today we're teaching the three best stretches to fix
tight hip flexors learn how you can stretch with perfect technique and increase flexibility fast
here's a quick assessment that you can do at home to determine
which hip flexor muscle is the tightest on your body if you find that your hip is relatively high
these are the best stretches that are going to help you out if on the other hand you're someone
who's struggling with that quad tightness then i recommend this stretch the first stretch i invite
you to try is the effective wall hip flexor using a wall is the best way to safely and effectively
stretch hip flexors this posture lengthens the hip flexors at both their origin and insertion at
the end of the movement we're stretching the upper hip flexor muscles around the stomach at the start
position we're mainly stretching the lower hip flexor muscles of the thigh here's a step-by-step
checklist for successful technique with my stance width i want to go outside shoulder width apart
this enhances my stability and it allows me to stretch quite aggressively in terms of the front
knee i like to externally rotate this creates space within the hip joint to allow me once again
to sink further into the stretch now the most important cue from today's video is squeezing
the back glute the reason why this is important is because it allows us to drive into hip extension
and really forcefully stretch the hip flexor group contracting our agonist glutes sends a
message to our central nervous system to relax the antagonists hip flexors and allows us to stretch
even deeper combining this exercise cue with stretching science is the recipe for increasing
your range and opening your hips many people fake flexibility by excessively arching their lower
back this compensatory movement at the lumbar spine doesn't serve our goals moving on to make
this classic stretch even more effective you want to hold a weight overhead on the same side as your
stretching hip this allows you to get even further of a stretch and it keeps you really honest
holding your weight overhead forces us to keep a tall posture and get better results you want
to choose a load that isn't too light or too heavy the weight should permit not restrict your range
holding the weight overhead drives the hip into greater extension on the way down we want to keep
our scapula elevated during the set constantly cueing the motion of shrugging up and reaching
backwards when done correctly your hip flexors are being stretched like a rubber band being
pulled apart from both ends what you guys should really understand is that our hips need to be
moving directly forward and backwards when we're stretching to target this area don't make the
mistake of twisting the hips outwards this is how our body cheats to avoid the stretching sensation
being strict and constraining our movement to the sagittal plane is the most effective way to
target the hip flexor muscles alright let's bring everything together and summarize what matters
we need to move deliberately during the full range of motion we must control ourselves into end range
hip extension deep breathing is key for maximizing your body's movement potential despite the serious
stretch sensation which feels uncomfortable it's on you to remain calm pacing and tempo needs to
be smooth to solidify hip flexor strength at length a patient concentric pause at end range
and controlled return is what we want in order to begin fixing our tight hip flexors we have to put
in the work consistently and use correct technique we also need to progress where possible here's how
yoga blocks are your go-to option as you become more advanced it allows you to get greater
leverage and push further into the stretching sensation it also opens up a gateway of options
for overloading the hip flexors now for those of you that want to take things to the next level
and really aggressively stretch your hip flexors you should try the weighted wall lunge this option
is great for those of you that have got really stubborn and tight hip flexors and it allows you
to sink super deep into the stretch and this one is just guaranteed to help all types of tight hip
flexors if you stay patient and you increase your age people always argue what's the best way to fix
tight hip flexors some say stretching some say strengthening i want you guys to comment
what you think commenting is the best way to test comprehension let's continue on to stretch number
two this one's called the reverse nordic this targets a different aspect of your hip flexors
and you're going to absolutely love it reverse nordics are the solution for tight and weak quads
don't be afraid if this looks dangerous with a sensible approach this can be safe our mission is
to prioritize the lowering phase to emphasize the eccentric building strength in reverse stronger
plus bigger quads and increased hip mobility makes this a big bang for buck movement the reason most
people have tight hip flexors is because they're generally weak that's not going to be a problem
that you have after training this exercise let me talk you through perfect technique for nautics
as you can see i've got the band anchored at about chest height the reason for this is the
accommodating assistance is directed in line with the movement it's perfect for increasing
your range of motion as we continue down onto the floor you can see that i've got a comfortable
setup for both my knees and also my ankles having padding and being comfortable is something that
many people don't respect and it's a big mistake the more comfortable your body is the further you
can go during the movement and access increased flexibility and start fixing those tight hips
during your nordics if you're getting knee pain i want you to experiment with your stance width
it's very likely that you're either too narrow or too wide you need to play around and experiment
with finding a position which feels comfortable stretches the quads and doesn't stress your
knees if you take one point from this techniques section posterior pelvic tilt i want you to keep
glutes squeezed and your rib cage down you can encourage this posture by also keeping a double
chin this is absolutely imperative for isolating the hip flexors particularly the rectus femoris it
literally is make or break between somewhat decent results and optimal progress in order to get the
most out of your reverse nordics you need to be in control of the movement and not let the movement
control you you're going to be doing this by using the band minimally during the eccentric and also
concentric many people make the mistake of over relying on the band pulling with too
much assistance throughout range stay in control of the movement stay dominant on the way down
and that's what we're looking for the recommendation is three sets of eight reps
with your reverse nordics this is a great blend of intensity and also volume and it's the perfect
formula for increasing hip flexor length to make this movement harder and get better results
i recommend over time decreasing the amount of band assist the natural progression
is to increase your range of motion going further towards the floor and expanding your hip flexor
flexibility as you continue improving over time you're going to be capable of using
body weight for reverse nordics that's a really good sign that you're building not only strength
but also length in those hip flexors the sky is definitely the limit when it comes to weighted
reverse nordics you can continue building strength muscle size and also hip flexor mobility with
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and we'll keep teaching the truth let's finish up with stretch number three the long lunge i
really invite you guys to try this one because myself personally had a massive transformation
with this movement it's a true game changer let's get into it the long lunge is a popular hip flexor
stretch for good reason this is used extensively by people looking to improve their front splits
the long lunge stance is perfect for targeting that trail leg and effectively stretching
the hip flexors we're building strength at length and teaching your body how to permanently increase
range of motion don't forget that flexibility improves muscle extensibility mobility improves
joint movement these follow the basic principles of exercise science if you want to become
comfortable stretching your hip flexor muscles need to become familiar when creating tension in
extended muscle lengths as you can see i've got a yoga block to help me during this movement this is
the best way of self-coaching yourself to increase range and stay honest the reason for it is it's a
tactile reference it gives you awareness of where your body is in space by having a light contact
with the block it ensures that you're in your deepest stretch and that you're remaining strict
by holding the position as deeply as you can it's a great reference when you're training by yourself
to ensure that you're not making things easier and robbing yourself of results here's a quick
technique checklist with the front foot i like to have it blocked this enhances my stability
with the front knee having the knee out allows me to access further hip range with respect to
the hip direction of course once again we want to orientate ourselves forward in the sagittal plane
to stretch our hip flexor with regard to our stance width shoulder width apart is going to
allow most people to access their deepest range of motion the final postural thing worth mentioning
is your stance length this is highly individual based on your level of flexibility and also hip
mobility basically you need to find a length which challenges you number one but more importantly
you can feel it in your hip flexors during the position for this one make or break technique is
what you're doing with your knee position for long lunge the most important thing is keeping the hips
close to the ground and trying to extend this back knee without moving that straightening of the knee
is the tensioner for the hip flexor it's absolutely key that you stay close towards
the ground to build strength at length in the hip flexors and avoid yourself from any compensations
it's quite difficult but if you've got the yoga block as a reference you can stay nice and close
towards the ground and keep it working the arm overhead once again provides a few benefits
one we're getting stronger at longer muscle lengths with plenty of room for progression
two it keeps our technique strict and also honest my torso is upright and i'm getting the most
out of my hip flexors number three it allows us to sink even deeper than we would otherwise with
body weight alone stay tall and shrug up another option i encourage you to try is bilateral loading
with arms by the side this provides you the opportunity to use heavier weights and also
focus on sinking directly down it's another option worth considering let's bring everything
together once again i want you guys using your deepest range of motion that you can tolerate
this is made possible by breathing deeply but also calmly i want you to use a loading option and also
a setup which permits that maximum range which challenges you but also is safe and sustainable
with these two hip flexor stretches you've got two loading options you can either train reps
or you can train holds reps are an excellent way for increasing hip flexor flexibility and strength
through a full range of motion another popular training option is isometric holds this builds
end range strength in the hip flexors and it's very popular in the stretching culture i recommend
for full range of motion three sets of eight if you're choosing to do isometric holds three sets
of 30 to 90 seconds is perfect this is a range that everyone can progress with long term it's
safe it's sustainable it's a good blend of volume as well as intensity it provides plenty of room
for improvement but most importantly it allows you to focus on what matters most progressing range
of motion cheers legends i want you to go ahead to fitnessfaqs.com we've got you sorted for all
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