Training - Posterior Chain

Leg Session – Courtesy of Terry Evans or Aka Big Tel (Wasps Trainer)

This is currently the session I have been doing the last few weeks at Wasps. If I only get one chance to go into the gym once a week, due to quick turn arounds and shortened weeks, this is what I would be doing.

I haven’t been doing a lot of squats, as I need to focus a lot on my posterior chain more than anything. So most of the session is geared towards that. I also like to try and do something metabolic at the end.

As a youngster I spent way too much time of big lifts, and have become too quad dominant, so have weaknesses in my hamstrings and Gluts. If I could go back and start from fresh, I have always said I would do more body weight work, and make sure I did well balanced sessions, instead of beach weights

Session

Warm up – I use this as an opportunity to get a pump on my legs, but also do some rehab. If you have some specific areas you need to work on then speak to a qualified trainer and get some appropriate exercises.  We can all get better at something.

• Foam roll – thoracic, ITB’s, quads, hamstrings.

• @wattbike – 45 seconds medium intensity, 20 high intensity. Perform this 4 times through

• Single leg squats to a box 10 each side – try and get a box that is just above parallel and you can reach comfortably with out over working, or loosing your form. Squat down- just till your bum touches and then come back up.

-       If its way too easy then use a weighted vest or hold a 10kg plate

• Shoulder dislocations with a barbell or broom handle as shown in the picture. The idea is to go as far back as you can till you feel a stretch. Then you come back forward and repeat 10 times.

• Mini band – circuit as mentioned in other blogs

1. Side shuffle
2. Monster walks
3. Standing for way leg wings.

Place the band round your knees, and do 20 body weight squats, keeping knees shoulder width a part.

Low box jumps.  – Find a small sturdy box and perform 3 jumps onto. The focus is a good soft landing. Step of the box and then do another jump.

Session Part 1

Trap bar Deadlift 4 x5 reps.

- You are doing both phases of this exercise. A good deadlift, then a good eccentric lower. You aren’t just deadlifting and dropping the bar.

-   You need to find a good weight to perform both.

(If you don’t have a trap bar, then use a normal barbell, but the same 2 lifting phases apply)

Box jumps – 4 x3 reps.

-       The same as the warm up. Really good hip drive and soft landing. You are trying to make the movement smooth. You shouldn’t hear a massive clunk when you land.

Perform the above as super set. Take a 2 mins between each double set. Try and use the rest period to have a stretch. Like hip flexors, hamstrings, lats etc. Tappers who I mentioned in my last blog got me into this and it’s a great use of your time.

Part 2

Weighted sled pulls 4x 2 runs – the focus here is a good ground strike, and good stride length. You are trying to run as powerfully as you can.

Start in a low position run 20 meters. Rest for 15 seconds then repeat.

Nordic Hammies 4x 5 reps  – as shown in the picture. Your partner holds your feet and you lean forward as far as you can go without tipping forward, if you can get all the way down then great. But for most beginners it’s pretty hard. Then either pull yourself back up right using your hamstrings or rest yourself and go again.

Note that I use a free bench, I have the rear part up,  so I can perform the lowering phase to a point where I touch the upright bench then I pull myself back up with my hamstrings. You set the bench height as high as you can go. As I said mine aren’t the best so I don’t get that low.

2 mins rest – stretch.

Part 3

Explosive bench throw. 3 x4 reps – put 50kgs on a barbell (or whatever you can explosively throw). Set up in your normal bench press position. Have your partner stand over you. The aim is for you to bench press the bar and release it. Literally throwing the bar out of your hands, your partner catches it. You reset and start again.

Weighted chins 3 x 5 reps – under hand grip chines with either a dumbbell between your knees or better still a plate or dumbbell hanging from a harness. Make sure you do this with good tempo. I.e. fast up 3 seconds down to full extension then back up again

Double leg Hip thrusters 3x8- if you have weak glutes you can do these without weights. The focus is to get a good foot position and lower your hips to the flower, and then drive up through your glutes. If you feel it too much in your hamstring then adjust your feet. This is a glute exercise.

-       If you are strong then, like in the picture put a weighted bar across you and perform the same movement. But with the added weight it makes it harder.

Rest 2 mins and stretch

Part 4

Weighted prowler push 3 x 1– Push a weighted prowler 20 meters. With good leg drive. The prowler is ideally quite heavy.

Tyre flips 3 x 6 flips- The tyre in the video is pretty damn heavy. But you can use whatever weight you want. The idea is a good low starting position. Flat back and lift through your legs.

Finish – get a shake in or some  quality food. Some pre cooked chopped chicken breast goes well, cold meats. Or if you have time cooks something up with good protien, veg and some good carbs. like sweet potatoes, brown pasts, butternut squash.