# Prone Neck Extension

A bodyweight neck exercise done face down, propped on your forearms. You lower your head toward your chest and lift it back until you look forward, training the muscles at the back of the neck.

- Beginner · Isolation
- Equipment: 
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/lying-neck-extension/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/prone-neck-extension/

## Muscles worked

- Traps: 8/10
- Upper back: 4/10
- Front delts: 3/10

## How to do the Prone Neck Extension

1. Lie face down on your forearms, legs straight behind you.
2. Lower your head slowly, bringing your chin toward your chest.
3. Lift your head until you look forward, moving only at the neck.
4. Repeat slowly without bouncing or jerking.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Lie face down propped on your forearms, elbows under your shoulders and legs straight behind you.
2. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears and tighten your stomach.
3. Start with your head raised and your eyes looking forward.
4. Lower your head slowly, bringing your chin toward your chest.
5. Lift your head back until you look forward again, moving only at the neck.
6. Stop when you look forward, without tilting your head further back.
7. Keep your arms, hips and legs still for the whole set.

## Common mistakes

- Jerking the head up quickly
- Dropping the head without control
- Tilting the head too far back
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears

## Form cues

- Move slowly
- Keep shoulders down
- Lower under control
- Stop at looking forward

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps · rest 1 min · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 2 s, lift 2 s
- **Muscle growth**: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 2 s, lift 2 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 30 s · 4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 2 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Prone Neck Extension work?

Primary: Traps 8/10. Also works: Upper back 4/10, Front delts 3/10.

### When should I do the Prone Neck Extension in a workout?

Warm-up. Done at the start to get the body ready. ≈ 4 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Prone Neck Extension?

Strength: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps, rest 1 min, 3–4 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 30 s, 4 reps in reserve.

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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