Neck Position in the Squat

Let’s delve into a quick fix for an issue I see all the time.

Neck Position in the Squat.

When we squat we need to use all of our muscles, not just the legs, right?
Your neck position can dictate how much of your back musculature is available and activated for a bigger squat. Hand position does too, but that is not the subject today.
When squatting, it is critical to use your back to stabilize the weight, and to move it.
Yes, I said use your back to move the weight.
But, that is secondary to stabilization.
If you can’t effectively stabilize the weight, you certainly can’t move it with maximum force.
Let’s go over stabilization with your back first.
When you get under the bar, you need to squeeze your back tightly and lock it in before you un-rack.
Pretty much every good squatter does this.

Even some shitty ones do to.
We often see a lifter who is pretty strong, but is leaving pounds on the platform due to the exact issue I am going to correct today.
What is it?
I call if Giraffe Neck. I used to call it something else, but Dave might kill me if I list it here.

What is Giraffe Neck?

It is when you use your neck like a Giraffe getting food off a tree.
You are not a Giraffe.
Don’t squat like one.
How often have you seen a lifter stand upright in the squat and then thrust their neck out and hunch forward?

I see it a lot. Every day.
You need to learn how to pack your neck.
This is grossly misunderstood by many lifters and many inexperienced coaches.
Packing the neck does not mean to forcefully whip your head back and drive your neck into hyper extension.
It is a small movement.
To pack your neck, just drive your head back into the bar and keep your neck either neutral or with a slight extension.

Look at the difference in the photo above and the photo below in Siqi's neck, elbow and chest position.

It is MUCH better below with a non-Giraffe, packed neck

I can’t stress enough that you should never hyper extend your neck.
Yes, there have been studies done showing a mild extension of the neck is beneficial for muscular activation, but it does not mean hyper extend.
Yes, I know I am beating this into the ground but it is a big deal.
Hyper extending a joint is never good, and hyper extending the neck under a load is always a bad idea.
Always.

When a lifter does this they are taking the back out of the lift. You can’t effectively fire your back muscles and stabilize the weight with your neck thrust forward like a Giraffe.
Don’t believe me?
Go get under a bar right now, I’ll wait.
Stand upright in a solid squat stance and squeeze the bar, squeeze your back, pull your elbows down and pack your neck back and then brace.
Make note of how your back feels.
Don’t even squat yet. Just stand there.
Now, re-rack it.
Go through the same process and at the end, do not pack your neck.
Thrust it forward as far as you can.
Really reach for the leaves on the tree like a Giraffe.
Make note of how your back feels.
I am willing to bet you will agree with me, your back is tighter my way.
This is what we call a power leak. If you want to move the most weight, and not get injured, you can’t have any power leaks.
You want to maximize your ability to stabilize and deliver force.
Jamming your neck forward also causes common faults.
If you watch the lifters who squat like this, you will see it is pretty common for their ass to shoot up first out of the hole with heavier weights. When this happens it causes a dump forward and a missed squat.

If you can fix this issue by doing one simple thing that reduces the risk of injury, maximizes the ability to deliver force and increases the amount of weight lifted, why wouldn’t you?
Another thing you will also see is a severe forward lean with Giraffe neck.

The forward lean is at the start of the lift and increases as you go through the full range of the squat. This lean maximizes shear force on the spine.

While this may not cause injury today, it will over time.
But it might today as well.

Look at Siqi's chest, neck and bar path in the photo above.

The neck is causing this.

(When we shot the photos I did not tell him to get in this position.

All I did was tell him to squat with his neck thrust forward.  He noticed that it felt AWFUL and out of position.)

It also disrupts your ability to root the feet, as you can see is is leaning forward pretty far. His heel is not rooted, and cannot be with the neck jammed out.

Now let’s look at moving the bar with your back.
As we begin the squat, you need to drive your back into the bar on the way down. Many of you know this, but you’d be surprised how many don’t.
Driving your back into the bar on the way down keeps you from dumping forward.
When you hit the hole, the first thing that moves is, as Dave says, your head.
What this means is that you need to forcefully drive your back into the bar before anything else moves and keep driving it into the bar until the squat is locked out.
It does not mean that you should crane your neck back like a Giraffe seeking food from a tree up above.
Duffin calls this Stop the Freight Train, and it is a great cue.
To clarify it, when you get into the hole, you should be driving your back into the bar, and when you begin your ascent you should push your back into the bar violently hard as the first movement, straighten your legs as you stand up and keep driving the bar with your back.
If your neck is thrust forward you simply cannot do this. You also will have your ass shoot up first on a big lift. When your ass shoots up too far, you cannot correct it, and you fall forward.
So, let’s wrap this up.

• Unrack the bar.
• Stand up tall.
• Root & Brace
• Squeeze your back and your hands as tight as you can
• Open your knees and drive your back in to the bar as you descend (some say chest up for this)
• Coming out of the hole, drive your back into the bar harder while keeping your neck packed back
• Keep doing this until the bar is locked out

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Halloween was yesterday, and when I walked out of my office to coach the 5:00 pm TPS Method for Powerlifting group I saw that the ladies all dressed up as me, Russ and Candace.
The likeness was scary.

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C.J. Murphy
November 1, 2018