Exercise Progressions for Resuming Strength Training Following Posterior-Chain Muscle Injury
by Emidio E. Pistilli, PhD
NSCA Coach
June 2025
Vol 11, Issue 4
The purpose of this article is to provide a sample training program that targets the posterior chain of the lower limb and allows athletes to gain pain-free range of motion.
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This article originally appeared in NSCA Coach, a quarterly publication for NSCA Members that provides valuable takeaways for every level of strength and conditioning coach. You can find scientifically based articles specific to a wide variety of your athletes’ needs with Nutrition, Programming, and Youth columns. Read more articles from NSCA Coach »
Related Reading
Chang, E, Norcross, MF, Johnson, ST, Kitagawa, T, and Hoffman, M. Relationships between explosive and maximal triple extensor muscle performance and vertical jump height. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29: 545-551, 2015.
Lorenz, D. Facilitating power development in the recovering athlete: Triple extension in rehabilitation. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38: 48-50, 2016.
REFERENCES
- Alonso-Fernandez, D, Docampo-Blanco, P, and Martinez-Fernandez, J. Changes in muscle architecture of biceps femoris induced by eccentric strength training with nordic hamstring exercise. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 28: 88-94, 2018.
- Chang, E, Norcross, MF, Johnson, ST, Kitagawa, T, and Hoffman, M. Relationships between explosive and maximal triple extensor muscle performance and vertical jump height. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29: 545-551, 2015.
- Charniga, A. Variations and rational use of the good morning exercise. NSCA Journal 8: 74-77, 1986.
- Ekstrand, J, Bengtsson, H, Walden, M, Davison, M, Khan, KM, and Hagglund, M. Hamstring injury rates have increased during recent seasons and now constitute 24% of all injuries in men’s professional football: The UEFA Elite Club Injury Study from 2001/02 to 2021/22. British Journal of Sports Medicine 57: 292-298, 2022.
- Ferri-Caruana, A, Molla-Casanova, S, Baquedano-Moreno, M, and Serra-Ano, P. Electromyographic activity of posterior kinetic chain muscles during hamstring strengthening exercises. Physical Therapy in Sport 55: 205-210, 2022.
- Gabriel, A, Konrad, A, Herold, N, Horstmann, T, Schleip, R, and Paternoster, FK. Testing the posterior chain: Diagnostic accuracy of the bunkie test versus the isokinetic hamstrings/quadriceps measurement in patients with self-reported knee pain and healthy controls. Journal of Clinical Medicine 13, 2024.
- Hardeman, A, Serrano, J, Serrano, B. The importance of the posterior chain in crossfil programming. British Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 2: 582-589, 2020.
- Hughes, R, Cross, M, Stokes, K, Tobin, D, Power, E, et al. Novel biomechanical injury risk score demonstrates correlation with lower limb posterior chain injury in 50 elite-level rugby union athletes. BMJ Open Sport and Exercice Medicine 7: e001062, 2021.
- Lorenz, D. Facilitating power development in the recovering athlete: Triple extension in rehabilitation. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38: 48-50, 2016.
- Siff, MC. Supertraining. Denver, CO: Supertraining Institute; 2004.
- Tataryn, N, Simas, V, Catterall, T, Furness, J, and Keogh, JWL. Posterior-chain resistance training compared to general exercise and walking programmes for the treatment of chronic low back pain in the general population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open 7: 17, 2021.
- Tortora, GJ, and Grabowski, SR. Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology. New York, NY: Harper Collins College Publishers; 1993.
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Keywords:
Fitness progression Concentric Contraction Eccentric Movement Pre-Injury Strength Training Range of Motion Muscle Recovery RDL Training Program
Fitness progression Concentric Contraction Eccentric Movement Pre-Injury Strength Training Range of Motion Muscle Recovery RDL Training Program
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