Lying Harness Neck Flexion
In SetGrip: Harness Neck Flexion (Lying)
- Primary muscleLevator Scapulae
- EquipmentWeighted
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeIsolation · Neck flexion
- Secondary muscles
- Scalenes, Longus Colli, Longus Capitis, Traps, Deep Cervical Flexors
- Body part
- Neck
- Position
- Lying
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Rolling onto your back with your head off the bench points this harness movement at the front of the neck, the flexors that curl your chin toward your chest, making it the mirror image of the prone extension version. Gravity resists through the full nod, so even a very light plate goes a long way at first.
How to do the Lying Harness Neck Flexion
- Set a flat bench and lie on your back with shoulders near the edge so your head can move freely; plant your feet and brace your torso.
- Fit the head harness snugly and attach a light plate so it provides resistance as you flex the neck.
- Start with the neck slightly extended below neutral, eyes up, shoulders relaxed and down.
- Initiate with a gentle nod, then curl your chin toward your chest by segmentally flexing the cervical spine.
- Pause briefly in the top position without lifting the shoulders or hips.
- Lower slowly for 2–3 seconds back to a slight, comfortable extension; keep the motion smooth and pain‑free.
- Maintain steady breathing and keep reps strict; stop if form or control degrades.
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
- Scalenes
- Longus Colli
- Longus Capitis
- Traps
- Deep Cervical Flexors
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 weighted
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.