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Neck tightness is one of the most common complaints among gym-goers, yoga lovers, and even people who mostly work at a desk. And yet, many of us are unknowingly making it worse during our workouts. From push-ups to downward dog, one common mistake might be contributing more to your stiff neck than you realise.
In this blog, we’ll break down the movement patterns that can overload your neck muscles, why it happens in the first place, and how to adjust your training to avoid it. If you've ever found yourself constantly massaging your neck after a workout or stretching it only for the tightness to return, keep reading.
Watch the full video here:
The issue often starts with compensation. When certain stabilising muscles in the upper back and shoulders aren’t activated properly, your body tries to make up for it. The result? You pull your shoulders up towards your ears to stabilise — and this tension loads your neck muscles unnecessarily.
This is especially common in exercises like:
You might think you're doing the movement right, but subtle habits like lifting the shoulder or failing to engage the lats and lower traps can shift the burden straight to your neck.
Ramin demonstrates in his video how he uses muscle activation sensors to track the real-time tension in the neck. Even small tweaks — like lifting the shoulders slightly during a push-up — can make the activation spike dramatically.
You can test this yourself:
If your neck tightens as soon as your shoulder lifts, that’s a sign you’re compensating instead of using the right muscles.
The key is to engage the stabilisers that should be supporting you. That means training your:
These muscles help retract and depress the scapula, keeping your shoulders low and the neck relaxed. If you’re not activating these properly, your neck has to step in — and that’s where the overuse begins.
Ramin explains this in more detail in his blog on how to activate underactive muscles for long-term results.
Let’s take a closer look at how to fix neck overactivation during some everyday movements:
Push-Ups / Chaturanga
Instead of letting your elbows flare and shoulders rise, rotate the elbows slightly forward and focus on keeping the shoulders low. This protects the neck and ensures your lats are doing the stabilising.
Downward Dog
Avoid collapsing into the shoulders. Instead, retract the scapula and rotate the arms outward. Your neck should remain soft. This tip also applies to other yoga poses where your arms are overhead.
Cable Rows
If your shoulder lifts as you pull, your neck will activate more than it should. Keep the shoulder low and pull from the back — not the neck.
For more on refining your form, check out 3 efficient exercises to relieve neck pain and tightness.
One of the most valuable skills you can learn is how to properly control your scapula. Ramin has previously explained this in his video on shoulder blade positioning, which pairs well with this topic. It’s all about retraining the small stabilisers so your body doesn’t default to overusing the neck.
If you keep overworking your neck muscles, it doesn’t just lead to tightness. It can cause long-term imbalances in your posture, reduced mobility, and chronic discomfort that affects sleep and focus.
The solution isn’t to stretch your neck more. It’s to reduce the need for your neck to be over-involved in movements that other muscles should be handling.
To go deeper into how posture and compensation patterns affect performance and stress, explore how the mind-body connection works.
The next time you train, bring awareness to your shoulder and scapula positioning. Set your shoulder blades down, engage the lats, and feel the difference in your neck.
You’ll move better, feel stronger, and reduce tension that’s been building up for years.
And if you’re looking for guidance on reprogramming these patterns and improving long-term mobility, browse more resources on Ramin's blog or consider working with a personal trainer and life coach who understands both the physical and mental side of movement.