[Today’s post comes from Anchors and Gold, a site I highly recommend checking out.]
Most guys I see in the gym lack many important qualities. Common sense, decent hygiene, and the ability to pull girls are among the most common offenders, but the one that makes me twitch is a consistent lack of development in the posterior chain. For those of you unfamiliar with human physiology 101, the posterior chain makes up the muscles extending from your heels up to the base of your skull. The typical knuckle dragger hits chest and biceps without fail; however, readers of this blog have no desire to be average. Developing a strong posterior chain is with a doubt the most effective way to improve your physique and set you apart from the rest of the beefed up crowd. And believe me, getting a post coital compliment about the firmness of your ass is as big an ego boost as it gets. Additionally, stronger traps, lats, glutes, and hamstrings will transfer into the ability to lift more in your shoulders and chest. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the man with arguably the most sculpted body in the history of mankind, was obsessive about his symmetry. You should be too. Here’s how to do it:
30 days to a better posterior chain:
If you have never set foot in a weight room, don’t even bother with this plan. You need to start by reading a book like Starting Strength. If you can’t bench your body weight or do a minimum of five dead hang pull ups, work on the fundamentals. The plan calls for a rotation of three different days. Yes, this means you will be doing something to improve yourself every day. No, you cannot take rest days. No, as long as you follow the protocol to a tee you won’t be over trained.
Day 1: 5 sets of maximum effort pull ups with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
Day 2: 5 sets of 20 kettlebell swings with 12kg or 24kg.
Day 3: 5 sets of 3 dead lifts with 80% of your one rep max. Rest as much as needed between sets.
Notes:
– These are kettlebell swings.
–This is a proper dead lift. If you have absolutely no experience dead lifting, get a coach and practice before taking on this program.
– Maximum effort doesn’t mean you stop when it’s uncomfortable. Maximum effort means you go until your body physically cannot do the exercise and you’re on the verge of blackout, then you do one more.
– If you have absolutely no experience with kettlebells, I recommend you start out with 12kg for the first couple rotations. Move up to 24kg as you progress in strength.
You can do this program while conditioning, playing sports, fighting, etc. Feel free to even do other exercises as long as they don’t involve the posterior chain. All the usual fitness rules apply here: warm up, cool down, do mobility work if necessary, and eat a clean diet. Go the 30 days and I guarantee you’ll see noticeable results. Use this challenge as a tool to more closely examine your physical limits and how you best train. Much of what you’ll learn from this challenge has nothing to do with the exercises themselves but rather your personal fitness and metal strength habits. Good luck, and train hard.