Posterior Chain Exercises: A Home Routine for Parents

Most of us train what we see in the mirror. Meanwhile the muscles that actually pick your child up off the floor, carry the shopping up the hill from Archway and keep your back happy at the end of a long day sit behind you, quietly getting weaker from all that sitting. This post is about posterior chain exercises: what the posterior chain is, why it matters so much for parents, and a home routine you can do with almost no kit.

What is the posterior chain?

“Posterior” just means the back of the body. The posterior chain is the group of muscles running from your heels to the base of your skull that work together to extend your hips, keep your spine upright and drive you forwards. The main players are:

• Calves: push you off the floor when you walk, run or climb stairs.
• Hamstrings: the back of the thigh. They bend the knee and help straighten the hip.
• Glutes: the biggest muscle group in the body. They power standing up, climbing, lifting and keep your pelvis stable.
• Spinal erectors: the long muscles either side of your spine that keep you upright and protect your back when you bend.
• Upper back: the lats, rhomboids and traps, which pull your shoulders back and help you carry things close to your body.

When these are strong, bending and lifting are shared across big muscles. When they are weak, the load tends to end up in your lower back. It is one of the reasons I see so much back pain from lifting kids in parents who are otherwise fairly active.

Why sitting switches it off

Long hours sitting leave the hip flexors at the front tight and the glutes at the back underused. The NHS explains why sitting too much is bad for us, and from a coaching point of view the effect is clear: people forget how to use their glutes. That is fixable with the right exercises done slowly.

A home routine of posterior chain exercises

This takes about 25 minutes. Do it twice a week. You need a floor, a sofa or sturdy chair, a towel and, if you have one, a single dumbbell or kettlebell (a full rucksack works too). Warm up first with 3 minutes of marching on the spot, hip circles and a few bodyweight good mornings.

1. Glute bridge (3 sets of 12)

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart. Breathe out, tuck your pelvis slightly and push through your heels to lift your hips until your body makes a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze your glutes hard for 2 seconds at the top. If you feel it in your lower back, lift less high.

2. Romanian deadlift (3 sets of 10)

Stand tall holding a dumbbell, kettlebell or rucksack in front of your thighs. Soften your knees, then push your hips straight back as if closing a car door with your bottom. Let the weight slide down your thighs, keeping your back long and flat. Stop when you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, usually around knee height, then drive your hips forward to stand. This is the single most useful move for learning to lift safely. My kettlebell deadlift for beginners post breaks down the hinge further.

3. Hamstring walkouts (2 sets of 6)

Start in a bridge position. Walk your heels out a few small steps, keeping your hips up, then walk them back in. Lower your hips if your hamstrings cramp.

4. Prone superman (3 sets of 8, 3-second hold)

Lie face down, arms overhead. Lift your arms, chest and legs a few centimetres off the floor, keeping your neck long and looking down. Hold, then lower slowly. This trains the spinal erectors and upper back gently.

5. Towel row (3 sets of 10)

Loop a towel around a sturdy door handle (close the door fully and stand on the side it opens away from). Hold both ends, lean back with straight arms, then pull your chest towards the door, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Walk your feet closer to the door to make it harder.

6. Single-leg calf raise (2 sets of 12 per side)

Stand on the edge of a step holding the banister. Lower your heel below the step, then rise up as high as you can on the ball of your foot. Slow and full range beats fast and bouncy.

Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Finish with a gentle hamstring and hip flexor stretch. If your hips feel tight at the front, my hip flexor stretches for desk workers pair perfectly with this routine.

How to progress

• Bridge: move to single-leg bridges, then feet on the sofa, then a weight across your hips.
• Romanian deadlift: add load, or switch to the single-leg version holding the wall.
• Superman: hold longer, up to 10 seconds.
• Towel row: walk your feet further under you, or switch to one arm at a time.

A note on back pain

Posterior chain training is often recommended for people with general, non-specific lower back ache, and the NHS notes that staying active and doing exercises can help with back pain. But if you have pain that spreads down your leg, numbness, pain after a fall or pain that is getting worse, see your GP or a physio before starting a new routine. Exercise should feel like effort, not pain.

Where a bootcamp class fits

In my classes, nearly every session includes some hinging, bridging and pulling, because these are the moves that make everyday life easier. In SYP Built To Last we load them up with kettlebells, and in the mobility class we pair them with stretches for the front of the hip.

FAQs

What are the best posterior chain exercises for beginners?

Glute bridges, Romanian deadlifts with a light weight and back extensions like the superman are the best starting points. They teach you to use the glutes and hamstrings before you add heavier loads.

How often should I train my posterior chain?

Two to three times a week is plenty for most people. These muscles are big and recover well, but give yourself at least a day between harder sessions.

Why do I feel deadlifts in my lower back?

Usually because the hips are not hinging enough and the back is rounding or doing the lifting. Try a lighter weight, push your hips further back and stop the movement when your hamstrings feel tight. If it still bothers you, ask a coach to check your form.

Book your first class

Come and learn to hinge and lift properly with a coach beside you. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes indoors in Archway N19 with a maximum of 10 people, and every exercise has an easier and harder version. It costs £15 a class. Book your £15 class or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you want a longer, structured plan with one-to-one coaching, take a look at the SYP Transformation programme.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.