A Strong Posterior Is Badass

The posterior chain is a group of muscles, tendons and ligaments on the back of the body. Examples of these muscles include the hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae muscle group, trapezius, deltoids and the like. Posterior means further back in position or rear, thus refers to the back area of the human body. So, posterior deltoid referring to the rear deltoid. A weak posterior chain is something a lot of men and women have. It is also a primary reason for bad posture, back pain, and injury. You use your posterior chain in everything you must do in life. As you might conclude, a weak posterior therefore results in a weak life.

A lot of trainees forget that they have a posterior because they almost never see it, unless you are viewing your back with two mirrors or by taking photos of yourself-- it is hard to gauge your muscular development in these areas... unless you try to pick up something heavy or squat something heavy... Which leads me to the point of saying, a strong posterior is badass and downright sexy.



Plump, round, and strong.

I don't train for vanity reasons, but lets face it, lifting heavy stuff helps you look better. More and more women are realizing this, thank God. Finally, young women are understanding the fact that men don't like these starved runway models that look like the aliens from Close Encounters of The Third Kind. Great movie by the way.







Add hair and you have the next Vogue cover model.



Men fall prey into only training the mirror muscles (chest, arms, and abs). A very well known problem that plagues most guys I know. Why is this? I have a few speculations.

1) They don't see the rest of their body and they think the rest of them is fine.

2) They think that is all people see, they believe wearing pants hides their pathetic lower bodies and that their backs don't show through a shirt.

3) They train for the wrong reasons.

4) Training your legs and back is hard work!





Well, concerning appearance, I got news... You can tell. I laugh inside when I see guys boasting a big chest and arms when the rest of their physique looks like a developing 8 year old boy. They look weak because they are weak. Countless sets of bench press and curls, 5 days a week. Blows my mind.

Heavy leg and back work is hard labor, but it is well worth it. It makes you into a better man. A stronger man. It gives you a physique you can be proud of and it makes you functional in life. Concerning aesthetics-- no other guy cares how big your arms are or how much you stretch your t-shirt arm cuffs. That is serving your own ego to make you feel better about yourself. Girls like big arms sure, but they'll laugh when you take off your pants and they see these tiny little pencils... A powerful back? I've never met a weak man with a thick muscular back. A strong back can be downright intimidating, like a cobra always at the ready to strike. Big traps show intensity from controlling heavy weights, thick spinal erectors that look like two fat pork loins following the spine show a stable core structure, powerful glutes that are lifted show speed and strength, and the hamstrings which are like the biceps of the legs complete this into a display of posterior strength.

Lu Xiaojun, Chinese Olympic lifter. Ask him how many curls he does.

Put it this way, most guys want to have an appearance of being an alpha male. Your overall strength will display this! Simply put, if you are strong, you will look strong. Unfortunately, no matter what you believe, you don't get strong by breathing, eating, and just going to your job or school. You must train the body to achieve this. How do you do this? Train the posterior chain. Luckily, just about every strength, powerlifting, Olympic lifting routine out there crushes the posterior chain. Which is probably why a lot people do not do these routines and prefer the muscle magazine routines which focus on 21 sets of arm exercises. Incorporating these lifts into your routines can shoot you into a new realm of awesomeness.

1) Deadlift & Trap Bar Deadlifts
2) Squats and Front Squats
3) Glute-Ham Raises
4) Romanian Deadlifts
5) Pendlay Rows, Bent Over Barbell Rows
6) Good Mornings
7) Power Cleans/Hang Cleans/Snatches

These exercises are king. You don't need rear deltoid flyes, cable bullshit, or really anything else that is not worth taking the time from your life. You will become a strong person doing these. The important aspect is using them correctly into a structured routine. If you need a suggestion on routines, check out my Variation on the 5x5. If you would like any more suggestions feel free to email or leave a comment below. I hope this helps.