Top 4 Posterior Chain Exercises For Olympic Weightlifting
Every week I answer questions submitted by you on my podcast, The Last Set Best Podcast which you can find on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts! This weeks question comes from @anon
“What’s the best way to train the posterior chain for weightlifting?”
This is a great question and largely comes down to using accessory work to build more muscle.
P.S. If you want to build muscle AND set PR’s, then check out my 8-Week OlyBuilding 2.0 Program here!
Why You NEED To Train Your Posterior Chain For Olympic Weightlifting.
If you're not familiar, the posterior chain is all the muscle groups on the back side of your body - Calves, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back, Mid-Back, Upper Back, and Traps.
Most olympic lifting programs tend to neglect the posterior chain. Not really on purpose, it's just that the olympic lifts and squats are all pretty much focused on the quads and other anterior chain (front of the body) muscles.
With all the anterior chain training we do normally, it's important to balance out your training a little bit with regular posterior chain exercises in your accessory work.
But which exercises should you focus on for maximum gains?
Best Posterior Chain Exercises For Olympic Weightlifting
There's a few posterior chain exercises I've found to be most effective.
Snatch Grip RDL
The Snatch Grip RDL is one of my new favorites for the hamstrings.
With the wider grip you can get a better stretch on the hamstrings at the bottom of the lift. You’ll also get some extra work on the upper back, and by looking up during the movement you can take it to another level.
While you won't be able to use as heavy a weight as you could for normal RDL's, this can be a benefit because of how taxing squats and pulls normally are in a weightlifting program. Try these out 1x a week for 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps for maximum gains.
GHD Back Extensions
A strong lower back is a necessity for olympic lifters.
GHD Back Extensions have been a lower back staple on my programs ever since I learned them from Glenn Pendlay in 2016, and they should be a staple in your training too.
Back extensions will help you hold positions during the pull for the snatch and clean, as well as prevent you from tipping forward on squats. If you’ve never directly trained the lower back, keep in mind that you should start with bodyweight and build up tolerance to the movement. You’ll get a great lower back pump which can be a little scary at first if you’re not used to it, but is completely normal.
My go-to is 3 sets of 10 reps with as heavy a dumbbell as possible, but if you want to spice it up, try adding in a row to make it a more dynamic full back exercise.
Dumbbell Row
If you want to be strong, you cannot avoid the dumbbell row.
It's a staple among all strength sports, and should be a mainstay in your programs, and while this exercise may not have direct carryover to your technique like the back extension, it does take the lats through a full range of motion which is key for building muscle.
I usually aim for 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps with as heavy a weight as possible. Now most of the time I prefer to row the dumbbell with a neutral grip to the hips which targets the lower lats and mid back more, but you can experiment with different grip positions and techniques to target the upper back as well.
Watch the demo video here
Snatch Grip Upright Row
Looking big is mostly about having big traps.
Training the traps is completely unnecessary, we get enough trap training through our olympic lifts and pulls, but I still think about Tom Hardy's traps in batman, so I do these for a four week block every couple of months for some juicy traps.
Don't think of these as a strict upright row. Instead, let the bar swing out a little bit before pulling the bar up and back towards your chest. I prefer these in the high rep range, 3 sets of 10-15 reps is my normal reps scheme.
Hopefully you found this article useful! You can find the full episode of the podcast linked below as well as on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. If you have a question you’d like to submit for the podcast, click here!
If you need help building muscle for weightlifting, then check out my 8-Week OlyBuilding2.0 Program here!
And if you’re new to olympic weightlifting then check out my free Weightlifting101: Beginner Guide + 6 Week Program! It’s got everything you need to learn the snatch, clean, and jerk safely and correctly the first time, for free!