If you’ve ever felt tightness or soreness in your neck or shoulders after lifting, there’s a good chance it’s from a few subtle habits that sneak into your workouts. The good news? They’re easy to fix.
Here are the three best strategies to keep your neck and shoulders feeling great while strength training:
- Exhale during your reps.
One of the biggest causes of neck tension is holding your breath during lifts. When you don’t exhale, you naturally tense up—and that tension often shows up in your shoulders and neck. Focus on exhaling through the effort of each rep (especially the hardest part).
- Stop shrugging your shoulders.
Most people shrug far more than they realize—especially during push-ups, bench presses, and rows. Think about keeping your shoulders away from your ears and your neck long. This keeps the tension where it belongs—on the muscles you’re trying to train, not your traps or neck.
- Keep your head still.
You’d be surprised how much people move their heads during exercises that have nothing to do with their neck—like curls, tricep extensions, or even squats. When you move your head forward or back, you create unnecessary strain. Try to keep your head stacked over your body, like a statue, while only the working muscles move.
I used to deal with this constantly myself. In my early 20s, I’d get neck pain once or twice a year after lifting—bad enough that I couldn’t move my neck for a few days, sometimes even a week. Once I started putting conscious effort into doing these three things—exhaling properly, avoiding shoulder shrugging, and keeping my head still—it completely went away. I haven’t had that kind of pain in years.
Small adjustments like these go a long way in helping you feel stronger, more stable, and pain-free during and after your workouts.
– James Pratt