Anyone else get a stiff neck every time they lift heavy?

[The Sauce]

I swear, I can't lift without getting a pulled neck muscle which kills for about 2-3 days after. It's getting very annoying. Guess I strain my neck without realizing it when I am lifting hard. Anyone else get this?

 

[darkxshade]

What kind of lift? How's your form? You're doing it wrong if you're pulling your muscle everytime. I lift heavy 3 times a week and almost never feel anything[painful] the day after.

 

[Deeko]

I only ever did that once. My freshman year of college I either pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve in my neck while benching. It was horrendous - I couldn't turn my head, and every step I took sent a jolt of pain through my body. Ugh.

 

[KingGheedora]

No, never gotten that from lifting. What lift are you doing that's causing this? It sounds like you might be doing something wrong.

 

[brikis98]

Over the years, I've tweaked my neck a few times lifting: once during bench press, once during OH press, once during KB swings. The pain usually originates in my upper traps and travels all the way up the neck, making it very stiff. Usually it's a very mild injury that causes minor discomfort, but once it was bad enough that I couldn't turn my head, which made crossing streets, driving and even lying down quite painful. However, every time it was the result of poor technique: lifting my head and oddly squirming on the bench, improper head position on the OH press, and yanking my head back during heavy KB swings. Moral of the story: make sure you learn and maintain proper head position for all your lifts and aren't straining your neck in weird ways to complete a rep.

 

[Lamont Burns]

OH press has done it to me twice in the last 4-5 months. Usually on the last rep and I'm struggling to get it up high.

Occasionally on heavy squats it feels stiff maybe from straining, but nothing that lasts or causes major discomfort.

 

[EvilYoda]

To be doing so consistently is pretty odd...maybe you're chicken-necking like crazy or something. 😛

 

[uclaLabrat]

I get it pretty bad, have it right now actually. I usually get it from OH press and squats. Hurt like hell in the middle of the night, happened to me last week too. It's really annoying.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

A stiff neck is almost always a result of straining with incorrect form. Often times, people who are going at an intensity that is too high for them flex muscles that they don't necessarily need to be using. These muscles aren't used to it, resulting in an uncanny soreness. Check your form. Start light. Work your way up. If you learn which muscles to use, you will rarely get them.

 

[The Sauce]

Can happen with almost any exercise. I once did it doing bicep curls. I just crank my neck I guess. Sort of a reflex. BTW, what is "chicken-necking?"

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: The Sauce
I swear, I can't lift without getting a pulled neck muscle which kills for about 2-3 days after. It's getting very annoying. Guess I strain my neck without realizing it when I am lifting hard. Anyone else get this?

What lifts are you doing this on?

 

[The Sauce]

Anything, really. As long as I am going very heavy. Done it with bicep curls, triceps, upright rows, bench press, military press...even squats.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: The Sauce
Anything, really. As long as I am going very heavy. Done it with bicep curls, triceps, upright rows, bench press, military press...even squats.

You're clinching the wrong muscles then. The only ones that should even be using muscles around your neck and back are the rows, press, squat and bench and two of those exercises only require it for stabilization. You need to relax and learn which muscles to fire. Perhaps you needs to recheck your form and conscious relax your neck and shoulders. I used to clinch up my shoulders and back in my fighting stance. It made me really slow and predictable. As soon as I learned to loosen up, I stopped having to work as hard an was quicker to boot. It's the same kind of things here. Maybe you shouldn't be going so heavy so you can perfect your form.