Every exercise enthusiast knows the importance of leg day. Leg day workouts are beneficial for building strength, balance, athletic ability, and more. They’re also helpful to kick up your metabolism, torch calories, and even soothe back pain. But there’s one muscle group that’s often forgotten about, and training it can instantly improve your lifts.
“When most people train their legs, the focus is usually on front-dominant muscles like the quads,” says Nick Lo Cicero, coach, fitness training and support manager with Orangetheory Fitness.
What often flies under the radar is the posterior chain, which Nick says “plays a major role in stability, posture, and overall strength.” He adds, “[The posterior chain is] easy to neglect because it isn’t as visible or easy to target without intention.”
A weak posterior chain can result in poor lift alignment and lower back pain. It can even negatively impact your ability to perform daily tasks.
Why Is the Posterior Chain Often Overlooked?
It’s common to exercise the arms, quads, and chest, because they’re easy to see. But what’s just as important to target are the muscles that keep your joints stable and support your posture.
“These stabilizing muscles aren’t as obvious, and when they’re undertrained, it doesn’t show up right away,” Nick tells us. “But over time, that imbalance can affect how you move, how you lift and even how you feel day to day. At Orangetheory, we think a lot about how to create balance across the body, which is why you’ll see movements that activate both the big, powerful muscles and the ones that keep everything working smoothly behind the scenes.”
The 3 Best Exercises To Activate and Strengthen This Muscle Group
Below are three movements Nick recommends to activate and strengthen the posterior chain, if you’d like to include them in your weekly regimen.
He points out, “These exercises do more than just challenge major muscle groups—they also demand a lot from the forearms and grip because of how the weight is carried and controlled.”
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1. Dumbbell Step-Ups
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- Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand at the sides of your body, maintaining a firm grip.
- Stand in front of a sturdy box or bench that’s knee-level.
- Step your left foot onto the surface, press through that heel to assume a standing position, bringing your right foot to meet your left.
- Use control to step down, and repeat on the same leg or alternate.
2. Dumbbell Shrugs
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- Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand at the sides of your body, palms facing in.
- Maintain an engaged core and straight arms.
- Lift—or “shrug”—your shoulders up toward your ears.
- Hold and squeeze the top of the shrug for a moment.
- Use control to lower.
3. Single-Arm Dumbbell High March
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in one hand at your side (i.e. the suitcase carry position).
- Activate your glutes and core for stability.
- Lift your left knee up toward your chest until it forms a 90-degree angle.
- Hold at the top.
- Lower with control, and repeat on your right side.
- Continue to march in place.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a content strategist, editor, and writer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. She has 11+ years of experience creating content for travel, lifestyle, fitness, wellness, F&B, home, and celeb news publications. Read more about Alexa
