Iron Neck Training Lab Combat Sports Program (Phase 1-4)

This four phase program is designed to reverse poor posture by strengthening the muscles that support your head. Long work days on the computer and looking down at our cellphones can cause the muscles in back of our neck to stretch and become over used. The muscles in the front, the ones typically responsible for supporting our head become weak. The goal of this program is to retrain the musculature to reverse forward head posture and upper crossed syndrome.

Phase 1 of the Combat Sports is intended to build endurance and improve flexibility which will serve as a foundation for the strength we will build in Phases 2 through 4. This program will look to foundational exercises to develop midline stability so that it can progress to multi-joint, multi-plane drills that are required of combat athletes & enthusiasts. These programs are time based to develop endurance and we're starting with 20 seconds per exercise, in each direction 3 times a week. You can recycle this workout by adding 10 seconds per exercise each week, building toward 40 seconds each.

Phase 2 we add some more movement skills to develop muscular strength & muscular endurance and increase dynamic control and balance through rotational exercises and the addition of the shoulder & hip complex. Endurance and improved ranges of motion are the goal, so these programs are time based and we're starting with 30 seconds per exercise, in each direction 2 - 3 times a week.

Phase 3 challenges the athlete in a multi-dimensional and multi-joint fashion while integrating footwork, hip mobility and single leg drills which increases the demand for proprioception. The goal is to get more activity specific endurance so these programs are time based and we're starting with 40 seconds per exercise, in each direction 3 times a week. You can recycle this workout by adding 10 seconds per exercise each week, building toward 90 seconds each.

Phase 4 brings a lot of demand for dynamic control of the entire body and builds resiliency in ankles, knees, hips, back and neck. This is a very challenging program and requires pre-requisite strength, endurance and flexibility and so we pull the volume back into sets and reps and will build to time sets. Perform Phase 4 exercises in 3 sets of 40 seconds of each exercise and in each direction, 2 times a week. We can add 10 seconds per exercise building to 60 seconds.