Posterior Chain

The posterior chain is a sequence of muscles identified for their capacity to not only grow and produce force, but to also have the potential to mitigate injury. The series of muscles in the calf (the plantar foot should probably also be included), hamstrings, glutes, lats, and traps contribute to activities identified as posterior chain exercises. I will agree with the idea that they are large muscle groups and contribute substantially to how we move, however their abilities in creating that movement may be misunderstood.

A large proportion of our muscles are located on the posterior, or back side, of our bodies. They assist in producing large movements and are capable of creating massive degrees of compression. If we reorient our interpretation of how they behave, and imagine that they are effectively squeezers, we might then put ourselves in the position of a posterior chain exercise and feel the squeeze from behind. Like squeezing one side of a water balloon, all of the water moves away from that pressure. We are, for all intents and purposes, a big water balloon and if we engage the posterior chain, we then move our water contents anteriorly, or forward.

That forward movement is incredibly useful in powerful, high-speed movements that require a great deal of force production. The vast majority of our day does not demand that type of movement from us however, and, most importantly, we need to be able to slow ourselves down and apply the brakes for any activity we perform. Should we spend the bulk of our time developing the posterior chain, we may be adding fuel to a runaway train rolling downhill. 

As an example, when kneeling down to pick up an object from the floor we must first slow ourselves down in order to reach for the ground under control. Without that control we fall on our face. The descent of a squat, lunge or bench press all require a degree of constraint to slow the system, and if the posterior chain remains overly active it’s like putting your foot on the gas while you hold down the brake. Not terribly efficient.

The posterior chain is a group of muscles often targeted in training for their size and ability to grow as well as being thought to reduce injury risk. If we reimagine what it is muscles do, they squeeze, and consider how that quality may influence movement capabilities we could see how training the posterior chain may not be the most efficient use of our gym time. We need to be able to both slow down and accelerate. The posterior chain accomplishes one of those characteristics.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist