Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.
Lie face down on a flat bench with your head hanging just off the edge. Position your body so your chest and stomach are supported. If you want to, you can keep your feet on the ground for stability. Place a weight plate on the back of your head, holding it with both hands. If you want, place a folded towel on the back of your head for comfort. Tuck your chin slightly and keep your neck in a neutral position. Lift your head up by extending your neck and raising the back of your head toward the ceiling. Pause briefly at the top, squeezing the muscles at the base of your skull, then lower your head back down under control to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
Retract neck at the top (tuck chin) to train deep neck flexors and improve posture. Keep rib cage and hips on the bench; use wide stance, controlled tempo, full ROM. Hands stay on the plate for support—don’t use arms to lift. Move elbows in unison with head/neck; tuck elbows for proper motion. Inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. Hold isometric contraction 1–2 sec at the top. Look ~12 inches ahead at the top—avoid overextending the neck. Stay relaxed at the bottom; don’t flex neck into chest.
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