Anthony Rogers 8/30/26 Anthony Rogers 8/30/26

Trapezius and Neck Training

There are many guys walking around with amazing physiques: broad shoulders, a wide back and a tiny waist. But, what's missing is a thick neck and traps. Unless you were a wrestler or football player you probably haven't done any neck training or put much emphasis on your traps.

An impressive looking neck can do more than just help you in a combative sport. Oftentimes, a thick neck will act as a deterrent to would be attackers. Along with a strong physique, a thick neck lets predators know that you might not be the best choice to pick a scrap with.

As a former Wrestler & Performing Strongman, neck training is my focus. Out of the various feats I perform, my neck is what I love the most.

Performing a Horseshoe bend across throat by strongman Chris Ryde:

Neck and traps go hand in hand. I like to think of traps as the foundation. With this in mind we need to build our traps to help support our neck growth.

Developing Your Traps:
The DEADLI FT is one of the best overall mass builders because you work every muscle in your body. The upper back, spinal erectors and traps get direct work from this great exercise.

The S HRUG is a widely used exercise to build the traps. I believe in using an explosive blast from the legs to assist you in the shrug.

The deadlift and the shrug will more be than enough to stimulate growth in your traps.

Direct Neck Training
Along with training the traps as the foundation, my Neck Workout consists of :

Neck Extensions with The Neck Flex & Neck Curls with my Neck Flex.
A strong neck is a necessity in any type of combat sport.
One of the main reasons is that where your head goes your body follows. If you have a weak neck then your opponent will be able to control you and ultimately defeat you.
A strong neck enables you to defend being controlled, pinned and more importantly gives you the best chance of fighting off a choke hold to give you time to escape.
HERE is an example from my wrestling career.

Part ner Neck Sit-ups is a two man exercise I learned back in my wrestling days. It is a partner exercise that develops one man's neck and overall base. At the same time, the other man gets direct work on his abdominal muscles. The exercise is an advanced move but quite simple to perform. It is an awesome exercise for developing overall power.

Neck bridges are the most common exercise used in the wrestling room to build up the neck. The bridge is a great exercise for developing the ability to keep your shoulders up off the mat and being pinned. The bridge is also a great starting exercise to use before progressing to the weighted neck work that I suggest. Another great benefit of performing neck bridges is that it also stretches your neck out at the same time it is building the needed muscular endurance. One benefit, while controversial is that many claim the bridge helps alleviate lower back pain. I too believe this. It is important to bridge in all 3 angles since in combat your neck will be getting pulled in all directions. The 3 angles are front-back and side.

**Stretching the Neck**
Before doing any type of neck work always start out with a good stretching program for the neck. A couple examples of some of the basic warm ups I use are:
Move my head in a circle fashion for a said amount of repetitions both left and right
I move my head up/down as if I was saying yes to someone during a conversation
This helps warm the neck up for the work ahead. After this I will move on to my bridging exercises.
Learn more about my Neck Training methods HERE
Own the day,
Machine

Anthony Rogers 8/11/26 Anthony Rogers 8/11/26

Training in the Shadows

When I started Wrestling I had no ideas and nothing to look forward too...I needed Wrestling as a way of self preservation aka self defense.

At 51 years old there's a lot of "Used to Be's" and "Could have beens'"........

A lot of my old training partners have given up on life and resemble a bag of milk or a bowling pin.

When I started Wrestling you just had to be good enough for the neighborhood or as good as the other schools around you.. You competed against the local schools or the competitions you could drive to. In the New England area we had what was called the Bay State Games so you could wrestle year round. I was never a great wrestler but I was a tough night out when my mind was right due to my conditioning and physical strength.

Nowadays you gotta compete with the BEST in the World on YOUTUBE!!!!

You're expected to be as good and look as good as the guys on Instagram....Students wanna know why you're not as good as that school in Belgium or have as many students as that school in Ohio...

Students think that the highlight reel of that school in California should be every night here! There are so many teaching combatives/self defense via social media with huge subscriber numbers yet many have no real world validity or experience...

But they sure know how to market themselves and work the alogorytham.

Thank you YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM and REELS for making us look less of a Coach due to those mesmerizing videos you guys post capturing that moment in time when you looked and performed so perfectly. That moment in time you are at the top of your game...

Or my favorite!!!

Acting like you found or created an NEW MOVE or RARE SUBMISSION...Sorry we were doing that crap in 1992.... and as for CROSSFIT type stuff... LOL... WE WERE CROSSFIT BEFORE CROSSFIT WAS COOL.. SORRY THAT'S THE TRUTH.

Nowadays everyone's competition is a click away on various social media platforms...

My advice is to just DO YOU as best as you can.. Stop thinking that a coach in Australia (using a filter) is your direct competition. If you continue to listen to this media shit you will kill yourself trying to out do these other people... Stay focused..

Some key words:

Train, Learn, Discipline, Consistency, Work Ethic, Patience, Humility &

DONT BE A DIRTBAG!!!

I hope this sheds light that just because a Coach may not have a huge platform doesn't mean that he doesn't have a proven track record/resume while training daily in the shadows.

-Coach Machine out.

Anthony Rogers 8/9/26 Anthony Rogers 8/9/26

I BRING RECEIPTS DAILY

I only speak on things I know, not that I've read or practiced but on things I'VE ACTUALLY ACHIEVED. There are far too many "posers" today speaking on things, giving off the impression that they have done certain things when they have no validity at all in said subject they're talking about.
I can't stand this crap.
Make believe is for kids not grown up adults.
I believe in transparency and integrity thus I only speak and teach on things I've actually got skin in the game with.
Was I a great Judo player?
NO, but I didn't do too shabby either.
Here is an account from my Coach of MAYO QUANCHI JUDO club.

My name is Serge Bouyssou and I am the head instructor at Mayo Quanchi Judo and Wrestling. I have been the world team coach and US Olympic team coach on several occasions. It takes a very special person to do judo and participate in my program. For the average person, training here is unbearable.. It is difficult for most people to last in our program for even a short period of time. Our team has been at the top of the nation multiple years in a row. After coaching for such a long period of time it is easy to recognize a special person/athlete when you see one. One of my most memorable students is Mike Bruce. From the very first day he stepped on my mat, I knew he was special. It was clear that combat sports were meant for him. He loved to fight and win or lose he never gave up. In the 1998 Connecticut State Championship Mike Bruce broke his wrist in just his second match. Like any sane coach, I was ready to withdraw him from the tournament. He refused to let me do it, instead, he simply wrapped some tape around his wrist and continued to fight. It is something I have seen only in great champions. The average person would have given up. But, the fighting spirit is instilled within him would not let him quit. During practices he strived to be the best he could be every day. His drive and fighting spirit encouraged everyone in the room to push hard. Mike portrayed all of the characteristics to be a great leader. This is why i am positive that Mike will be a great coach and mentor for all he comes in contact with. His courage and the will to win is what lead him to a gold medal that day and his vast experience on the mat will help him to help others as a positive role model. I wish I had a hundred more kids just like him on the mat. After judo everything else in life is easy.

Sincerely,

Serge Bouyssou

Mayo Quanchi: Judo and Wrestling
#judo

Anthony Rogers 8/8/26 Anthony Rogers 8/8/26

Receipts and Facts

Anthony Rogers 8/8/26 Anthony Rogers 8/8/26

Make your job the thing you love

For the Entrepreneur (doesn't matter what type of business)

My 18 years of running a small, private Personal Training gym.

The Business:

Make your job the thing you love.

Then your whole life is the thing you love.

-Believe in your own stuff.

-Show people you can help them by actually helping them first.

- If your schedule isn't full your prices are too high.

- If your schedule is too full your prices are too low.

-The more hands you shake the more money you make.

-The cheat code is you make $ by solving "THEIR" problem.

- Only solve a problem for someone that you've solved yourself.

-I'm not fake and this why I'm damn good at what I do.

- Charge more, get used to people saying NO. Eat it on the way to another person saying YES.

- Provide the service where they get the results you promise by achieving the results yourself.

- You need to be the IMAGE of what you're selling.

- Live what you're selling.

-You should be telling everyone how great your business is. You should always be telling how great it is and how it will solve a specific problem.

- SELL IT TO ALL!

- You can't expect business to come to you. You're not a humming bird feeder, believe in yourself, promote it. Always selling.

- Solve one problem to make money. Come up with one problem that you have fixed YOURSELF. Now offer that solution to all. You fix their problem with your solution.

This is what to do: List the wins you've stacked, then offer something FREE aka EBOOK/video. Put the link to your website for them to contact you, get their email.

-To get leads DM every person that likes one of your posts, EVERY ONE. Send DM's to people who already like what you're posting.

- Post 2 videos per day about the business on all of your social media.

I've been going for over 18 years now and still standing strong.

You can do the same thing.

I started with hardly any money at all back in 2008.

Own your day and always forward.

Coach Machine out.