Seated Head Harness Cable Neck Flexion
In SetGrip: Cable Neck Flexion (Seated, Head Harness)
- Primary muscleLevator Scapulae
- EquipmentCable
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeIsolation · Neck flexion
- Secondary muscles
- Sternocleidomastoid, Scalenes, Longus Colli, Longus Capitis
- Body part
- Neck
- Position
- Seated
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Facing away from the cable stack with the harness clipped behind your head, you nod your chin forward against a pull coming from behind, a line of resistance the deep neck flexors rarely see from a hanging plate. Select the lightest pin on the stack to start; the cable's leverage on this small movement is stronger than it looks.
How to do the Seated Head Harness Cable Neck Flexion
- Set a cable pulley roughly at seated head height and select a very light weight.
- Sit on a bench facing away from the machine; clip the head harness D‑ring behind your head to the cable.
- Sit tall with feet flat, core braced, shoulders relaxed, and neck in neutral alignment.
- Pre-tension the cable by scooting forward slightly without extending the neck.
- Exhale and flex the neck, nodding the chin toward the chest through a comfortable range without rounding the torso.
- Pause briefly, then slowly return to neutral while resisting the pull—do not hyperextend.
- Keep the motion smooth and small; stop immediately if you feel pain or dizziness.
Tip: Keep the reps high and the tempo slow, and never add weight until 25 reps feel easy.
Muscles worked
Primary
Levator Scapulae · Back
The deep neck muscles and the front of the neck pull the chin toward the chest and stabilize the head, and you should feel the work along the front and sides of the neck.
Secondary
- Sternocleidomastoid
- Scalenes
- Longus Colli
- Longus Capitis
Common mistakes
- Loading too much too soon — start with a small plate and add a little at a time, since the front of the neck is weaker than the back.
- Tucking the chin only — the head should travel through a full arc from tilted back to chin at the chest, not just nod.
- Rushing the reps — lift and lower slowly, and pause for a moment at the top of each rep.
- Holding the breath — breathe normally through the set so the neck stays relaxed apart from the working muscles.
Where it fits in a workout
Neck flexion goes at the very end of a session with the other neck work. Superset it with neck extension using the same harness or plate.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without cable
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.