12 Best Posterior Chain Exercises (For Strength & Stability)

Pendlay row is a variation of barbell rows that focuses on rowing the barbell toward your sternum.

This will activate your trapezius muscles more than rowing towards your hips, activating your lats more.

Pendlay row will require synergist work from muscles such as the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and posterior deltoid head.

How to Perform Pendlay Rows

1. Load the barbell with the appropriate weight on the floor to complete up to 8 repetitions.
2. Assume standing before the barbell and take a pronated grip wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Place your shin against the barbell, enter a low deadlift/squat position, keep your back flat, and brace the core.
4. Start the exercise by rowing the barbell towards your sternum without moving the rest of your body parts,
5. When the barbell reaches the top position, reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 8 repetitions and 4 sets.

3. High Pull

The high pull is a traditional shoulder-building exercise used by first bodybuilders for hypertrophy and strength.

It follows a pull movement pattern and requires shoulder abduction and elbow flexion.

The muscles activated include the deltoids and trapezius.

How to Perform High Pulls

1. Load the barbell on the floor with the appropriate weight, meaning you can perform 10 repetitions.
2. Pick the barbell from the floor and assume a fully extended standing position, feet shoulder width.
3. The barbell should hang in your hands, your elbows fully extended, and your shoulder in the anatomical position near the body.
4. Start the exercise by pulling the barbell towards your chin.
5. When the bar reaches below your chin, reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 10 repetitions and 3-4 sets.

The hang clean is an explosive upper and lower body movement that builds strength in sport-specific scenarios.

It requires your body to quickly produce large amounts of force and transition energy from your lower body to the upper body.

It is a full-body movement, meaning all muscles will work synergistically to complete the movement.

It is of great significance for improving weak posterior chain muscles.

How to Perform a Hang Clean

1. Load the barbell on the rack with the appropriate weight to complete up to 5 repetitions.
2. Assume standing before the barbell and take a pronated grip with your hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Take the barbell off the rack, and step back.
4. Brace your core, keep your back flat, and look forward without tilting your head or breaking the normal physiological curvature of the spine.
5. Start the exercise by forcefully pulling the barbell towards your chin and lowering your body to a quarter squat position.
6. When the bar reaches the highest position in the air, tuck underneath it and flex your shoulder while bending your elbows to catch the barbell on top of your upper arms.
7. Absorb the force by slightly entering the squat position.
8. Return the barbell to the starting hang position and repeat for 3-4 more reps and 4 sets.

5. Lying Back Extension

Back extension is a classical exercise used to build a strong posterior chain.

It will strengthen your erector spinae and other back muscles, essential for developing a strong and healthy posterior chain.

The back extension can be progressed by adding external resistance through weight, chains, and similar.

How to Perform Lying Back Extensions

1. Assume a lying position on your stomach.
2. Place your hands above your head and fully extend your elbows.
3. Start the exercise by extending your back and moving your hands from the floor toward the ceiling.
4. When you reach maximal extension, hold for one second.
5. Reverse the motion by bending your hips to return to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions and 4-5 sets.

Chin-ups or pull-ups are essential compound upper-body pulling exercises for developing a strong posterior chain.

Pulling posterior chain workouts such as pull-ups will develop muscles such as the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and posterior deltoid.

Chin-ups follow a vertical pulling movement pattern essential for developing proper shoulder blade function.

How to Perform Chin-Ups

1. Assume a hanging position on the pull-up bar with your arms fully extended and back flat.
2. Start the exercise by pulling your body towards the pull-up bar by flexing your elbows and adducting the shoulders.
3. Hold that position in isometric contraction for one second when your chin reaches above the bar.
4. Reverse the motion by abducting at the shoulder joint and extending at the elbows to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat for 6-8 repetitions and 3-4 sets.

Also Read: Excellent Pull-up Bars

7. Landmine Single-Leg Deadlift

Landmine single-leg deadlift is one of the best posterior chain workouts to increase athletic performance and build strength in major posterior chain muscles.

It is effective at building stronger stabilizer muscles since the unilateral nature of the exercise forces your adductors and gluteus medius to keep your knee in the same position.

It is an entire-body exercise performed with knees bent to avoid hyperextension injuries.

How to Perform Landmine Single-Leg Deadlift

1. Load the landmine barbell with the appropriate weight to complete 6 repetitions.
2. Assume a standing position perpendicular to the end of the landmine.
3. Hold the end of the landmine barbell with your right hand and shift your balance to the left leg.
4. Start the exercise by bending forward in your hips while your left knee is slightly bent and all your weight is placed on the left leg.
5. The right leg should move back towards the ceiling as your torso bends forward.
6. Hold that position for one second when your fist passes the line of the knees.
7. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
8. Repeat for 6 reps and 3-4 sets.

Romanian deadlift will build the entire posterior chain using only lost to medium weight load.

It follows the deadlift movement pattern and will activate your hamstring, glutes, and latissimus dorsi.

The Romanian deadlift is a great starting point for learning traditional deadlifts and strengthening posterior muscles before lifting heavy loads.

How to Perform a Romanian Deadlift

1. Load the barbell on the floor with the appropriate weight, meaning you can perform up to 8 repetitions.
2. Assume a standing position before the barbell and take a pronated grip.
3. Lift the barbell off the floor and return to standing with the bar hanging from our hands.
4. Keep your back flat, brace your core, and slightly bend your knees.
5. Start the exercise by moving your hips forward and lowering the barbell against your body towards the floor.
6. Hold that position for one second when your fists pass the line of the knees.
7. Reverse the motion by extending your hips to return to the starting position.
8. Repeat for 8 reps and 3-4 sets.

Also Read: Romanian Deadlift vs Deadlift

9. Barbell Good Morning

Barbell good mornings are one of the best beginner posterior chain workouts to strengthen the entire posterior chain.

In addition, they will prepare your body for more advanced posterior chain exercises such as barbell deadlifts and single-leg deadlift variations.

How to Perform Barbell Good Mornings

1. Load the barbell on the squat rack with a lighter weight so you can perform 8 repetitions.
2. Assume standing in front of the barbell and place it on your back.
3. Step back to free space for the entire movement.
4. Start the exercise by slightly bending your knees and hips forward without moving the rest of your joints.
5. When the hamstrings become tight enough, and you feel the urge to stop, return to the starting position by extending your hips.
6. Repeat for 8 reps and 3-4 sets.

Glute ham raise is one of the best posterior chain exercises for developing strong glutes and hamstrings in your lower body.

Glute ham raises are frequently used in sport-specific scenarios to build balance between anterior and posterior chain muscles.

How to Perform Glute Ham Raises

1. Enter the glute ham raise machine and assume a starting position like the one in back extensions.
2. Extend your hand above your head for added resistance, or keep them to your chest for the easier version.
3. Start the exercise by lowering your torso towards the ground while keeping your hamstring and glutes tight and activated.
4. When you reach the bottom position, extend the hips to return to the top.
5. Repeat for 8 reps and 3 sets.

Related Articles:

• Best Exercises for Glute Isolation
• Exercises to Build Muscle in the Glutes
• Hip Thrust vs Glute Bridge

11. Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings can be paired with barbell hip thrust if you are an athlete looking to build explosive strength.

Kettlebell sewing will exercise weak posterior chain muscles and build hip power necessary for acceleration, running, jumping, and similar movement patterns.

How to Perform Kettlebell Swings

1. Pick the appropriate kettlebell so you can perform 6 explosive repetitions.
2. Assume a standing position wider than hip-width apart and pick the kettlebell from the floor.
3. Start the exercise by bending your torso forward and bringing the kettlebell below your body and between your legs.
4. Explosively extend your hips and pull the kettlebell up in the air so it reaches your eyesight.
5. Repeat for 6 repetitions and 4-5 sets.

Hip thrusts follow the hip extension movement pattern and develop strong glutes and hamstring muscles.

They can be performed unilaterally or bilaterally, but a two-legged starting position is recommended for beginners.

How to Perform Hip Thrusts

1. Place a box or flat bench behind you and put a yoga mat on it to lower the pressure on your shoulder blades.
2. Load the barbell and place it in front of the bench.
3. Lie before the box, and place the barbell above your hips and shoulder blades on the flat bench.
4. Lift the barbell from the floor by extending your hips towards the ceiling.
5. Start the exercise by lowering your body in the hip joint and bringing the barbell closer to the floor.
6. When you reach the bottom position, explosively push the barbell back up to the starting position.
7. Repeat for 10 reps and 3-4 sets.

The posterior chain comprises muscles like the calves, hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, teres minor, and major.

These muscles pair with anterior muscles in an agonist-antagonist relationship, meaning when one contracts, its counterpart relaxes, facilitating movement.

Sage Open Medicine's research underscores the importance of a well-developed posterior chain in preventing injuries and imbalances [2].

In my experience as a fitness trainer, I've observed that neglecting these muscles often leads to injuries and imbalances, a common issue among athletes and lifters.

Posterior chain muscles, crucial in absorbing force during eccentric contractions, play a key role in reducing joint and ligament stress, thus preventing injuries, as Research Gate studies indicate [4].

Strengthening hamstrings and glutes minimizes lower body injuries, like those to the quadriceps and hip flexors.

Similarly, a strong back, including muscles like the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and posterior deltoid, protects the anterior chain.

Maintaining this muscle balance is fundamental for an injury-resistant physique.

3. Strengthened Posture

Posterior chain muscles are responsible for keeping your posture in anatomical and physiological positions.

Your spine has four main curves: cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and sacral kyphosis.

If your posterior chain muscles are strong and built for endurance, the physiological curvatures will remain the same, and posture imbalances may never occur.