Full body · MOBILITY

Neck Harness Eccentric Lower

Eccentric neck strength, which is what actually resists the head being moved for you — the collision-code version of a Nordic

Coaching cues

How to do it well

These are the cues the app shows on the exercise card, written for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.

  • Partner or harness takes it back to the top
  • You only control the way down
  • Stop the set the moment the speed changes
Tempo
6s to lower
This is general information, not medical advice. Train Smart gives training and nutrition guidance for healthy adults. It is not a substitute for a doctor, physiotherapist or accredited dietitian. If you have an injury, a medical condition, or you are unsure whether an exercise is right for you, get it checked first. Every recommendation on this site is sourced.
In the program

How Train Smart prescribes it

The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.

ProgramSessionSets × repsLoad
Rugby LeaguePower & Collision2 × 5 lowers + 10s hold /directionLight harness / partner
Rugby UnionStrength (Total Body)2 × 5 lowers + 10s hold /directionLight harness / partner
BoxingPunch Power + Legs2 × 5 lowers + 10s hold /directionLight harness / partner
BoxingPull, Trunk + Neck2 × 5 lowers + 10s hold /directionLight harness / partner

How the weight is calculated →

At a glance

What it trains, and who trains it

Muscles worked
Shoulders · Back
Region
Full body
Classified as
MOBILITY
Prescribed in
rugby league · rugby union · boxing · MMA
Alternatives

If you cannot do this one

Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.

AlternativeWhy it works as a swap
Neck Harness / Band 4-WayFlexion, extension and both sides — the full collar
Isometric Neck Holds (4-way)Push into your own hand for 10s — no kit, do it anywhere
Partner Manual Neck ResistancePartner supplies the load through the range
Band Neck FlexionFront of the neck — the direction most people never train
Band Neck ExtensionBack of the neck — bracing for contact
Band Lateral Neck FlexionSide-on collisions and tackles

This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there

Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.

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