{"id":3491,"date":"2025-01-25T16:35:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T16:35:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/understanding-the-posterior-chain-tips-for-effective-training.html"},"modified":"2025-01-25T16:35:54","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T16:35:54","slug":"understanding-the-posterior-chain-tips-for-effective-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/understanding-the-posterior-chain-tips-for-effective-training.html","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Posterior Chain: Tips for Effective Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve spent much of any time in the gym \u2014 or following along at home with\u00a0online fitness classes\u00a0\u2014 you\u2019ve likely heard a trainer talk about the \u201cposterior chain\u201d like it was the plans for the Death Star.<\/p>\n

That might not actually be an oversell on the importance of this supergroup of muscles, which is involved in the majority of human movements.<\/p>\n

But very few exercisers truly understand what it is, why it\u2019s important, and how to strengthen it.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s change that, shall we?<\/p>\n

What Is the Posterior Chain?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n

The posterior chain refers to all of the muscles that comprise the backside of your body, spanning from your heels to the base of your skull, explains St. Louis-based strength coach Kourtney Thomas, CSCS.<\/p>\n

While this includes many little muscles you\u2019ve likely never heard of, the main posterior chain muscles should ring familiar.<\/p>\n

Glutes<\/h3>\n

\"glute<\/p>\n

You can consider your gluteus muscles\u00a0your body\u2019s powerhouse.<\/p>\n

They make up the single-largest muscle group in the human body, and are primarily involved in hip extension (thrusting your hips forward) and abduction (raising your legs out to the sides).<\/p>\n

They also help stabilize your pelvis and control side-to-side motion.<\/p>\n

Hamstrings<\/h3>\n

\"hamstrings<\/p>\n

Connecting your knees and hips, this large muscle group on the backs of your thighs is responsible for bending your knee and helping extend your hips. Its muscles include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus.<\/p>\n

Calves<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Composed of two muscles \u2014 the gastrocnemius and soleus \u2014 the calf muscle connects the ankle and the knee and governs plantar flexion (think: pointing your toes).<\/p>\n

Lats<\/h3>\n

\"back<\/p>\n

The largest muscles in your upper body, the latissimus dorsi are your \u201cwings\u201d and span from your pelvis and spine to your humerus (upper-arm bone).<\/p>\n

They\u2019re hugely important for posture and most pulling motions.<\/p>\n

Spinal erectors<\/h3>\n

Running along the length of your spine, the erector spinae help extend (arch) your back. They also work to stabilize your spine, promoting\u00a0healthy posture\u00a0and reducing the risk of vertebral injury.<\/p>\n

Upper back<\/h3>\n

\"Back<\/p>\n

This is a catch-all term for the rhomboids, scapular muscles,\u00a0trapezius, and more. They\u2019re vital to shoulder function and postural alignment and often work in tandem with the lats.<\/p>\n

Why Is the Posterior Chain Important?<\/h2>\n

Here are a couple reasons why it\u2019s important to train your posterior chain.<\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s essential to most movement<\/h3>\n

There are few movements you can make in life that don\u2019t involve at least one muscle of the posterior chain.<\/p>\n

When it isn\u2019t busy extending your hips during jumps or pulling your arms back during rows (the two main moves people associate with the posterior chain), it\u2019s supporting your chest as you push, stabilizing your spine as you stand, and keeping you from curling into a ball when you sit in a chair, explains Janet Hamilton, CSCS, an exercise physiologist with Running Strong in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

And as the term \u201cchain\u201d suggests, they\u2019re all linked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuscles work as team members,\u201d she says. \u201cAlmost every muscle in the human body crosses more than one joint, so there are interactions happening between multiple muscles at every joint.\u201d<\/p>\n

This creates an interconnected chain of muscles that are constantly working together to create different movement patterns.<\/p>\n

2. It provides balance to the body<\/h3>\n

Interestingly, the movement patterns enabled by the posterior chain work in opposition to \u2014 balancing out \u2014 the anterior chain, or the muscles of the front of the body.<\/p>\n

However, in today\u2019s desk-bound culture, the muscles of the posterior chain are often not strong enough to hold their own against their anterior counterparts, pulling the spine forward, creating pain in the upper and low back, and even limiting shoulder mobility.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeglecting the backside of the body can set us up for\u00a0imbalances\u00a0and wonky weaknesses in important muscles and muscle groups,\u201d Thomas says.<\/p>\n

What Exercises Should You Do for the Posterior Chain?<\/h2>\n

Performing dedicated posterior chain workouts and exercises is critical to overall health, with Thomas recommending that you perform at least two upper-body pulling (posterior) exercises for every upper-body pushing (anterior) exercise that you complete.<\/p>\n

While most lower-body exercises work both the posterior and anterior chains of the body, throwing in some extra glute and hamstring work with posterior chain exercises like\u00a0hip thrusts\u00a0and\u00a0deadlifts\u00a0can help you give the lower links of your posterior chain the love they deserve.<\/p>\n

1. Squats<\/h3>\n