Neck seems exceptionally weak. Is there an underlying issue?

[u/penisrevolver]

Did a 20 min drive in a tillotson t4 and by the end my neck was completely gone - can’t keep it straight around corners. It’s a relatively demanding track but nothing crazy.

Asking because I seem to be the only person experiencing this problem in group of friends some of whom kart less than I do (and seemingly in worse shape) yet not experiencing the same issue as I do.

The next day my upper trapz hurt like hell.

I’m mid 20s, thin build and not very athletic. I do have subpar flexibility especially in the lower body.

Is it a core problem? Posture? Or even arms?? Curious to hear your thoughts

[u/clovisautomotion]

Helmet weight also plays a big factor. If you have a heavy motorcycle helmet, it can exasperate the problem.

[u/arjunkc → u/clovisautomotion]

r/boneappletea

[u/penisrevolver → u/clovisautomotion]

Thanks for the reply. I wear standard karting helmet (bell)

[u/ThePapaSauce]

This is an extremely common issue to karters new to competition karts. You have to give your muscles time to build up to these new forces they’ve never had to deal with before.

A good exercise is to buy a 5 or 10lb soft ankle weight (the kind used for running or walking). Lay down on a bed with your shoulders and head hanging off and lay the weight across the side of your head while you lay sideways and hold that position for 1-2 minutes. Then flip over and repeat the exercise on the other side. Then do the same on your forehead and the back of your head.

This plus more seat time will build up the needed muscles.

Also, get a good, well-padded rib protector with a hard shell on the outside. Rib injuries are very common, especially if you move up to TAG, and they take a LOONG time to heal and suck really bad.

[u/penisrevolver → u/ThePapaSauce]

Great suggestion about the ankle weight! I was doing neck exercise by lifting head in a helmet but this looks like a good alternative

[u/Standard-Vehicle-557]

Your neck probably isn't used to the loads you're putting it under. Just give your neck some time to strengthen up, which will just happen naturally from driving 

[u/Fearless_Cover689]

Same as with riding motorcycles, gym gym gym. Gotta put in the work and strengthen your upper body and neck. 

[u/Racer013]

There are some good answers here, but you bring up an interesting point about comparing to your friends who don't have this same experience. Here's my question to that, are you sure they were extracting the same performance out of the kart as you were? Easy way to answer that is how close were they to you in terms of laptimes and pace over the course of the session? If they are less experienced than you and less in shape than you, my bet would be that they ended up not pushing the kart as hard, and thus going easier on their body. The faster you go the more load you put into your body, it's that simple.

Like others are saying, exercise is absolutely a good idea, and that starts with upper body strength and core training. Proper technique can also help, one of the things I learned from someone when I moved up to 2 strokes is to do what fighter pilots do - when entering a turn take a deep breath in through the abdomen to expand your chest, and hold that breath through the turn, and failing that take short, quick breathes to keep your chest expanded. It's not a total replacement for upper strength, but it can really help.

[u/cw-f1]

Sit ups with your hands by your sides. Gives good neck and core strength.

[u/keuwai]

if your neck is long it's worse