The modern lifestyle leaves almost the entirety of the population in a constant state of hip flexion, forward shoulders and anterior pelvic tilt, in short, we are constantly seated and hunched forward. This is mostly due to the prevalence of the use of phones, computers and tv’s, and many jobs rendering people to a constant crouched over, in a seated position. Although a primary cause, the issue is also perpetuated by many gyms goers, often prioritising lifts in which incorporate the muscles that are situated on the body's anterior side (front) and that are responsible for movements of flexion.
There is, however, a fix to this common problem, a fix that will bring you to whole new levels of well being, strength and overall performance. The posterior chain is a sequence of muscles in which are situated on the posterior of one's body, stretching from just below the knee to slightly above the hip. The chain of muscles are the gluteals, erector spinae and the hamstrings. These muscles are responsible for hip extension, hip external rotation and knee flexion, the opposing muscle groups of those responsible for the hip flexion, the position, majority of us will spend our day in.
Now that I have explained the advantages associated with consistent posterior training, I will now delve into the specifics, of movement, anatomy, exercise variations and programming.
Hamstrings- hip extension, knee flexion
Erector spinae- back extension
Glutes- hip extension, hip external rotation
| Exercises | muscles involved |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian Split squat | quads, hamstring |
| Back extensions | back extensors |
| Reverse hypers | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Glute ham raises | Glutes, hamstrings |
| Glute bridge | Glutes, hamstrings |
| Nordic hamstring curl | hamstrings |
| Swiss ball hamstring curl | hamstrings |
| Leg curls | hamstrings |
| Seated good mornings | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Good mornings | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Deadlifts | hamstrings, back extensors, upper back |
| Sumo deadlifts | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Romanian deadlifts | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Straight leg deadlifts | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Single leg, straight leg deadlifts | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Kettlebell swings | hamstrings, back extensors |
| Hip Thrusts | Glutes, hamstring |
| Frog pumps | Glutes, hamstring |
| Pull Throughs | Glutes, hamstring |
| Sled Pushes/drags | Glutes, quads, hamstring |
| Reverse Lunges | Glutes, quads, hamstring |
Micro-dosing on a daily or near daily basis-
The posterior chain can be trained on a daily basis, many of the exercises can be performed with solely ones body weight and are for the most part low impact. Glute bridges, hip thrusts, frog pumps, swiss ball hamstring curls and bodyweight back extensions, are all low impact, bodyweight movements that can perform daily. In terms of volume, 3-5 sets of a rep range between 10-50, for a single or couple of exercises, is plenty enough. The idea behind micro-dosing is to stimulate the muscles without the onset of fatigue to inhibit following sessions.
As a finisher or assistance exercise-
Posterior chain exercises can be applied to round out a session, primarily leg sessions or deadlift centric workouts. Their ability to correct poor posture and improve strength in both sport-specific movements and primary lifts such as the squat and the deadlift should never be undervalued. A single exercise of each hip flexion and knee extension should be enough for to round out your session.
Single sessions-
Solely posterior chain focused sessions area great way of making sure the posterior chain receives all the attention it deserves. The session should begin with a large compound movement such as a deadlift variation and/or a good morning variation, to then be assisted by a combination of hip and back extension exercises and a knee flexion movement.
A. Sumo deadlift, 5 sets of 3 reps
B. Good mornings, 4 sets of 5-8 reps
C. Leg curls, 4 sets of 5-8 reps
A1. Reverse lunge, 4 sets of 12 reps
A2. Romanian deadlift, 4 sets of 12 reps
B1. Hip Thrusts, 3 sets of 30-50 reps
B2. Frog pumps, 3 sets of 30-50 reps
A. Bulgarian split squat, 4 sets of 5-8 reps, 3:0:X tempo
B. Barbell hip thrust, 4 sets of 5-8 reps, 3:0:X tempo
C. Kettlebell swing, 4 sets of 15 reps, 1:0:X tempo
A. Deadlift, 4 sets of 5 reps
B. Barbell hip thrust, 4 sets of 8-15 reps
C. Nordic hamstring curl, 4 sets of 5-8 reps reps
D. Back Extensions, 4 sets of 8-15 reps reps
A. Seated good mornings, 3 sets of 6-8 reps reps
B. Barbell hip thrusts, 3 sets of 8-10 reps
C. Reverse hypers, 3 sets of 8- 10 reps
D. Back extensions, 3 sets of 8-10 reps
E. Kettlebell swings, 3 sets of 30 reps
