Disclaimer: Our content doesn't constitute medical or fitness advice. We may be earning money from companies & products we review. Learn more
Review Summary:
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.
- PROS:
- 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
- Designed by a pro athlete
- High-Quality Construction
- Lives Up To The Expectations
- CONS:
- Not Cheap
Quick Facts:
Founded: 2012
Price: $299.99-$599.99
Beginner Friendly: Yes
Risk of Injury: Minimal if you warm up and follow their instructions
Founded by: Mike Jolly
Target Audience: Athletes of All Levels, Neck Pain Sufferers
Benefits Expected?: Stronger Neck Muscles, Pain Relief
Update 2023: Iron Neck recently released Iron Neck 3.0, which is 33% lighter, 20% smaller, and fits much better than its predecessors! Check it out.
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. The Iron Neck team came up with a neck training device that attempts to solve this problem and strengthen the neck area…
Table of Contents
Why Neck Training and Strengthening?
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? Your local gym like doesn’t have much in this area. While some of us are guilty of skipping leg day, I’d say the majority of us are guilty of skipping neck day.
Iron Neck To The Rescue?
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…
My Honest Thoughts & Review
I was doubtful, especially when seeing the price. Why would I shell out close to $250 to $500 for yet another piece of equipment without knowing for sure that it would work? However, there was really no better alternative out there with the kind of stellar reviews that Iron Neck received, so I took a chance and bought the starter version.
Review of The Buying Process + Shipping
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.
How It Works
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 that shows 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.
Iron Neck – Final Thoughts
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:
Purchase Iron Neck
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/
Iron Neck Model Comparison
IRON NECK STARTER | IRON NECK VARSITY | IRON NECK PRO 3.0 |
---|---|---|
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: $212.49 |
Price: $254.99 |
Price: $509.99 |
Buy Now (15% OFF) | Buy Now (15% OFF) | Buy Now (15% OFF) |
Iron Neck Contact Info
- Company: Iron Neck from Mission Competition Fitness Equipment
- Phone: 325-225-6325 (NECK)
- Support Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30am-7:00pm (CST)
- Website URL: https://www.iron-neck.com/
- Email: support@iron-neck.com
I’m Pat Chadwick, a qualified Level 2 and Level 3 calisthenics coach and certified personal trainer from London, England. I have over six years of experience training students specifically in the art of calisthenics. I’ve competed in various UK competitions, including the Kalos Stenos Championships, where I achieved third place in the lightweight category. My passion is highlighting the beauty of calisthenics as an authentic and pure form of body expression. I believe that everyone has the potential to become a champion of their body and mind, and that calisthenics opens the door to personal empowerment.
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.
My neck has never felt stronger! I learned about the Iron Neck for the first time through the Joe Rogan podcast, but it took me a while before I decided to pull the trigger and purchase the device. I must say that this device does truly offer a kickass neck workout like no other. My only regret is not buying the Elite model right off the bat. The Iron Neck starter one I bought doesn’t offer much resistance and you quickly start to find it a bit too easy to use.
This thing works. I bought the pro iron neck model and I am pretty happy with the results. It definitely gives your neck and jaw muscles a workout like no other. I would recommend a proper warmup and neck stretching exercises before using the device to avoid injury
The iron neck is a game changer for your fighting game. I do MMA and the iron neck has helped me strengthen my neck and traps significantly. No other gym machine or exercise has been able to give me the same neck burn I get from Ironneck.
I feel my neck is much stronger. Since I started using this device I feel like my neck muscles got much stronger. Doing the iron neck movements like the eight circles really helped me strengthen my neck.
Easy to use and travel with. The iron neck is part of my workout routine. I use this neck machine literally everywhere since it’s easy to carry and assemble. It helps me keep my neck muscles strong and ready for anything. Shoutout to the team for creating this awesome device.