Put a guy in a dress shirt, and a skinny neck is a distraction. Fisher Stevens, excellent actor who appears on “Succession,” comes to mind…
There’s some genetics going on there, and he’s 60. But a little more neck thickness would make him appear more manly. That may be something he doesn’t want because his neck is his “trademark” in the biz. It helps him get specific roles…
Even so, for the average guy wanting to avoid a noodle neck, building the upper traps can create the illusion of less length.
Higher traps make the neck look shorter and thus wider.
Shrugs? Yes, but to work the upper traps sufficiently you need to lean forward and retract back—squeeze the scapulae together up high and to the rear.
Some arm movement can help, so it’s more of an upright row retraction shrug. Here’s Jonathan demonstrating…
Incidentally, shrugging straight up and down works more of the levator scapulae, which runs under the upper traps in up the sides of the neck. Those can help thicken your neck somewhat and push the traps a bit higher.
A set each of retraction shrugs, retraction upright row shrugs, and vertical shrugs is a great way to end your upper-body workout.
It’s worth the effort because not many of us want to look like a thermometer stuck into a boiled egg wrapped in a polo shirt.
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