How to do the Prone Neck Extension
- Lie face down on your forearms, legs straight behind you.
- Lower your head slowly, bringing your chin toward your chest.
- Lift your head until you look forward, moving only at the neck.
- Repeat slowly without bouncing or jerking.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Lie face down propped on your forearms, elbows under your shoulders and legs straight behind you.
- Pull your shoulders down away from your ears and tighten your stomach.
- Start with your head raised and your eyes looking forward.
- Lower your head slowly, bringing your chin toward your chest.
- Lift your head back until you look forward again, moving only at the neck.
- Stop when you look forward, without tilting your head further back.
- 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
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.
