Posterior Chain (Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back)

When lifting many people often focus on the front of their bodies and often forget about the back. The posterior chain made up of your calves, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back are an important area to improve upon in your daily exercise plan. These muscles help athletes in improving overall performance (such as deceleration, later movement, and hip flexion), but also help in improving those constantly injured areas (lower back and knee). If you are a non-athlete these muscles are constantly used in everday work and can help with around the house chores where a bent back, heavy lifting, or twisting takes place. The importance of a well rounded workout is important. Below are some exercises that will help you strengthen your posterior chain.

Start focusing on form with low weight.

Exercises:
1. Dynamic stretching before any activity. This works on balance, skill performance, and muscle flexibility while warming up for activity.

2. Static stretching after any activity. This old school type of stretching should not be performed before activity due to it's negative effect on muscle performance.

3. Supine Bridges Back & heels on the floor. Knees bent at 90°. Curl your toes up. Lift your hips by squeezing your glutes until your body is straight from knees to shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds, come back down, repeat.

4.Mule Kicks. Bend over on a bench. Face down & hands on the floor. Kick 1 leg back & up by extending your hip and squeezing your glute. Hold the contraction for 5 seconds and come back. Repeat for 10 reps, switch legs.

* Don’t Use Your Lower Back. Keep your spine neutral. Brace your abs hard as if someone would punch you in the stomach.
* Don’t Use Your Hamstrings. Squeeze your glutes hard while extending your hips. You can bend your knee.
* Quality not Quantity. The goal is not get as high as possible, the goal is to squeeze your glute as hard as you can. Lead with your glute.

5. Birddogs. Get on all 4s. Arms & thighs perpendicular to the floor. Brace your abs as if someone is going to punch you in the stomach. Extend your hip while extending your opposite arm.

* Keep Your Spine Neutral. Don’t hyper-extend or arch your lower back. Brace your abs. Put a water bottle on your lower back for feedback.
* Quality not Quantity. If you can’t do them correctly, keep both arms on the floor. If that’s still too hard, go back to mule kicks.



6. Fire Hydrants. Get on all 4s. Arms & thighs perpendicular to the floor. Lift 1 leg to the side by contracting your glute. Press your heel back by extending your leg. Come back. Repeat. This is a mix of birddogs & clams.

* Keep Your Spine Neutral. Don’t hyper-extend/arch/rotate your lower back. Keep your abs braced.
* Don’t Use Your Hamstrings. Cramps in your hamstrings means you’re not using your glutes. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.
* Quality not Quantity. The goal is not to go fast or doing a lot of reps. The goal is squeezing your glutes. Hold each position.
Source:http://stronglifts.com/how-to-optimize-posterior-chain-power-glute-activation/

7. Romanian Deadlifts


8. Barbell Good Mornings


9. Dumbbell Deadlifts and Back Extension
-Dumbbell Deadlift focus on pushing through your heals
-Back extensions focus on staying long and tall
-Slow and controlled movement