Last updated on May 10th, 2022 at 09:13 pm
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Joe Rogan was definitely right! The Iron Neck is, in my humble experience, the best piece of equipment to target your neck muscles, regardless of your fitness level. Beginners and recreation athletes can benefit from the Starter model, while intermediate and pro athletes looking to maximize their neck gains should definitely consider the Pro model due to the superior tension and resistance adjustments offered.
Mike Tyson once said that it takes a strong neck in order to be a great boxer because it’s the neck that absorbs the punches and minimizes the impact on the brain when the head is hit with blunt force.
Now, we all know there are a plethora of exercises to strengthen one’s arms, chest, core, and lower body, but what do you do to strengthen your neck? While some of us are guilty of skipping leg day, I’d say the majority of us are guilty of skipping neck day.
The team over at Iron Neck realized that there was not a single piece of equipment at the gym that could help you properly hit the neck muscles. Mike Jolly, the founder of the Iron Neck machine, was a pro football player and wrestler in his early days.
When playing football, Mike realized that his wrestler’s neck gave him an advantage on the football field. Neck training using plates, bands, and lots of bridging was a part of every wrestler’s training. Since he came from a pro wrestling background and most of his opponents weren’t, he realized that he had an advantage in the sense that he could use every part of his body to deliver a hit on the football field.
“I used my head as a weapon when I played – because I could! I only thought of my head as a bonus against the opponent when I went in for a tackle, not as a protector of anything of my own,” Jolly says on his website.
As a freshman on UCLA’s defensive line, Jolly said he only got KO’d once, so he concluded that his muscular neck must have been doing something good for him.
Fast forward a few years, Mike decided to create the Iron Neck when he experienced how good it felt to use his neck to pull resistance bands on a mat while doing pilates and yoga routines with his wife. It was the aha moment for the founder and those resistance band routines gave him the idea to create a device or machine that would help him take the movements and motions to the next level.
The first Iron Neck machine was modeled after its creator: in this case, Mike’s self-admittedly oversized head. With the help of his wife Jenni, they covered his head in papier-mache to create the first mold for the Iron Neck. They then took the mold and his rough drawing of the device to a product design shop.
Jolly had his first prototype of the Iron Neck machine in five days. It was an aluminum halo that was not very comfortable. It cost him $900 to build, and it was not really affordable for the general public at that price, but for a first prototype, it wasn’t a bad start and it gave him something to work on and improve…
I was doubtful, especially when seeing the price. Why would I shell out close to $300 for yet another piece of equipment without knowing for sure that it will work? However, there was really no other alternative out there with the kind of support and reviews that Iron Neck received, so I took a chance and bought the starter one.
The buying and shipping process was super smooth and I received my Iron Neck within 3 days (They offer free shipping to US and Canada customers by the way).
The Iron Neck was beautifully packaged and didn’t require any assembling at all. I purchased the Starter version at $299 (PS: we have a 15% discount code you can use: gymlessfamily) which is the easiest version to use.
You basically wear it like a helmet, tighten the strap around your jaw and the other end of the elastic cable around a solid surface such as a pillar or pole. You are then ready to start your workout which involves moving your neck in various directions and motions. See the video below showing a few different ways you can use the Iron Neck…
Needless to say, within minutes of trying it, I was convinced. I immediately felt all my neck muscles properly contracting for the first time in my life, all the way from my traps to my ears. I tried all motions presented in their official video, and doing the “Figure Eights” was by far my favorite exercise. It involves moving your head as if you’re trying to draw an 8 or infinite sign with your nose. I felt every single muscle cell in my neck get triggered by this exercise. It’s an absolutely fantastic workout and the further away you move from the pole where the string is attached, the harder it gets.
The Iron Neck is, in my humble experience, the best piece of equipment to target your neck muscles. Joe Rogan is known as the biggest fan of the Iron Neck and talked about it on many of his podcasts, including the podcast he did with Mike Tyson.
The Iron Neck machine is ideal for:
If you want to purchase the Iron Neck, use coupon code “GYMLESSFAMILY” for an extra 15% off your final price: https://www.iron-neck.com/
Joe Rogan was definitely right! The Iron Neck is, in my humble experience, the best piece of equipment to target your neck muscles, regardless of your fitness level. Beginners and recreation athletes can benefit from the Starter model, while intermediate and pro athletes looking to maximize their neck gains should definitely consider the Pro model due to the superior tension and resistance adjustments offered.
IRON NECK STARTER | IRON NECK VARSITY | IRON NECK PRO |
---|---|---|
Ideal for: Beginner/Recreational Athletes and People with Neck Pain and/or Poor Posture. | Ideal for: Beginner/Intermediate Athletes That Want Added Rotational Resistance to improve neck strength and mobility. | Ideal for: Intermediate/Pro Athletes That Want Maximum (Adjustable) Friction & Resistance to Maximize Neck Gains. |
Rotational Resistance: ❌ | Rotational Resistance: ✅ (Fixed) | Rotational Resistance: ✅ (Adjustable) |
25 lb. Resistance Band: ✅ | 25 lb. Resistance Band: ✅ | 25 lb. Resistance Band: ✅ |
Door Anchor: ✅ | Door Anchor: ✅ | Door Anchor: ✅ |
Skull Cap: ✅ | Skull Cap: ✅ | Skull Cap: ✅ |
Exercise Poster: ✅ | Exercise Poster: ✅ | Exercise Poster: ✅ |
Interchangeable Front Pads (3): ✅ | Interchangeable Front Pads (3): ✅ | Interchangeable Front Pads (3): ✅ |
Cinch Anchor: ❌ | Cinch Anchor: ✅ | Cinch Anchor: ✅ |
Door Belt: ❌ | Door Belt: ❌ | Door Belt: ✅ |
Price: $254.99 |
Price: $339.99 |
Price: $509.99 |
Buy Now (15% OFF) | Buy Now (15% OFF) | Buy Now (15% OFF) |
Founder of Gymless.org, Amine is an entrepreneur who developed a strong passion for Calisthenics and Bodyweight exercises at the beginning of the Pandemic, at a time when gyms closed and group sports were all canceled. Calisthenics was the only way to stay in shape without requiring equipment or any specific facilities. Today Amine enjoys sharing tips and workouts for beginners through the Gymless blog, along with other contributors who are experts on this field.
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Thanks for this review. The Iron Neck seems like a great device but why is it so expensive? It’s made of plastic and elastics so the price shouldn’t be so high. I guess we’re paying for all the time it took the founder to create it? I don’t know. Still seems a bit steep
Yes it’s just like anything in life. You pay for the countless amount of hours (and large sums of money) the founder and his team invested to bring this device into existence and then to bring it to market. It’s not easy to create fitness equipment that meets all the guidelines and safety regulations. This isn’t a competitive space. The Iron Neck is unique in the market. Maybe if more competitors came in, the prices would go down slightly, but today the Iron Neck team are the only ones that came up with such a unique and effective neck training device.