joint weakening after a few weeks i was doing them one day and my shoulder literally collapsed, it felt like my shoulder bone had gone through the actual muscle, thing was as i said i knew something bad was coming but ignored it.
So here's to about 6 months ago, i have trained my neck three times a week for a decade or so by doing the wrestlers bridge front and back with a twenty five pound weight,....then one day i felt the same sensation in my neck that i felt in my shoulder, so i ditched the weight...then a week or so later i was doing the bridge minus the weight when i felt a tear, i knew then if i did not place my arms down straight away my neck would go the way of my shoulder in fact it gives me a coldsweat even thinking about this, i'm fairly certain it could have been way more serious considering the bone that connects the brain and spinal cord is less than the thickness of a pencil,.....since then i have used a neck harness, it is far better and much safer in my opinion.
Watching some of these guys on youtube doing the bridge violently rocking backwards and forwards should come with health and safety warning ie THIS CAN BREAK YOUR FUCKING NECK.
Aww for Christ's sake!
Im traumatised just reading that.
Thank you 🤙🏼
Is there a version of this where you put the forehead on the bench, or does this exercise cover most strengthening required? Cheers
whats the most recomnnded number of sets and for how long?
Thanks for such great content about strengthening our neck in a safer way. Dr Rosi, what do you think if instead of holding for some period of time we hold "til failure"?
Another question, how would you name this exercise?
What about for kids? I have 3 kids who all do BJJ & have done bridging exercises (front & back, + kickovers) for several years now. I'll stop them doing them based on your video (& a similar one by Jeff from Athlean X). What are some good options for them? Anything they can do just on the floor (no bench)?
stay with static/isometric, you can go for minutes in the position or reverse if its not enough, but think about the health first and stay with stopping the old exercises
So, why do we think compression is worse than shear?
On the face of it I'd assume the opposite, is it empirical?
Conner go watch the Athlean-X video on neck bridging. The point is compression can lead to nerve pinching, which sounds like it could be very debilitating to the point of sever atrophy of muscles associated to the nerves.
I like it. I generally just do dumbbells 💪 over the head from one side to the other - I use a 40 lb with both hands 10 from left to right & 10 from right to left back & forth - gets shoulders & neck.
It's good against a wall to make it easier?
It's good on other angles (downward, sideways)?
How can you strengthen the rotational muscles of neck (side to side) safely?
My PT had asked me to do what you're describing. Coming from C5-C6 disk herniation. Isometrics are always good for strengthening. Progress from the wall to vertical in order to create more resistance. Take it slowly and listen to your body. Good luck
Edit: In order to strengthen the lateral sides, just lean to the left or to the right respectively.
Yes, it's possible to do it against a wall. I've got some other variations I use too. For rotational muscles, I have a few different exercises, including some specific head harness work with bands. There's more info in the Neck Strength Masterclass here: www.combatsportsclinic.net/nsm-microsite
Supposedly It only compresses the neck is you put your weight on the top of your head. If you go all the way to your forehead, you don't.
I Got injured 13 years ago from judo doing this exercise. Is stil got trouble with the neck.
Me too. I now have cervical spondylitic myelopathy and cervical stenosis. Becoming a quadriplegic now in my old age.
Great video! So is doing a neck bridge by itself bad for your neck as well if you have to raise up to it from your back? (Asking as a breakdancer)
How many times a week should I exercise my neck?
I got good results from doing it two or three times a week but NOT to failure
We used to do a drill with karate belt through a kettle bell then bite the belt, bend over and lift and swing the kettle bell by moving your head and neck. Nods and rotations, etc.
Thoughts?
Done carefully and with good posture, I can see how that would work. It wouldn't be my first choice to recommend to someone, mainly because it's not as easy to control as some of the other exercises.
Thanks
I watched a chiropractor in an mma video say that bridging is not compression.
They were wrong
vertical force not a compression? and which branch of chiropractor physics explains that?
Can this exercise be done with a yoga ball instead of bench? Does it help develop some auxiliary muscles or increase the risk of injuries?
Yes - I've had people do this with a yoga ball. I wouldn't start there with someone with a neck injury, but if your neck is healthy it should be fine. It's hard to get the same load through the neck (people usually end up putting some of the weight through the shoulders rather than just on the head), but it does increase the amount of control needed. Neither is better or worse - they just do slightly different things.
@@rosisexton it’s my first month of bjj. Since last training session my neck has been hurting. Turns out I have a bulged disc. I feel no pain anymore. Can I continue bjj ???
i should have watched it last year!
i have bad neck injury provably because of that
You're so right. I am a former boxer and combat martial artist. I now have Cervical spondylitic myelopathy. And cervical stenosis. I am becoming a quadriplegic now. From all those neck bridges. And taking heavy punches. My neck is so bad until I can drop a coffee cup and not know it. Can barely hold a pencil. Bowel and bladder problems. Fall a lot because legs suddenly lose strength. I would not teach neck bridges to my students. Later on they will end up like me.
Sorry for you. How old are you ?
calvin murry Fuck. I’d offer you thoughts and prayers, but I’m an atheist and a simpleton.
@@JCBPARISPARIS im 70 years old. Started about 20 years ago. Osteoarthritis. And it degenerated from there. I have had 2 cervical fusions. That accelerated the spinal cord and nerve damage. The damage is permanent.
@@calvinmurry1096 It's terrible. Thanks for your feedback.
Damn! Sorry to hear that. This is part of the reason I keep talking about good neck strength training - I think it's so important for grapplers. I've had my share of neck injuries, so I'm trying to look after mine as much as I can now, and help others to avoid the same problems (as much as possible).
Then why do all wrestlers do those beck exercises?
The 1 milion dollar question
But mike tyson used to do it too so what's the deal?
"Mike Tyson did it too"??!?It's like saying my grandfather smoked 2 packs of cigs everyday but lived 97 years .so what's the problem with smoking?
@@100cents5 I was trying to say that there is a correct way to do them and we must have missed something. Boxers do some variations of the exercise with much lighter weight and not putting that much of a stress on the neck. So is that luck that made him get away with it or tyson was just a genetic freak?
Athlean X channel has a video on avoiding neck bridges period. It is here on RUclips titled "Neck Exercises that KILL Your Neck (DO THESE INSTEAD!!)"
I have stopped doing the neck bridges for over two years, once I saw that video.
Two, three generations of wrestlers, judo and sambo athletes, even boxers have something else to say.
First: The way the exercise is shown in the video is wrong. You need to tilt your head until your nose almost touches the mat.
Second: This exercise cannot be replaced. The only thing you need to do is use common sense when doing it. Warm up, stretch, be smart about it.
Third: The only sensible thing she said in this video is that people with injuries or simply anatomical limitations should definitely refrain from doing this exercise.
The fact that a single woman(which I just learned even existed) doesn't like an exercise, does NOT mean her opinion is gospel. Think for yourself, try for yourself, decide for yourself.
P.S. This is one of my favorite exercises for warming up. I am 35, injury free.
TheKmaru Well a little bit of research reveals that she has a mma record of 13-5 and holds a brown belt in Brazilian jujitsu. So she has more insight into this world than a layman.
Your second point about the exercise being irreplaceable is just an assumption.
Try the exercise in the video and then decide which one you like better. That is critical thinking.
TheKmaru First of all the top level athletes in any sport are doing the SAME as the weakest practitioners. I can guarantee it is not neck bridges that have made them good at what they do.
We do not have relatively stronger spines and the fact that you’re disregarding advice just because it comes from her mouth is ridiculous. She has a doctorate and we both don’t.
Everyone thought that sit-ups (the way they’ve been traditionally taught) were a great exercise that weren’t thought to cause back issues but that has been proven wrong even though Arnold Schwarzenegger did sit-ups. Planks have been proven to be much better as an exercise for conditioning the body.
Now if you go and look through the comments section there’s a trend of guys admitting that they’ve gotten injuries from doing the neck bridge for judo. I suppose you’re just smarter than them though and smarter than her.
Don’t be acting foolish because of an ego, seriously just try the exercise instead of saying it won’t work. That’s what actual thinking is not assuming shit doesn’t work for no real reason.
@@TRA25 Like I said, the way the exercise is shown here is wrong. And from this, it is very easy for me to guess why so many people in these comments are injuring themselves. You are right, the strongest and the weakest practitioners are doing pretty much the same things, the difference between the two is genetics, training regimes, training partners, trainers and perhaps a dozen more variables, which are pointless to this argument.
Man DO have stronger skeletal system. How can we measure this, you might ask? Just look at ANY sport, like ever. Why do I even need to say this? This is not arbitrary...this is common sense. Each sport is divided for men and for women...and there is a reason for that.
It is not my ego speaking, it is my experience that does it...and there is a difference. If you are an athlete that is competing and you are looking for that edge over your opponent, simplifying things won't help you. YES, the neck bridge is hard and somewhat dangerous for your health, but if you are scared from the bears, stay out of the woods.
Jeff Cavalier has also mentioned he doesn't like neck bridges.
@@mistersonnen848 Jeff Cavalier also has bad knees and has mentioned that he can't squat properly so he does other things to replace the squat. Does that mean we should stop squatting? Liking or disliking an exercise has nothing to do with its effectiveness. I will say this for the third time now I think, if you have old injuries, or structural limitations, or you are simply just a casual gym goer and you don't strive to be a competitor, there is no need for you to do risky exercises...like the neck bridge...BUT...to say that you shouldn't do, it is ignorant.
Movements like the squat, overhead press, Clean and Jerk, Snatch, dead-lift, when executed with high loads, always carry a risk of injury. Use proper form, use common sense and stop whining, I beg you. If competing on the highest level at any sport was easy, we would all be doing it.
I do that in the thumbnail. Got a bigger neck lol, its safe if youre not a noob.
Nice job spreading the word about this one. I think everyone has been guilty of doing the neck bridge XD
Oh yeah yeah
Is it still bad if you are in more of a pronated position with your face towards the floor? How about headstands? People do those in yoga all the time, I thought yoga was good for you?
Richie Lavey The compressions comes from moving the vertebrae in the neck. The spine in a neutral position can actually take a lot of pressure but when you move your spine or your neck it acts like a lever with some of the vertebrae having all the pressure focused on them and then multiplied due to the lever. A headstand does not do damage like this does.
Loading the neck in an extended position is more likely to cause problems. With a headstand, the neck is in neutral, so although there is vertical compression the joints are being loaded in a better position.
Mike Tyson disagrees the video
Actually Tyson doing podcast at Joe Rogan said neck bridge damage his neck
Some people can do it and others don't .or s generis. Weak nek is not made for this.
what's she doing out of the kitchen?
Your Body Becomes Denser...
Body Weight Times Increases...
As You Adapt...
If You Don’t Do These... You Won’t Progress Properly...
The One She Is Doing Is Bad For The Neck Because The Tendons Do Get Damaged From The Constant Improper Strain, So Do The Neck Bridge As It Is Done By True Neck Bridge Masters Or You Will Not Develop That Ability Nor Have The Capability To Sustain That Form Through Out, Thus Weakness...
Do The Real Neck Bridges, Not The One She Showed With Bench...
Trust Me, I Had Been Doing It Incorrectly And Its Not Possible To Progress...Properly..
I wish I could leave 1000 likes on this one.
I completely disagree with this video The Wrestler Bridge is easily one of the best exercises for you neck, lower back, other muscles hands down if done with proper form and breathing this video is bogus!👎