Monty Thompson is the founder and inventor of the NeckX® Neck Strengthening System. A lifelong builder, innovator, poet, and Taoist, Monty has dedicated his career to improving tools, systems, and ideas that help people move better and live with less pain.
Originally from Ohio, Monty earned a degree in Physical Education from The Ohio State University, where he played football under legendary coach Woody Hayes. His early exposure to elite athletics and physical training laid the foundation for his deep understanding of biomechanics, strength, and injury prevention.
In 1976, Monty set out for California in his ’68 Corvette convertible with his Cockapoo, L.C. Stinkwood, riding shotgun. He never left. Monty went on to become a custom home builder, designing and constructing one dream home at a time, an experience that further honed his problem-solving mindset and attention to structural integrity.
That same builder’s mindset would later drive the creation of NeckX®.
Monty’s football career ended prematurely after suffering an L4 disc rupture during an Ohio State scrimmage. Decades later, he faced another major challenge: cervical spinal stenosis, which required a C3–C4 spinal fusion in 2007.
During rehabilitation, Monty was prescribed basic neck-strengthening exercises using resistance bands. While helpful, the approach felt incomplete. As a natural innovator, Monty knew there had to be a safer, more effective way to strengthen the neck muscles with controlled resistance.
Monty began experimenting with early prototypes—anchoring resistance bands to a hard hat, modifying an aviator’s helmet, and testing various configurations. These hands-on experiments eventually evolved into the NeckX® Neck Training System, a purpose-built device designed to improve neck strength, stability, mobility, and endurance.
What began as a personal rehabilitation solution became a professional-grade, at-home neck exercise system.
Monty’s passion for aviation introduced him to Top Gun–trained fighter pilots, who experience extreme neck strain during high-G maneuvers and long flights. When pilots tested NeckX®, they immediately recognized its effectiveness in strengthening neck muscles and reducing fatigue.
Their feedback helped refine and validate the product for athletes, professionals, and everyday users alike.
Today, independent testing, clinical insights, and user testimonials demonstrate that the NeckX® System helps:
NeckX® was invented to solve a real problem—by someone who lived it.
Monty’s mission remains clear:
To empower people with practical tools that help them move better, feel better, and live with less pain.
NeckX® wasn’t built in a lab. It was built through experience, persistence, and the refusal to accept limitations. Designed by someone who needed it, refined by those who rely on their bodies most, and trusted by users worldwide, NeckX® stands as a testament to real-world innovation.
