When you concentrate on getting strong and jacked, the hip flexors should not one in every of the primary areas that come to mind. The massive muscles just like the chest, back, quads, and glutes get the entire love. But, hip flexor exercises could make a giant difference, meaning this muscle group deserves some attention too.
Muscles just like the hip flexors act synergistically to help not directly in lots of movements. In actual fact, the hip flexors are involved in nearly every lower body activity. This implies you may’t be as strong as possible if you have got weak links on this area.
The hip flexors are essential for another excuse, too. With how much we sit, it’s normal for our hips to develop into incredibly tight and immobile. Try squatting heavy with tight hips. It is not fun. Warming the hips up properly before lower body workouts is a secret of the professionals.
The excellent news is it doesn’t take much to get your hip flexors moving higher and stronger than ever. You’ll be able to improve things significantly with the right hip flexor exercises and programming.
Table of Contents:
- What Are The Hip Flexors?
- What Causes Tight Hips?
- How To Tell If Your Hip Flexors Are Tight Or Weak
- Best 9 Hip Flexor Strengthening Exercises
- Stretches For Tight Hip Flexors To Improve Flexibility
- Programming Hip Flexor Exercises
- Real-Life Perspective: Suggestions & Tricks For Stretching & Strengthening Your Hip Flexors
- Advantages Of Hip Flexor Exercises
What are the Hip Flexors?
The hip flexor muscles are on the front top of your thigh within the pelvic area. They function by bringing the knee closer to your chest and work with the hip joints, that are ball and socket joints. This movement is named hip flexion, hence the name. The hip flexors play a vital role anytime you sit, squat, run, or ride a motorbike.
As much as eleven muscles are involved in hip flexion. The first hip flexors are the iliacus, psoas (iliopsoas), pectineus, rectus femoris, and sartorius.
- Psoas: The psoas are two different hip muscles: psoas major and psoas minor. These muscles assist in stabilizing your lower back. The psoas muscle runs from the lower back through the pelvis and attaches to the femur. The unique feature of the psoas muscle is it attaches the upper body to the lower body. Because it is important for hip flexor health, it’s crucial to include psoas exercises into your routine.
- Iliacus: The iliacus muscle works synergistically with the psoas major to create movement within the hip joint. When contracted, it flexes and externally rotates the femur. The iliacus can be a critical muscle that helps maintain proper body posture.
- Pectineus: The pectineus is more commonly referred to as a groin muscle but is involved in hip flexion, too. On account of the position of the muscle fibers, the pectineus flexes and adducts the thigh on the hip joint, meaning it plays an important role in hip adduction exercises.
- Rectus Femoris: A quadriceps muscle, the rectus femoris attaches the pelvis to the knee. The quad muscle is a hip flexor, helps to stabilize the spine, and is involved in squats and lunges.
- Sartorius: The sartorius can be a quadriceps muscle running from the pelvis to the knee. It’s the muscle that runs across the thigh. The function of the sartorius is exclusive because it acts as a hip and knee flexor.
What Causes Tight Hips?
Tight hip flexors, hip pain, and hip flexor strain are among the many more prevalent complaints you hear within the gym. But what causes tight hips?
In today’s society, it is not uncommon to live a sedentary life. Besides being a number one explanation for obesity, the dearth of activity also creates tight hips1. Above all else, sitting all day causes the hip flexors to shorten and develop into tight. Short and tight muscles don’t generate as much strength and power as lengthened muscles. When it comes time to walk, run, or squat, they may resist or not work as they need to.
You can too get tight hips from activity. We all know, we all know. Sometimes with hip flexors you may’t win.
Any time you bring your knees toward your torso, your hip flexors are working. Activities that require repetition of this motion may end up in strain, resulting in tightness in the realm. Running, skating, kicking, and a weight-lifting workout split can all cause tight hips.
Having poor posture may also result in tight hips.
How do you tell in case your hip flexors are tight or weak?
A clean indication that your hip flexors are tight is that they feel tense whenever you attempt to stretch them or perform an activity.
There are other less obvious signs too. When the hip flexors are tight, they’ll impact many areas of your body. Among the common symptoms are:
- Tightness or lower back pain, especially when standing.
- Not capable of hit depth comfortably when squatting.
- Decreased sports performance.
- Trouble maintaining proper posture.
- Neck tightness and pain.
- Glute tightness and pain.
You can too do a test to envision for hip tightness. It’s called the Thomas Test, and it’s used to envision for each anterior pelvic tilt and posterior pelvic tilt.
To perform the test, lie face up on a sturdy table or bench so your legs hang off. Bring each knees toward your torso so your lower back lies flat against the table or bench. While holding the proper knee near your chest, slowly straighten your left leg and let it loosen up downward. Sometimes it helps to have someone hold that leg for you.
Your hip flexors are okay when you can fully extend the thigh, so it’s parallel to the bottom, and the opposite knee is bent to 90 degrees without the opposite thigh rising. It indicates tight hip flexor muscles when you struggle to forestall the relaxed leg from coming up.
The video below shows you exactly easy methods to do the Thomas Test.
How To Strengthen Hip Flexors: 9 Best Hip Flexor Strengthening Exercises
The very first thing you should do is use the Thomas Test above to find out whether your hip flexors are tight or weak. In the event that they’re weak, this section is for you!
One Reddit commenter explains that stretching doesn’t do anything positive for weak hip flexors, so it is important to discover your true issue. “I’m highly against stretching your hip flexors until you are 100% certain they’re tight. Stretching your hip flexors while having weak hip flexors as a substitute of tight ones will only worsen the issue. Please check in the event that they are tight first, more often than not hip flexors are only weak.” (source)
Should you’ve determined your hip flexors are weak, I’m sure you are able to dig into the most effective hip flexor strengthening exercises. Let’s get into the 9 best hip flexor exercises!
1. Alternating Straight Leg Raise:
The straight leg raise improves hip mobility, stability, and strength. It’s probably the most used exercises during physical therapy following hip and knee injuries. That said, additionally it is an amazing exercise to enhance healthy hips and increase hip mobility.
How one can do the Alternating Leg Raise:
- Begin by lying on the bottom along with your legs in front of you and your arms at your sides.
- Squeeze the quad in your left leg and, while keeping your left knee and leg straight, lift it to a 45-degree angle. Hold for as much as five seconds and return to the ground in a controlled motion. Be sure your right leg stays straight and on the bottom your complete time.
- Repeat for the specified reps on one side and switch legs.
2. Back-Supported Leg Raise:
The back-supported leg raise, also known as The Roman Chair or Power Tower, is top-of-the-line overall ab exercises you may do. The movement explicitly targets the lower section of the abdominals but in addition incorporates the hip flexors.
The back support protects the lower back and helps keep the movement strict. You’ll have to search for this equipment at your gym. And do not forget to do some ab stretches afterward!
How one can do Back-Supported Leg Raises:
- Support your body by resting your elbows on the pads. Position your back against the back support.
- Begin the movement by raising your legs to 90 degrees before you, rounding the lower back to contract the abdominal core. The hot button is attempting to get your legs up high enough.
- Once your legs develop into horizontal, lower them down under control. Be sure your feet extend down between reps.
3. Decline Sit-Ups:
The decline sit-up is one other great ab and hip flexor exercise. It allows us to make use of gravity to make the usual sit-up tougher and effective, which is great for addressing weak hip flexors.
One error many individuals make when training the hip flexors is sticking to easy exercises and performing them with high reps within the muscular endurance range (typically 16+ reps).
Remember, the hip flexors are muscles that reply to resistance like other muscles. To construct muscle, you should train with high resistance. If you should, start with body weight. Otherwise, make this tougher by holding a weighted plate.
How one can do Decline Sit Ups:
- Secure your feet under the pads at the top of a decline bench and lie down. Cross your hands across your chest, or hold a weight plane in front of your chest. That is the starting position.
- To start the movement, push your lower back on the bench and convey your torso up off the pad.
- Proceed sitting up until your arms are available in contact along with your knees. Hold the highest position for a second.
- After the one-second hold, begin slowly to the starting position.
4. Walking Dumbbell Lunge:
The walking lunge is an amazing dumbbell leg exercise. Probably the most significant advantages of this movement is that it really works to enhance balance and muscular strength.
How one can do the Walking Dumbbell Lunge:
- Stand along with your body upright, holding one or two dumbbells at your sides. Begin with feet hip width apart. That is the starting position.
- Take a step forward along with your right leg around two feet or so from the foot being left on the bottom and lower your upper body down, while keeping the torso upright and maintaining balance. Don’t lean forward.
- To perform the movement, push up and return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for the beneficial repetitions after which perform along with your left foot and leg forward.
5. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat:
The Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat (BSS) is a single-leg exercise that’s an amazing lower body developer. Probably the greatest advantages of this movement is how secure it’s. The BSS is often used as a substitute for the back squat if people have a lower back injury or one other limitation.
How one can do Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats:
- Hold one or two dumbbells at your sides while standing in front of a bench.
- Reach one leg back behind you, and rest the highest of your foot flat on the bench.
- Brace your core and descend under control until your back knee is a few inches from the bottom or your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
- Extend your knees and hips fully to return to the highest. Ensure your torso stays upright during your complete rep.
6. Psoas March:
Even though it is an amazing movement to strengthen your psoas, you can even use it in your warm-up. If you wish to make this exercise harder, place a resistance band around your feet for an additional challenge.
How one can do the Psoas March:
- Lay in your back, maintaining a neutral spine, along with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Your arms may be placed on the ground or within the air.
- Extend one leg along with your knee straight, and slowly bring the leg back, then repeat on the opposite side.
7. Dumbbell Step Up:
The dumbbell step-up is an amazing lower body exercise to incorporate in your leg workouts because it develops muscle, strength, and balance. Use a box or bench 12 to 18 inches (30-46 cm) or high enough to create roughly a 90-degree angle on the knee joint when the foot is on the box.
How one can do the Dumbbell Step Up:
- Hold the dumbbells at your sides, about 12 inches from a box or bench. Step up one leg to position your entire foot on the box.
- Along with your knee bent, keep your torso erect as you step up on the box, and avoid leaning forward. Push off along with your lead leg already on the box, and convey your back foot onto the box.
- Once each feet are on the box and your legs straight, return each feet to the bottom, one leg at a time.
- Repeat on the opposite leg.
8. Barbell Rollout:
The barbell rollout and ab wheel are underused and underappreciated, but there isn’t a doubt they’re brutally effective.
You’ll be able to pick up an ab wheel online for reasonable in case your gym doesn’t have one. It’s definitely worth the investment to have one in your gym bag. You can too use a barbell with 10-pound plates on both sides and roll out.
How one can do the Barbell Rollout:
- Along with your knees about hip-width apart, kneel and grasp the ab roller with each hands. The ab roller ought to be on the ground in front of you.
- Slowly roll the ab roller or barbell forward, stretching your body right into a straight position. Identical to within the plank, ensure that the movement is not coming out of your spine or your hips. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the set.
- Go as little as you may, without some other a part of your body touching the ground aside from your knees and feet.
- After a pause at the top range of motion, start pulling yourself back along with your core to the starting position. Keep your abs tight in any respect times.
9. Standing Knee Raise:
Last but not least is the standing knee raise. Although the standing knee raise is tough to load, it’s top-of-the-line ways to focus on the hip flexors directly. Consider it as a slow-motion, standing-in-place march.
How one can do the Standing Knee Raise:
- Stand along with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise one knee until your thigh is parallel to the bottom.
- Pause and return to the starting position.
- Repeat along with your opposite leg.
- You’ll be able to load the exercise by wearing ankle weights or putting your foot through the highest a part of a kettlebell.
How To Stretch Hip Flexors: Improve Flexibility With These Stretches for Tight Hip Flexors
Stretching is a tool to cut back muscle tightness and improve range of motion. Nonetheless, there may be debate over the most effective method and time to implement it. For a very long time, static stretching, where you stretch a muscle and hold it for a period, was believed to be an amazing warm-up activity.
Most coaches and trainers have recently switched to dynamic warm-ups. And, for many muscle groups, that is the proper approach.
That said, the hip flexors are unique. A 2021 systematic review with meta-analysis examined the influence of stretching the hip flexor muscles on performance parameters.
Unlike other muscle groups that decreased performance with static stretching pre-activity, the meta-analysis found no detrimental effect and improved performance in some cases2. The researchers hypothesized that hip flexor stretches leads to raised positioning for the lumbar spine and pelvis.
With this in mind, it is useful to incorporate dynamic and static hip flexors stretches as a part of the warm-up. Moreover, in case your hip flexors are tight, it is smart to have hip flexor stretches within the cool-down for extra work.
Best Dynamic Warm-Ups For Hip Flexors
Warm up tight hip flexors with these two dynamic hip flexor mobility exercises.
1. Leg Swings:
Leg swings are a dynamic warm-up exercise that prepares your muscles for those tough barbell leg exercises you are about to tackle. Unlike static stretches, where you hold one fixed position, dynamic stretches mean you can move through a spread of motion.
The dynamic nature of the movement not only reduces the prospect of injury but may also help improve performance in lower body exercises.
How one can do Leg Swings:
- To perform the movement, stand along with your legs shoulder width apart and extend your arm against a wall or a sturdy object. There ought to be enough room so that you can swing your legs through a full range of motion.
- Along with your arm prolonged, stand in your left leg and extend your right leg out in front of you in order that it’s just off the bottom.
- Begin by swinging your right leg to the front of the body so far as you may after which swinging it back behind you, crossing your left leg so far as you may. Finish the set after which repeat on the opposite side.
2. Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch:
The lunging hip flexor stretch is probably the most common hip flexor stretches, and for a very good reason. It’s effective and can be an amazing glute stretch.
How one can do the Lunging Hip Flexor Stretch:
- Take a step forward along with your right foot from a standing position, and drop your back knee toward the bottom as if performing a lunge.
- Place your arms in your right thigh and shift your weight forward until you are feeling a stretch in your left hip.
- Concentrate on contracting your glutes.
- Hold for as much as 30 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.
Best Static Stretches For Hip Flexors
It’s just as essential to stretch and lengthen your hip muscles post-workout with some cool down stretches and exercises. You can too include these as a part of your warm-up. We promise they’ll feel great!
1. The Couch Stretch:
The couch stretch, made famous by physical therapist Kelly Starrett, is an amazing movement to stretch the quad and hip flexors. It is very versatile.
You’ll be able to do it to chill down from a brutal workout or on muscle recovery days in case your legs or hips are tight. Hold the stretch for not less than 30 seconds on both sides.
How one can do the Couch Stretch:
- You will want a bench or a couch to do the couch stretch. Begin the movement by moving into a split squat position, along with your back knee touching the bottom and your heel up toward your glutes.
- Your back knee ought to be straight with the front fringe of the bench or couch. Initiate the stretch by pressing your back hip forward. Contracting the glutes can deepen the stretch. Keep your torso upright.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
2. The Hurdle Stretch:
The hurdle stretch has been a staple in physical education classes everywhere in the country for years due to its ability to stretch the hamstrings and hip flexors.
How one can do the Hurdle Stretch:
- To perform a hurdle stretch, get down in a seated position and extend one knee at a 45-degree angle out of your hips.
- Position your other leg straight out in front of you. Reach along the straight leg so far as you may and hold.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Programming Hip Flexor Exercises
Because the hip flexors are involved in lots of exercises, proper programming may be tricky. Listed here are just a few tips that could aid you out.
- Hip flexors pair well with lower body and core workouts. Aim to coach them a few times per week.
- The hip flexors respond best to higher rep sets within the muscular hypertrophy range. Aim to perform not less than eight reps for all hip flexor exercises.
- To enhance lower body performance, including dynamic and static hip flexor stretches as a part of a lower-body warm-up.
- In case your hip flexors are exceptionally tight, add hip flexor stretches into the cool-down phase and other times of the day.
Real-Life Perspective: Suggestions & Tricks For Stretching & Strengthening Your Hip Flexors
I just went over my favorite exercises and stretches, nevertheless it’s also useful to see what fellow gym goers have found success with. Here’s some additional advice on easy methods to best improve hip flexor tightness and weakness!
One Reddit commenter offers the next advice: “You’ll be able to train them with squats and leg raises, together with just a few other exorcises. Any movement that involves raising your leg. Hanging leg raises from 0 – 90 degree (legs parallel to floor) will work them. Above 90 degree is when it becomes an ab exorcise. Just standing and raising your legs as high as you may to the front and side works great, add a light-weight ankle weight for added difficulty. Or stand with you foot on a box about waist height and check out to boost it from there. The largest issue people have with hip flexors will not be lack of strength but lack of flexibility. Ballet has some great hip conditioning exorcises.” (source)
One other Redditor adds: “Hopefully your gym has a heavy bag. I like just roundhouse kicking the shit out of the bag with some punches and all that. Crescent kicks, glute bridges, and just flat out kicking the bag with all of your strength like Spartacus (and keep your concentrate on your core). And kick at head level. Good for the arrogance.” (source)
As well as, this Reddit user recommends the next: “Your quads have 4 muscles. The highest one is a hip flexor while the opposite 3 are more knee oriented. You do produce other hip flexors as well though. Along with the exercises others have listed, I actually enjoy “Monster Walk” as a very good complement to my running.” (source)
Various things work for various people, as everyone seems to be built in another way. Try experimenting with different stretches and strengthening exercises to search out your best match!
Advantages of Hip Flexor Exercises
There isn’t a shortage of advantages that include including hip flexor exercises in your training program. Hip flexor exercises:
- Improve hip mobility
- Improve or prevent lower back pain
- Decrease injury risk
- Allow a cushty full range of motion on squats
- Improve sports performance
- Improve posture
- Reduce neck tightness and pain
- Increase glute activation
Exercises To Strengthen Hip Flexors: Key Takeaways
It is simple to forget concerning the hip flexors. The muscles are hard to see, pronounce, and do not get much attention. That said, neglecting the hip flexors is a giant mistake.
If you wish to perform at your best within the gym, weak and immobile hip flexors stands out as the missing link to mastering those hip hinge exercises you’ve got been working on. Moreover, start stretching and strengthening your hips if you have got back pain before you go to the chiropractor.
After reading this text, you have got the knowledge and blueprint for achievement. All that’s left is to get to work.
