The major muscles that run along the backside of the body are
collectively referred to as the posterior chain by kinesiologists. What they’re
referred to as is irrelevant in comparison to the overall impact they can have
on sport performance (ex. jumping, sprinting).
The glutes and hamstrings are estimated to respectively contribute
roughly 40% and 25% to the overall height achieved in one’s vertical jump and
sprint performance. Therefore, those focused on improving athletic performance
should devote a relatively greater amount of training time to performing lifts
that best develop this collection of muscles. (The remaining percentage
contributing to vertical jump performance coming from the shoulder girdle, the
quads, and the calves – roughly 15%, 20%, and 5% respectively, give or take a
few percentage points)
Because these muscles need to work in unison to perform such
athletic movements, isolated exercises that specifically target muscles
throughout the chain, like leg curls, rank low on the priority list, as they
will not have much transfer to vertical jump performance. They may however help
in the long run by promoting balanced development systemically by strengthening
muscles that receive relatively less tension during compound movements better
suited for improving athletic performance, so don’t count them out completely.
In terms of training focus is concerned, improving strength first
will set the stage for explosive power to be maximized later. Power, along with
virtually every other trainable physical attribute, is essentially capped by
how much force can be generated. The stronger you are, as in the more weight
you can lift in major movements like squats and deadlifts, the higher the
ceiling for using power movements that teach the nervous system the concept of
acceleration.
The most complete exercises, and their variations, for developing
the posterior chain in a functional manner to best carryover to athletic
performance, are:
- Back
Extensions (45 degree, horizontal, single leg or double leg)
- Reverse
Hyper Extensions (45 degree, horizontal, single leg or double leg)
- Stiff
Leg-Deadlifts (clean grip, snatch grip, from floor or podium)
- Good
Mornings (seated or standing, single leg or double leg – for standing only)
- Deadlifts
(clean grip, snatch grip, from floor or podium, single leg or double leg)
- Olympic
Lifts (clean pull, snatch pull, high pull, low pull, from floor, from hang,
from blocks, from podium, clean and jerk)
*The Snatch Grip will place additional tension on the hamstrings
than the Clean Grip (standard grip width)
Some other exercises to strengthen the posterior chain, but with a
little less carryover to athletic performance, are:
Rack Pulls, AKA top-range deadlifts (clean or snatch grip)
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts w/Dumbells (single or double leg)
Glute-Ham Raise
Glute Bridges (single leg or double leg, feet on floor or bench,
shoulders on floor or bench)
If you are simply training for general strength and conditioning
then it is not necessary to ever really focus on performing the Olympic lifts,
as the learning curve, to benefit, ratio is too great. Improving clean and
snatch performance will not necessarily directly influence day to day
lifestyle, unless you are involved in some sort of anaerobic sporting activity.
If you are training for improved sport performance, and jumping/sprinting
ability will improve your performance, then certain exercises may provide
greater benefit than others, those being (with the exclusion of the Olympic
lifts because not everyone can do them, and the length of time needed to get
through the growing pains of learning them):
1. Snatch Grip Deadlift on Podium – This
exercise stresses the posterior chain through a very longe range of motion, and
allows for the greatest loads to be used per length of range.
2. Front Squat – This exercise places a
greater emphasis on both the quads and the hamstrings than the snatch grip
dead, and prevents compensation for a weaker lower body by leaning forward.
3. Back Squat – This exercise allows for the
greatest loads to be used for the greatest range of motion relative to the
actual vertical jump itself, and a variety of parameters can be used to
effectively develop both strength and power.
4. Stiff-Leg Deadlift – This exercise allows
for a great deal of weight to be used, and places a preferential amount of
tension onto the posterior chain.
5. Seated Good Morning – This exercise
teaches the concept of hip extension in an isolated manner.
6. Standing Good Morning – This exercise
teaches the concept of hip extension, but allows for greater loads to be used,
although it’s much easier to compensate by bending at the knee and turning the
movement into a ‘squat-morning’, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you’re
just better off performing a proper squat if that’s the case, since a greater
load can be used.
7. Reverse Hyper Extensions – Because of the
upper body stability, a deeper neural connection with the posterior chain can
be developed, and this exercise also allows for great deals of tension to be
placed on the musculature without the spinal compression that often accompanies
axial loaded movements.
8. Upper Body Elevated/Lower Body Elevated
Glute Bridge – This exercise allows for a great deal of weight to be used
through a long range of motion without the spinal compression that often
accompanies axial loaded movements.
9. Rack Deadlifts – This exercise allows for
extremely great loads to be used, albeit through a limited range.
10. Jump Squats – This exercise resembles the vertical jump
more than any other, although there are several variations of jumps that can be
performed. It is important to use a light enough weight to focus on
acceleration and height, and not go too heavy that speed is compromised.
Some final tips to further improve performance and development are
to perform movements with the toes elevated (on a pair of 5 or 10 lb. plates
for example), and to stretch out the hip flexors prior to performance. The
former further stretches the posterior chain which results in a greater deal of
activation, as the muscles that are stretched the most are recruited the most,
and the latter results in relaxing the hip flexors and thus enabling the hip
extensors of the posterior chain to fire maximally without resistance from the
antagonists contributing to an unwanted decelerating effect.
If you have any questions about the posterior chain, or how to
improve your vertical jump with strength training, feel free to contact me at ben@paramounttraining.ca. I'm available for
online consulting and personalized program design, as well as one on one
training if you are located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Excellent. I love your post so much
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