Are your hip flexors ‘’tight?’’ Or do they feel this way as they actually need to get stronger? I have ‘’tight’’ in quotations because there are different reasons why your hip flexors might feel this way. Don’t just assume they need to be stretched.
Here are 5 awesome exercises that strengthen the hip flexors.
#1) Isometric Pull-Up + Band Resisted Psoas Marches
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, grip strength, upper body strength, and shoulder/scapular stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Put a resistance band around your forefeet.
- Adopt your preferred hand width and grip. I’m using a neutral grip here.
- Set your body so it’s in a straight line from your head to feet.
- Get to the top position by performing a pull-up. Your elbows should form roughly a 45-90% angle. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- While maintaining this elbow angle and body position use your hip flexors and perform a psoas march. Lower your leg to the bottom position with complete control.
- For the duration of the exercise, on the non-moving side keep your knee fully extended, and contract your quads and glutes.
- Perform all reps on one side (what I’m doing), or alternate sides.
- For the duration of the exercise, maintain the pull-up specific body positioning I described above.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your shoulder blades in and down (retracted, depressed, and downwardly rotated). Don’t let your shoulders shrug or shoulder blades elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Hollow Body + Straight Leg V-Raises
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, strengthens the hip flexors, and improves hip controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Place two weights/objects ahead of your legs, and so they are roughly hip width apart.
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (and feel your anterior core muscles). Make sure you keep your ribs tucked towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- While keeping your head, torso and hips in a fixed position, and legs fully extended and feet plantarflexed, lift your legs, and spread them laterally over the weights.
- Gain a moment of control, and then return your legs so you are in a regular hollow body position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your legs or feet to strike the objects, or for your legs or feet to touch the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) Dead Bug + Psoas Marches + Kettlebell Lowering
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Hold a weight in both hands and extend your arms so they are above your chest.
- Draw one knee in towards your body. For the duration of the set, keep your leg in this position. Do not allow your leg to be pulled forward. This is where you should really feel your psoas muscles.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Now contract your anterior core muscles, steadily exhale through your mouth, slowly extend your other leg and arms/the weight towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset. Most people rush and do not do a proper reset and this makes the exercise quite ineffective.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace).
Get STRONG hip flexors, improve your mobility and athleticism! Getting your hip flexors STRONGER might be the missing link to helping you function, perform, and feel better in the gym, with your running, your sport, and even in your daily life. For “experienced beginners” to advanced trainees, and also coaches. Great for home AND gym workouts!
#4) Single Leg Supine Plank + Band Resisted Psoas Marches
This exercise strengthens the posterior core muscles, glutes, and hip flexors, and improves shoulder and scapular stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your feet.
- Set up two yoga blocks/objects so they are parallel, and place your elbows on either yoga block.
- Set yourself up so you are in a single leg bodyweight glute bridge. Keep your shin in a relatively vertical position.
- Take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now simultaneously perform a single leg glute bridge, and press your elbows away from the yoga blocks and retract your shoulder blades (move each one in towards your spine). For the duration of the exercise, maintain this press. You should really feel the muscles around your shoulder blades, and the back of your shoulders.
- To be clear, your body should remain elevated, and should not be in contact with the floor.
- Your body should be in a straight line from your head to knee. While remaining in this position, perform a psoas march and bring your knee in towards your body. Pause for a count, then lower your leg with complete control. Stop just before your foot comes into contact with the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or shoulders to collapse/or elevate.
- Do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Double Straight Leg Pike V-Lift Combo
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, improves hip controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Fully extend both of your knees, and plantarflex your feet (point them away from you).
- While keeping your knees fully extended, ankles in a fixed position, and feet plantarflexed, lift your legs over the objects in a lateral direction, and then back to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your legs or feet to strike the objects, or for your legs or feet to touch the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from hip to hip. Some minor spinal flexion is ok.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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