By David Webb, uploaded 26 August 2009

The 'wrestlers bridge': 8 bodyweight progressions.

Competing in any grappling sport be it Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Cambo and even the components that make up a sport like mixed martial arts requires the athlete to be conditioned from head to toe, quite literally. With grappling encompassing a whole plethora of strategies/tactics to beat an opponent conditioning the body in all areas becomes a major concern. Flexibility and agility that is akin to a gymnasts, strength and power close to that of an Olympic weightlifter or international Rugby player, speed and endurance similar to that of an Olympic athlete, the list could go on for this entire article. One area often neglected by beginners is neck strength.

Just have a quick think about what a mixed martial artists neck goes through throughout the course of a bout: slipping, bobbing and weaving during stand-up exchanges, absorption of the shock from a clean contact, domination in the clinch from an opponent, strangulations, choke attempts, having the head snapped down, extreme forces when using the head to finish a shoot attempt, once again the list goes on.

Not only do these pressures exist during a bout but through the training regimes that fighters have to go through to a) stay conditioned and b) during the 8-12 weeks preparing for a fight (i.e. cross training Muay Thai, wrestling, Judo, BJJ, etc.). Over the years many successful combat athletes outside of the mixed martial arts world have sworn by the training effect developed through basic bodyweight neck bridging. Whilst a case can be argued for the potential for injury whilst using such methods over long periods of time and or training the 'bridging' methods incorrectly the potential for strength gains and development of sheer mental determination cannot be denied.

It would be hard to find one combat based sport that does not place an emphasis on neck strength: Muay Thai practitioners, high-level Judoka, olympic wrestlers, western boxers all need strength at the neck if they are to be successful at their chosen discipline. The video article attempts to convey 8 basic bodyweight progressions to develop neck strength safely.

1.From the knees, using the hands for balance 2.From the knees without the hands 3.On the feet, using the hands for balance 4.On the feet without the hands 5.Reverse bridging, using the hands for balance 6.Reverse bridging without the hands 7.Static examples with active exercise 8.Neck conditioning whilst in head stand

The accompanying video herein is by no means a definitive guide as there are literally thousands of ways to condition the neck in every plane of motion. Nevertheless, it is hoped that this video will provide the basics for individuals to go on to develo

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