Posterior Chain.. Work your back side off!!
Have you noticed that everything in life’s daily chores pulls us forward and over?? Whether it be from gravity, poor posture, working position, seating position or from only training the muscles you can see in the mirror i.e. abs, chest, biceps, many people spend most of their time, overworking their front.
Every day we are subjected to these postures, which means, these muscles are continuously being held in a shortened state. On the body, we have agonist and antagonist muscles that oppose each other (like biceps/triceps), working together to allow movement in both directions.
If one side of this agonist/antagonist relationship is chronically shortened over a sustained period of time, then the other will be chronically lengthened, causing weakness in that muscle.
So if you are someone who has poor posture, works for long hours at their desk and doesn’t work their posterior chain muscles, then you can be sure your posterior chain muscles are weak, out of condition and in need of some loving attention…
What is the Posterior Chain??? Basically all the muscles on the backside of the body, most notably the Hamstrings, Glutes, Erector Spinae muscles that run along the spine all the way to your head.
These muscles become stretched, weakened and stop functioning as they should, because of the maintaining posture of FLEXION.
We need to train these muscles to strengthen, condition and bring them back to their normal length so we can restore proper function and posture.
Good posture has many benefits:
- maintains space between each vertebral segment, protecting the disc an its height
- Strong core which is the powerhouse of the body
- Mantains height as we age
- Prevents back stiffness, pain, and other pathologies of the back like, spondylosis, spondylitis, spondylolisthesis.
Exercises for Posterior Chain
Straight leg Deadlifts- With just a moderate weight, and maybe a slight bend to the knees, bend forward with arms straight down to the floor. Once horizontal use the lower back and glutes to stand back up straight as tall as you can be. Repeat for 4 sets of 15 reps.
Kettlebell Swings- Be sure to keep your arms and back straight at all times, use your legs and hips to do the work. Raise the bell to shoulder level. Repeat for 3 sets of 1 minutes.
Supermans- This is really a pulsing type move. Lift shoulders and knees off the ground as high as you can, hold them there and pulse, trying not to touch the floor at any time. Do 3 sets of 1 minutes.
These exercises will have your posterior chain muscles strengthened in no time! You should hopefully start to see the difference in how you hold yourself and in your fitness levels as these exercises employ some degree of cardiovascular workout as well. What more could you ask for in a 10 minute workout!
So if you suffer from poor posture, or feel your posterior chain may be weak, then give these a go.
For more about posture in general, please read our blog on improving your posture:
http://theaark.co.uk/2011/06/27/improve-your-posture/
Aark Author: Lloyd Tilney