If you’ve ever seen great wrestlers, most have one thing in common: they all have huge necks and big traps. Having a big, strong neck is extremely important for bridging when you’re stuck on your back, squaring up, finishing takedowns and preventing injuries. No wrestler wants to deal with nagging neck pain all season long.
Try these strength exercises to get the big, strong neck that you need. Neck isolation exercises involving isometric holds, neck harnesses or a four-way neck machine are great for building size. However, my top three exercises for building a big, powerful neck incorporate several muscle groups, which will increase strength throughout your body.
Select two of these exercises to perform in your upper-body workouts, one to two times per week.

Clean-Grip Snatch

The Snatch is a great all-around explosive exercise that will also build a huge yoke (a.k.a. neck and traps). This is an Olympic lift, which can be a little tough to learn, but the Clean-Grip Snatch has huge benefits once you master it. It’s one of the best exercises you can perform to increase explosive power.
Sets/Reps: 3-8×2-5

Snatch-Grip Deadlift

Deadlifts are a must to develop a strong, explosive body and huge yoke. The Snatch-Grip Deadlift uses a wider grip, which increases neck muscle activation.
Sets/Reps: 3-5×3-6

Farmer’s Walks

Many athletes think Farmer’s Walks are just a grip strength exercise, but they add muscle to the body, particularly the neck and traps. You can use a heavy set of dumbbells, kettlebells or plates for this great yoke-building exercise.
Sets/Duration: 1-3×30-60 seconds

Stick to these exercises and you will dominate on the mat! If you have any questions about training for wrestling, please contact me at [email protected].
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