Tips to build posterior power - Marine Corps Off Duty | health, fitness, gear, gadgets, sports, travel - Marine Corps Times

Tips to build posterior power

Since the dark ages of military physical fitness training, the standard workout has consisted of running and calisthenics -- multiple variations of push-ups or pull-ups, sit-ups or crunches.

While any drill has its merits, the exercises in the standard workout don't approach physical training from a whole-body point of view.

The usual workout is dominated by drills that strengthen, tighten and stress the anterior, or front, of the body. Little or no attention is paid to the posterior. This is unfortunate because for military service, the posterior chain of muscles -- from the legs and back all the way up to the neck extensors -- is the most important.

Some leaders put their troops through silly drills like the "Superman" or the "HALO Jumper," thinking those exercises are strengthening their backs. They're well-intentioned, but incorrect.

Because we're loading the skeleton with 30 to 120 pounds of gear, we need to go way beyond the standard military workout to build a strong posterior chain.

We have data that bear this out, as veterans are returning from the front with back injuries.

One study last fall found that of 162 injured soldiers medically evacuated from Iraq, 53 percent suffered lower back pain; of those, 24 percent suffered herniated discs. Battle injuries accounted for just 17 percent of the evacuations, according to the study, which was conducted by Army Maj. Scott Griffith, director of the chronic pain clinic at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The key to preventing these types of injuries is strengthening your posterior chain. Don't slack on it.

Where noted, some of these drills work best with the One Minute Volume Method. For an OMVM drill, you need a watch with a timer, set to beep every 60 seconds. Pick an exercise and a low number of reps (10 or so). Start the watch and bang out the reps, then rest until the watch beeps. Repeat each minute until your workout is over.

Calisthenics solutions

There is only so much you can do with body-weight drills -- you're not loading your skeleton like you would in a real-world operation. But if you don't have anything else, try these:

1. Full-depth squats. Do sets of as many reps as you can handle, working up to 100 reps or more. Keep your shins vertical -- this helps eliminate stress in the knee joint and keeps your weight on your heels.

2. Belly-backs. For this speed drill, start by lying face down on the ground. Scramble to your feet and then hit the ground again, this time on your back. Then, reverse the drill. Repeat for reps, time or until fatigue starts to cause pain.

3. Pull-ups. Do OMVM drills or many small sets throughout the day.

4. Weighted pull-ups. Do many small sets throughout the day, with at least 25 pounds attached to your feet, waist or shoulders.

5. Squat jumps. Work on OMVM drills or many sets of moderate reps throughout the day.

Field gear solutions

Why not exercise in your field gear? Not only will it make you stronger, it will get you used to moving in your kit, which is vital to combat success. Try these drills:

1. Full-depth squats. Do these in your body armor and load-bearing equipment. To make this more challenging, hold your ruck in front of you or overhead.

2. Squat thrust and jumps. Again, do these in armor and LBE. Do many sets of low reps throughout the day.

3. Pull-ups. Try them with armor and LBE and with your ruck, doing OMVM drills or many sets of low reps throughout the day.

4. Ruck clean-and-snatch. Again, do OMVM drills or many sets of low reps throughout the day.

5. Ruck or sandbag swings. Work up to 50 to 100 reps per set, with many sets of high reps throughout the day (but don't train to failure).

'Gold standard' drills

We've gone down the line from worst to best. Incorporate these drills into your workout two to three times a week and you are sure to improve your posterior chain strength endurance:

1. Dumbbell or sandbag swings. Five to 15 sets of 20 to 100 reps with 55 pounds.

2. Dumbbell clean and jerk. Five to 15 sets of 10 to 50 reps with 55 pounds.

3. Pull-ups. Alternate between weighted and nonweighted days using OMVM drills.

4. Barbell dead lifts. Three to five sets of three to five reps -- go heavy.

5. Dumbbell bear crawls. For this drill, crawl on all fours with a pair of dumbbells in your hands. To turn it up even more, do a push-up and a row with every step forward. Go for time or distance.

Keep in mind that in place of the dumbbell, you can substitute a kettlebell -- if you haven't seen one, it looks like a bowling ball with a handle.

Nate Morrison is an Air Force pararescueman staff sergeant. He is a military fitness expert and founder of an online fitness magazine.