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Assessing a Strength Training Model for Special Posterior Chain

Exercises in College Athletics

By

William T. Klika III

Mentor

Randall O. Westbrook, Ed.D.

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Fairleigh Dickinson University Summer 2009

Strength Training 2

Table of Contents ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………….3 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………...4

DEFINITIONS……………………………………………………………….…8 REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE……………………………………..11

METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………14 CONCLUSION………………………..……………………………...………….25 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………….…….27 APPENDIX A……………………………………………………………………31 APPENDIX B……………………………………………………………………34 APPENDIX C……………………………………………………………………36 APPENDIX D……………………………………………………………………38

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH CERTIFICATION…………….....41

Strength Training 3

Abstract This paper reviews the role of the posterior chain in a college athletic

setting. Attention is paid to various methods of assessing posterior chain strength,

particularly the glutes and hamstrings. The author contends that current strength

training methods are insufficient to properly train athletes. Four exercises (the

Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise, the Romanian Deadlift, the Good Morning, and the

Reverse Hyper) are suggested to solve the strength training problem, as well as a

template to facilitate their use. The author calls for further research on the four

exercises, because there is a lack of Western research on these exercises.

Strength Training 4

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Training college athletes in the 21st century with the goal of improving

sports performance can be problematic at best. Most incoming freshmen have

had little or no experience in an organized training program; many others are

taught by “personal trainers” their parents found for them in high school. To make

matters worse, they are bombarded with media coverage regarding training, body

image, and supplementation. The average high school student may spend as

much – or more- time playing video games as he does physical labor or work

around the house (Gentile & Walsh, 2001).

At the start of the school year, the Strength & Conditioning Staff at

Fairleigh Dickinson University is introduced to an incoming class of athletes that

have weak legs and very poor posterior chain strength. The posterior chain may

be defined as the chain of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that connect the

gastrocnemius, hamstrings, gluteals, and the lower back. It is Fairleigh Dickinson

University’s goal to get the athletes ready to perform – as well as improve at their

sport, and avoid injury. Athletes seek to train their bodies in a manner that will

increase their functional work capacity – they wish to maximize performance

Strength Training 5

while minimizing the chance of injury. The function of the posterior chain,

particularly the region of the hamstrings and glutes, is vital to power output,

injury prevention, and sports performance. (Baechle, 1994; Yessis, 1994; Siff,

2003) Fairleigh Dickinson University’s athletes are involved in a yearly training

program to help the athletes improve their sports performance.

The former Soviet Union described the different levels of sports

performance as the Process of Attaining Sports Mastery, or PASM. Siff (2003)

described the different stages of the process, and how each athlete was required to

achieve certain levels of sports performance to continue. The Soviets treated

competitive sports like any other scientific discipline, and dedicated teams of

scientists and researchers to experiment with different methods of training

athletes. (Verkhoshansky, 1977).

There are several ways to program the volume and intensity of training in

a strength training program. At Fairleigh Dickinson, we use a version of the

classic Russian piecemeal plan, based upon the works of R.A. Roman (1986).

After studying and analyzing years of workouts, training sessions, and

experiments, the Soviet Union’s national weightlifting program developed

standards and norms for their athletes in the sport of weightlifting, as the athletes

were involved in the process of attaining sports mastery. The athletes were

classified by ability level, and their training volumes and programs reflected their

classification. Volume was counted in their program by the amount of lifts

performed above a certain percentage of maximum weight over a yearly –

Strength Training 6

quadrennial cycle, to coincide with the Olympic Games, which were the pinnacle

of sport to the Soviet Union.

Once the volume was set, the coach could then assign the exercises that

the individual athlete needed to perform over this cycle. Each exercise was ranked

in importance for the improvement of the athlete, and given a corresponding

percentage of the total volume. For example, if the coaching staff determined that

leg strength was most important to the athlete, he might have 22% of all of his

lifts consist of the back squat and its variations. Tables and charts were consulted

(Roman, 1986) and options were given for the completion of these tasks. The

process then continued as the program was broken down from the quadrennial, to

the yearly, to the monthly, then weekly, and finally daily workout regime.

Fairleigh Dickinson University’s strength & conditioning programs rely

upon the Soviet programming choices as the basis for organizing training. At

Fairleigh Dickinson, we count all of the posterior chain activities as 20 – 25% of

the yearly training volume. All repetitions over 65% of maximum weight lifted

are counted. For example, if there are 10,000 total lifts to be performed this year,

2000-2500 of those lifts will be posterior chain specific, with the coach choosing

from the Glute-Ham-Gastroc Raise, the Romanian Deadlift, the Good Morning,

and the Reverse Hyper.

The sets, repetitions, and training zones used are all adapted directly from

the Roman (1986) text. As the athlete progresses towards sport mastery, the

coaching staff will adjust that athlete’s training program accordingly. Variables

Strength Training 7

such as time of year, sport played, and personal strengths are evaluated when

planning workout sessions for our athletes.

There are many things to consider when designing/ assessing a strength

training program for the posterior chain, particularly the hamstrings and glutes.

Things like quadriceps:hamstring ratios, joint angle speeds on a dynamometer,

and eccentric/deleration training are variables and topics for discussion. This

paper will focus on traditional strength training exercises for the posterior chain.

Definitions

This paper will refer to the human anatomy and the actions that occur in

physical activity. A list of working definitions is provided to guide the reader who

may be unfamiliar with the terms.

Concentric action “occurs when the total tension developed in all the

cross-bridges of a muscle is sufficient to overcome any resistance to shortening.”

(Hunter, 1994)

Eccentric action “occurs when the tension developed in the cross bridges

is less than the resistance, and the muscle lengthens despite contact between the

myosin cross-bridges and the actin filaments” (Hunter, 1994)

Erector Spinae (or sacrospinalis) “arises from the lower and posterior part

of the sacrum, from the posterior portion of the iliac crests, and from the spines of

the lumbar and the lower two thoracic vertebrae. The fibers form a large mass of

muscular tissue, which splits in the upper lumbar region into three columns,

Strength Training 8

namely a lateral, the iliocostalis, and intermediate, the longissimus, and a medial,

the spinalis.” (Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966) These muscles

are directly involved in movement occurring at the back and hip.

Extension “A limb (or joint) is extended when it is straightened out, e.g.,

straightening the arm; hence, the reverse of flexion.” (Kimber, Gray, Stackpole,

Leavell & Miller, 1966)

Flexion “A limb (or joint) is flexed when it is bent, e.g., bending the arm

at the elbow.” (Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966)

Glute-Ham-Gastroc Raise (Appendix A, Figures 1-4) is a special exercise

for the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius. Dr. Michael Yessis

(1994) is given credit for naming the exercise in the English speaking world.

Glutes are the term describing the muscles on the back side of a person’s

hip. While there are several muscles that work with and around the hip joint, this

paper is focusing on the action of hip extension as it relates to the glutes. The

gluteus maximus is the primary muscle that this paper is concerned with. “The

gluteus maximus is a large, powerful muscle that arises from the posterior fourth

of the illiac crest, the posterior surface of the lower part of the sacrum, the side of

the coccyx, and aponeuroses of the sacrospinalis and the gluteus medius. It is

inserted into the facia lata and the gluteal ridge, a prolongation of the upper end of

the linea aspera of the femur.” (Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966)

Hamstrings are a group of muscles located on the back of a person’s thigh.

The hamstrings, as referred to in this paper, consist of three main muscles known

Strength Training 9

as the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus. “The

biceps femoris arises by two heads, the long head from the tuberosity of the

ischium and the short head from the linea aspera of the femur. It is inserted into

the lateral side of the head of the fibula and the lateral condyle of the tibia.”

(Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966)

“The semitendinosus arises from the tuberosity of the ischium and

is inserted into the upper part of the medial surface of the body of the

tibia.” (Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966)

“The semimembranosus arises from the tuberosity of the ischium

and is inserted on the medial condyle of the tibia.” (Kimber, Gray,

Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966)

“The tendons of insertion of these muscles are called the

hamstrings; hence the muscles are often called the hamstring muscles.”

(Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell & Miller, 1966)

Isometric action “occurs when the tension in the cross-bridges equals the

resistance to shortening and the muscle length remains relatively constant.”

(Hunter, 1994)

Quadriceps:Hamstring Ratio or quad:ham ratio, refers to the strength of

the quadriceps muscles compared to the strength of the hamstrings muscles. In

some of the literature, the ratio is also referred to as ham:quad ratio. (Holcomb,

Rubley, Lee, & Guadagnoli, 2007) The author of this paper prefers the quad:ham

Strength Training 10

designation because the quadriceps muscles, due to their size, will be relatively

stronger in a healthy individual.

A repetition is defined as “one complete movement of an exercise”

(Hatfield, 1994)

A set is defined as the “fixed number of repetitions of an exercise

movement” (Hatfield, 1994)

Volume is the arbitrary measurement of the amount of training that an

athlete does. It can be measured several ways. This paper uses the classic Soviet

(also referred to as Russian) model of counting repetitions above a predetermined

level as volume. For example, all lifts performed at and above 70% of a one

repetition max is one way of quantifying volume. (Roman, 1986)


CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE

One problem with the review of the literature is that many Western based

athletic training programs do not properly address the true role of the posterior

chain, particularly the hamstrings and gluteal muscles in sports activities. Many

authors cite what they believe to be “optimal” quadriceps to hamstring strength

ratios (Hemba, 1985). 3:2 and 1:1 quadriceps to hamstring strength levels have

all been reviewed and are generally accepted by the sports medicine community

to be best for athletes, depending upon age, gender, and sport played. (P. Aagaard,

E. B. Simonsen, S. P. Magnusson, B. Larsson, & P. Dyhre-Poulsen, 1998) These

studies use a similar kind of isokinetic dynamometer, a machine that measures

muscular torque at a constant velocity. A computerized isokinetic dynamometer

may be used so that speed of movement can be regulated, and velocities and data

are recorded, usually up to 360º/s. In this instance, a knee joint is measured and

the maximum torque output is calculated for that movement. In many ways, the

use of the dynamometer resembles the leg (also called knee) curl exercise. The

main difference between the two activities is that the dynamometer maintains


constant resistance with the emphasis on speed, while the leg curl uses variable

resistance and the speed of movement is left to the discretion of the user.

The isokinetic dynamometer and leg curl are referred to as “open chain”

exercises, in this case exercises that are performed without the feet in contact with

the ground or some other platform. Neither exercise fully contracts the

hamstrings at both ends of the biceps femoris (Yessis, 1994). This oversight is

critical because the programs are assessing only a minor portion of functional

sports hamstring strength. For example, Shankman (1993) discusses the role of

the hamstrings in sports, their importance to the posterior chain, and then only

briefly mentions some of the effective ways to train this area of the body. Wright,

DeLong, and Gehlsen (1999) began to address the weakness in many programs

towards proper hamstring training. They used electromyography to measure the

amount of work that the hamstrings do during the back squat, the leg curl, and a

version of the so-called Romanian deadlift (RDL) – a deadlift performed with a

slight bend in the knee joints (Appendix B, Figures 5-7). They found that the leg

curl and RDL showed the greatest electromyographic activity. However, their

study did not address the role of the leg curl in sports training, and whether or not

it is the best choice for hamstring development in athletes.

In later works, exercise selection was noted by Santana (2000) who writes

“There is a tremendous difference between a muscle’s isolated function and

integrated function” Holcomb, Rubley, Lee, & Guadagnoli (2007) used a different

approach to training hamstring strength, as they involved the use of alternative,

functional training to fully train and assess the hamstrings. Their study stated that


because their study included training where the agonist and antagonist muscles

were acting together, the functional quadriceps to hamstring ratio was affected by

a greater degree. They recommend a quadriceps to hamstring ratio of at least 3:2

for women’s college soccer players (their test subjects), agreeing with Clanton

and Coupe (1998), who reached a similar conclusion using women’s college

volleyball players. When adjusting for gender strength differences, these results

are also similar to men’s college soccer players (Tourney-Chollet, Leroy, Delarue,

& Beuret-Blanquart, (2003).

All of these studies were done at relatively low angular velocities, <360º/s,

because standard isokinetic testing units cannot measure higher speeds, despite

the fact that elite sprinting regularly involves knee angle speeds exceeding

1000º/s. (Kivi, Maraj, Gervais, & Moreau, (2002). It is the opinion of this author

that knee angle speed studies and its relationship to isokinetic testing and

posterior chain strength are worthy of research, but are outside the scope of this

paper.


METHODOLOGY

It is important to address the basics of the posterior chain, particularly the

role of the hamstrings and glutes. Most athletic endeavors require a great deal of

strength to be generated from this region of the body. Running and jumping, the

major components of sports, rely upon a healthy, functionally strong and

explosive posterior chain (Verkhoshanksy, 1977; Yessis, 1994; Siff, 2003).

The hamstrings have a vital role in stabilizing the knee joint, which is

critical in the prevention of knee injuries (Yessis, 1994). Because the quadriceps

will be relatively stronger than the knee, partially due to the size of the

quadriceps, hamstring strength – particularly in the role of knee flexion – is

necessary to decelerate the body. In addition to knee stabilization, the hamstrings

help the body perform hip extension. Thus, the hamstrings are involved in the

locomotion of two joints, the knee and hip joint. Because of their position as a

two joint muscle, the hamstrings can act to move the knees and hips

simultaneously or separately (Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, Leavell, & Miller, 1966;

Yessis, 1994). When training the hamstrings, many western educated coaches &

athletes realize the important function of knee flexion, and use the leg curl as the

primary movement to train the hamstrings. Many media and educational sources,


including the National Strength & Conditioning Association’s text book,

consistently cite the leg curl as the standard activity for knee flexion and

hamstring development (Baechele, 1994). The use of the leg curl to train an

athlete’s hamstrings, while technically correct, is not a complete answer for a

competitive athlete. It is important to note that the National Strength &

Conditioning Association’s text is the current standard of minimum education that

must be attained in order to become a nationally certified strength and

conditioning coach, the only such certification currently available.

While the leg curl is effective for lower hamstring development, it

completely disregards the upper hamstring – where it inserts at the glute (Yessis,

1994; Siff, 2003). The upper portion of the hamstring, when acting in concert with

the glutes and erector spinae, is needed for hip joint extension. Basic sports

activities such as running, jumping, and simply standing up require hip joint

extension.

In addition, the leg curl is an “open chain” exercise. There is nothing

“grounding” the knee to stabilize it. In sports, almost all activity occurs when the

feet start in contact with the ground. Walking, running, and jumping all start with

at least one foot in contact with the ground.

The hamstrings must be trained at the hip joint using the glutes. If knee

flexion and hip extension are major components of sports activities, athletes

should complete strength training exercises that incorporate one or both of these

movements. The National Strength & Conditioning Association’s (1994) text

briefly mentions the Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise (Appendix A, Figures 1-4), but one


of the reasons the exercise even appears in western literature is because of trips

made to the former Soviet Union by American delegations, including American

weightlifter Andrew “Bud” Charniga and coach Dr. Michael Yessis. While in the

Soviet Union, delegates like Bud Charniga and Dr. Michael Yessis witnessed

Soviet athletes performing strange lifts (face down) over a gymnastics horse, with

their feet locked into wall bars. The visitors saw an exercise that required the

active use of the glutes and isometric use of the erector muscles in the spine to

raise the body up, followed by a contraction of the gastrocnemius. (Charniga,

2009; Yessis, 1994) They learned that “at the end of this exercise, both the lower

and upper portions of the hamstrings are in maximal contraction. Thus, in this

exercise both ends of the hamstrings go into contraction in sequence, not

simultaneously, to create maximum shortening. This is the main reason that the

Glute-Ham-Gastroc exercise is so effective for total hamstring development”

(Yessis, 1994). Not long after returning from the USSR, Yessis designed a

specific machine to accomplish these very same traits. Charniga shared his ideas

with manufacturers as well. Thirty years later, there are dozens of companies that

have similar pieces of equipment, yet the exercise’s effectiveness has not fully

been researched and or documented in scholarly journals in the United States. To

date, the author is not aware of any actual English language studies regarding the

Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise. It is not an easy exercise to demonstrate or complete.

Most athletes will require practice and sold coaching to perform it properly, and

even then it may take months before the athlete can use resistance greater than his


own body weight. Despite its questionable sports specificity, the leg curl (flexion)

remains the standard exercise to measure hamstring strength.

Fairleigh Dickinson University teaches its athletes according to Yessis’

(1994) recommendations on how to perform the Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise

properly. It must also be noted that there have been several design changes and

improvements to the Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise machines over the past decade, but

the same general principles apply.

First, the athlete must use an actual Glute-Ham-Gastroc machine

(Appendix A, Figure 1). It is important that the athlete not attempt to do this

exercise without proper foot placement, or there is a greater chance of injury. The

ankles and thighs should be parallel to the floor, with the knees fully extended and

about 3-4 inches from the “pommel horse”. The feet are pointed down, in a

natural vertical jump – to squat width position. The torso is draped over the

horse, with chest out and shoulder blades pulled back (Appendix A, Figure 2). If

the athlete is using resistance, he can hold the resistance in front of his body and

against his chest, or hold the resistance behind his head. If no resistance is being

used, the athlete assumes an arms across chest stance.

To begin the movement, the athlete completes a back raise (hip extension)

– at a controlled speed. This involves the active work of the athlete’s spinal

erector muscles. He continues this back extension until his body is approximately

parallel to the floor, maintaining the “chest out”, and “shoulder blades back”

position. At this point, the athlete is using an isometric contraction of the upper


portion of his hamstrings to achieve a parallel to the ground position (Appendix

A, Figure 3) .

Once the athlete reaches the parallel position, the athlete is instructed to

bend his knees – and only his knees- and raise his torso up to a 45-90 degree

angle to the floor, with the athlete’s knees, hips, and shoulders in line with each

other. This knee flexion first forces the athlete’s erector spinae to perform an

isometric contraction, and then the hamstrings are activated by a very strong

contraction at the lower end as well as the upper end. This double contraction is

referred to as “firing in sequence”, and is one of the main benefits of the Glute-

Ham-Gastroc raise (Appendix A, Figure 4) .

From the top, the athlete lowers himself under control by pushing his feet

backward into the foot plate. This classifies the activity as “closed chain”, and

will straighten the athlete’s knees back to their original, fully extended position.

When the athlete has returned to the “knees straight, body parallel to the

floor” position, he then lowers his back by performing flexion of the hip. The

athlete then repeats the movement for the prescribed numbers of repetitions and

sets.

To increase resistance, medicine balls or light weights held in front of the

body may be used. As athletes become stronger and more proficient at the Glute-

Ham-Gastroc raise, they use resistance held behind the head, such as weights,

medicine balls, and barbells.

There are several precautions that the coach and athlete must observe

while performing Glute-Ham-Gastroc raises to help avoid injury. First, the athlete


can not be permitted to swing his back through the range of motion. This use of

momentum through hip extension will defeat the purpose of the exercise and will

not allow for the proper contraction of the hamstring muscles. In addition, lateral

flexion or twisting of the back must not occur as well. Twisting of the spine in

this position may expose it to injury. Finally, at the top of the movement, the

coach and athlete must ensure the athlete does NOT hyperextend his back. To do

so may lead toward spinal compression.

If an athlete cannot perform the Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise at first – and

there are many who lack the strength to do so – he can complete the eccentric

portion of the movement until he has the strength and confidence complete it

properly.

To complete an eccentric Glute-Ham-Gastroc raise, have the athlete start

in the “top” position (Appendix A, Figure 4) . A spotter can be used to help the

athlete lower himself as slowly as he can to the starting position, and then use the

handles on the machine to return back to the top.

Many athletes complain of an almost “cramp” like feeling in the upper

hamstrings and glutes while they perform this exercise. This is perfectly normal,

as their hamstrings and glutes are still learning the kinesiological pattern of the

movement. As the body’s motor system becomes more efficient, this will greatly

enhance the athlete’s ability to display force in the area quickly – that is, they can

jump higher and run faster, thereby leading to potentially greater sports

performance. In addition, the mastery of these kinesiological patterns can also

lead to decreased chance of injury. (Verkhoshansky, 1977; Siff, 2003)


As was mentioned before, the glutes, together with the hamstrings,

perform the important task of hip extension. They also form the critical link

between the lower and upper halves of the body. Strong, flexible hamstrings and

glutes pull the hip joint into a more “neutral” position. This may help alleviate

lower back pain for many individuals who have otherwise healthy spines.

(Shankman, 1993)

There are three additional strength training exercises that all athletes and

coaches should have at their disposal to perform to achieve proper glute and

hamstring development, the Romanian Deadlift (RDL), the Good Morning, and

the Reverse Hyper.

The “Romanian Deadlift”, or “RDL”, is a version of a bent - leg deadlift

(Appendix B, Figures 5-7) , and it is classified as a closed chain exercise.

Although it has been performed long before there was a country called Romania,

it is called the RDL in the United States because of its use at the United States

Olympic Training Center in Colorado by former Romanian weightlifter Dragomir

Cioroslan. (Charniga, 2009) This exercise provides for hip extension, using the

upper hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erector muscles. To complete a Romanian

Deadlift, the athlete stands holding a barbell using a jump-width stance at arm’s

length, usually with the feet underneath the hips. The barbell is held with an over

handed, clean-width grip. The athlete also retracts his scapula (pulls his shoulder

blades back), and is instructed to maintain this shoulder back position for the

entire exercise (Appendix B, Figure 5) .


The athlete puts a slight bend in his knees, and begins to move forward at

the waist. The barbell should stay tight to the body, almost physically touching

the legs as the bar descends.

With the bar descending, the athlete should maintain a forward gaze to

help the scapula stay contracted, and allow his bodyweight to shift back onto his

heels (Appendix B, Figure 6) .

Flexibility of the hamstrings will be the limiting factor in the depth of the

barbell’s descent. After the athlete reaches his maximum depth (Appendix B,

Figure 7) , he should rise back up to the starting position, maintaining his

retracted scapula. The athlete then repeats the movement for the prescribed

number of repetitions and sets. This teaching model resembles that of Frounfelter

(2000).

The “Good Morning” exercise (Appendix C, Figures 8-10) is performed

exactly like the Romanian Deadlift, except that the barbell is placed behind the

athlete’s head, as if he were going to squat with the barbell (Appendix C, Figure

8) . While this change may seem minor, switching the bar placement in this

manner offers the athlete a different training stimulus. Charniga (1986) presented

a complete analysis of the techniques used, and are a valuable tool for learning the

lift and its variations.

The bar placement changes the length of the lever arm (Appendix C,

Figure 10) . Basic physics reminds the coach and athlete that as the lever arm gets

longer, there is the potential for more force – or in this case stress – at the

fulcrum, which happens to be the athlete’s lower back. (Charniga, 1986)


Because of the increased stress on the spinal erector muscles, caution must

be used when selecting resistance for the Good Morning. Most athletes will begin

the Good Morning with considerably less weight than the Romanian Deadlift,

until they become confident in their ability to execute a Good Morning properly.

Fairleigh Dickinson University regularly recommends a starting weight choice of

50 – 75% of the athlete’s Romanian Deadlift training weights. Fairleigh

Dickinson University also teaches their athletes to learn and correctly perform a

Romanian Deadlift before attempting to learn the Good Morning. After the athlete

has demonstrated repeated competence in the Romanian Deadlift, the coaching

staff allows the athlete to add the Good Morning as a posterior chain training

option. Regarding teaching order, the author knows of no such written

recommendations from any other sources.

The “Reverse Hyper” (Appendix D, Figures 12-14) is also a staple in

Fairleigh Dickinson’s posterior chain training model. This exercise is a version of

a reverse back raise that targets the hamstrings, glutes, and extensors of the lower

back. The Reverse Hyper, much like the Glute-Ham-Gastroc Raise, is a much

neglected exercise at sports training facilities, because many facilities do not have

the necessary piece of equipment to perform the exercise properly. While the

Reverse Hyper can be performed off of an extra high table or the backwards set

up of a Glute-Ham-Gastroc machine, it is best done with an actual Reverse Hyper

machine (Appendix D, Figure 11) . The machine version of the Reverse Hyper

was originally designed by powerlifting athlete and coach Louie Simmons of

Ohio. If the athlete does not perform the reverse hyper on the proper machine, it


is virtually impossible to add resistance safely, thus violating the basic exercise

principle of progressive overload. (Wathan & Roll, 1994) Although a Reverse

Hyper is an open chain exercise, it does work the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal

erector muscles simultaneously. In addition, the initial position of the lifter may

allow for decompression of the discs in the spine, although further research is

warranted to justify these claims.

To perform a Reverse Hyper properly, according to Elite Fitness (2007),

the coach and athlete must ensure the reverse hyper machine is set up properly

(each company’s machine will have slightly different standards), with the

athlete’s hips off of the table (Appendix D, Figure 12) .

The athlete keeps his legs straight, while raising the legs up to a parallel

position. The hamstrings, glutes, and erector spinae all work in concert to

accomplish this task as the athlete’s legs move from an approximate 90º angle at

the hip to a 180º angle at the hip.

While in the top position (Appendix D, Figure 14) , parallel to the floor,

legs at 180º hip angle, the athlete should “fire his glutes” by forcing a contraction

of the gluteus muscles. The athlete then lowers his legs under control and returns

them to the original start position. The athlete then repeats the movement for the

prescribed number of repetitions and sets.

It is important that the coach and athlete understand the differences in each

equipment manufacturer’s Reverse Hyper machine. While the muscle movements

will be virtually identical, the adjustments on the machine and the Reverse

Hyper’s operation may vary. The author is not aware of any studies concerning


the effectiveness of one manufacturer’s Reverse Hyper against another, but a

simple product sales literature search will yield at least three different designs.


CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

At Fairleigh Dickinson, we believe that the posterior chain is a critical

component of athletic success, and it must be trained during every strength

training session. Training variables including the athlete’s sport, time of year, and

individual strengths and weaknesses must all be accounted for. While there are

differences in every athlete’s strength training program, all of our athletes follow

a similar template for a training session:

A. Warm up – a 5-10 minute session involving a dynamic warm up,

followed by various movement preparation drills, usually in an

unloaded state

B. The main lift of the day – either the most explosive/technical (Olympic

lifts and their variations) OR the main strength movement of the day,

depending upon that training session’s objective

C. Whichever movement from (B), above, that was not selected

D. The posterior chain movement of the day

E. The rest of that session’s training movements


F. Stretching, recovery, and regeneration, always including at least one

activity targeting the posterior chain

Despite the importance of the posterior chain, there are two primary

reasons why posterior chain exercises with weights are not performed first in the

workout. It is critical that the most technical and explosive lifts be completed first

in a workout. These lifts tend to be the Olympic lifts and their variations,

exercises that improve an athlete’s maximum rate of force development. The

Central Nervous System needs to be at its most rested state to maximize benefits

and guard against injury. As the CNS becomes fatigued, and technique breaks

down, the risk of injury increases dramatically. (Siff, 2003; Verkhoshansky,

1985; Roman, 1986)

The second reason that weighted posterior chain movements are not

performed first is that lower body compound movements (e.g., the back squat)

that involve the auxiliary use of the posterior chain – specifically the lower back –

also need the posterior chain at its most rested state to guard against injury. When

squatting relatively heavy weights, it is not advisable to have a weakened lower

back.

There is a great body of knowledge that exists in the strength training field

regarding the use of the posterior chain. Much of this knowledge is assumed

correct as commonly executed and accepted practices, but Western research is

lacking to confirm or refute this common knowledge database. New, Western

studies are needed to test the effectiveness of these strength training exercises.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

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APPENDIX A

THE GLUTE-HAM-GASTROC RAISE

Figure 1


Figure 2

Figure 3


Figure 4


APPENDIX B

THE ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

Figure 5


Figure 6

Figure 7


APPENDIX C

THE GOOD MORNING

Figure 8


Figure 9

Figure 10


APPENDIX D

THE REVERSE HYPER

Figure 11


Figure 12

Figure 13


Figure 14


N.I.H. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Certificate of Completion The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research certifies that William Klika successfully completed the NIH Web-based training course “Protecting Human Research Participants”. Date of completion: 06/10/2009

Certification Number: 234905

assessing a strength training model for special posterior ......strength training 7 such as time of...

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