Core training is obviously a buzz word in the industry. Just about every strength and conditioning professional values a strong core, and over the past few years we have seen hundreds of new exercises and routines created to help make that happen. Most of the emphasis is on training the abdominals and low back musculature (from the ribs to the pelvis on all sides of the spine), and there have been some great new techniques created to develop functional core strength. But, there is a major void in many core training routines.
I like to extend my view of the “core” a little farther south to include the hips, and I’d like to share some ideas on how to improve the function of this important area by incorporating a few simple exercises into a training program.
There is so much information available today that it sometimes becomes difficult to decide how to integrate everything into a safe, productive, and time efficient program. And when a new exercise is introduced, I frequently hear coaches say, “That’s great, but I don’t have time to do all of that in addition to everything else I’m doing.”
For a long time, I felt the exact same way, so I chose not to do certain exercises because I simply didn’t have time. A priority for me is time efficient training, and I felt like I had enough exercises in my head to create four-hour workouts, seven days a week.
Eventually, I realized that my athletes were missing out, so I had to rethink what was being done and how it was being implemented. I didn’t want to add more exercises to their strength routine, so I came up with a way to incorporate some very functional hip exercises into a warm-up routine.
Amazing Joint
The hip is the largest weight bearing joint in the body, supported
through an incredibly complicated network of ligaments and muscles. Over 20 muscles directly influence hip
movement, including: adductors magnus, longus and brevis, gluteus maximus,
medius, and minimus, piriformis, rectus femoris, illiacus, psoas major,
semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris, tensor fascia latea, superior
and inferior gemelli, obturators internus and externus, quadratus femoris,
sartorius, pectineus, and gracilis.
That’s a huge list, and it doesn’t even include the abs, low back, or
leg musculature that influences hip movement through the pelvis.
These muscles make the hip flex, extend, abduct and adduct. But, a detailed look at the kinesiology involved in the musculature mentioned above will reveal that most of the muscles are at least partially responsible for controlling femoral rotation in the transverse plane. This is especially interesting since most hip exercises are done in the frontal or sagittal planes, and they typically isolate specific muscles rather than working the hip through motions similar to those seen in sport.
In many athletic movements, the hip musculature is responsible for accelerating and decelerating transverse plane motion, but how often do we actually train this rotation?
Think about the way the femoral head rotates inside the acetabulum during a primarily sagittal plane motion like running. During the support phase of each step, the pelvis actually rotates, resulting in femoral rotation that must be controlled in three planes of motion.
In more complex movements such as planting and cutting, where the hips are involved in decelerating and re-accelerating the body, there is an even greater amount of femoral rotation in the socket. Internal and external rotation need to be controlled at the same hip extension and abduction are performed. That’s a lot of movement, and with so many muscles involved, it’s a wonder we even move at all.
Unfortunately, many athletes have rotational deficiencies, either in strength or mobility, but they are rarely addressed. In the weight room, we typically focus on strengthening the major muscle groups, and during conditioning sessions we usually spend our time training the appropriate energy systems. There is only so much time available, so how do we effectively work all of these little muscles in a way that will actually improve movement quality without spending a lot of time?
I suggest adding some of the following exercises to a warm-up routine to enhance multi-planar hip function. The great thing about these exercises is that they are helpful for just about anyone, and the best case scenario is that they could have a dramatic effect on hip function, and ultimately athleticism.
These exercises:
How can you lose?
1-Leg Hip
Twisters
Stand on one foot with a slight bend in the knee. Internally rotate the hips are far as
possible, then externally rotate the hips are far as possible. The movement should be controlled, but not
slow. Encourage athletes to gradually and
very gently increase their range of motion.
This simple exercise will improve rotational strength and mobility, especially if there is a deficiency.
Change the movement slightly with a forward or backward trunk lean, or by placing the arms in different positions. Increase the intensity by holding a weighted object or moving faster.
1-Leg Lean Back
Stand on one leg. Put
the hands overhead and lean back as far as possible. Bend the knee slightly as you reach back, and
return to normal posture. The movement
should be controlled, but not too slow.
This creates an excellent “stretch and strengthen” motion in the hip flexors and abdominals; at the same time the muscles are being stretched, they must also contract.
As the athletes get comfortable with this motion, have them lean backward at different angles.
Hip Flexor
Stretch
This is a common stretch that can also be done in a standing
position. Internally rotate the hip to
focus on the ilio-psoas. Externally
rotate the hip for a greater stretch of the adductors. Reach the hand overhead and across to
maximize the stretch through the entire side of the body. Rock the hips side to side or attempt to twist
them in the transverse plane for maximum stretch in all three planes.
The hip flexors are often very tight, causing problems elsewhere in the body. Focusing on flexibility in this area may save wear and tear in other areas.
Leg Swings
Stand on one foot.
Swing the leg forward and backward with both feet in neutral. Vary the movement by swinging the leg in
different directions. Other variations
include internally or externally rotating one or both of the hips. This
movement will help mobility on the swing leg, and actually help strengthen the
support leg as it decelerates rotation and controls motion during each
swing.
Lunge with
Twisting
Lunge forward and reach across the body with the opposite
arm. The twisting action will engage the
gluteals more than a sagittal plane lunge.
Change the height of the lunge for variety. Reaching forward activates the glutes even
more than when the torso is left upright.
Cutting in Place
This is a great “agility drill” to do when space is
limited. Leave one foot on the ground
and perform a “jab-step” action with the other foot, bouncing off the ground
and bringing the foot back to neutral.
Emphasize keeping the feet parallel and bending the knee during the
plant. Get the athletes to put as much
power into the ground, working on a quick deceleration and re-acceleration. Many athletes will not put their weight into
it, so try having them pick up the support leg briefly to get the feel of
transferring their weight.
As a variation, perform several bounces, then take off for a short sprint. You can also cross-over after the push off, or bounce at different angles.
Jumps in Place
Instead of always emphasizing jump height during
plyometrics, keep the athletes low and emphasize quickness off the ground. Jump forward and backward, side-to-side, on
diagonals, and incorporate twisting. For
example, jump forward with a 90° turn, then jump back and return to the
starting position. There are endless
possibilities, so use your imagination to come up with variations that address
the needs of your athletes.
This kind of movement has also been shown to enhance the synchronous co-contraction of the quadriceps and hamstrings, which may protect against knee injuries.
It is certainly not necessary to perform all of these exercises in every session. Just adding one or two variations to the end of your warm-up routine may address some much needed strength or mobility issues that may be limiting performance.
Make it interesting by only spending a short time on the exercises and using plenty of variety. You’ll quickly notice your athlete’s hip mobility improve, and they will thank you for helping them stay healthy.
I need to acknowledge the following people: Gary Gray for developing the concepts this training is based upon, and for his support and encouragement; Anne Yoches for helping me explore these ideas; and soccer coach Peter Langens for helping introduce the ideas to young athletes.
Jim Kielbaso is the author of Speed & Agility Revolution
and the Director of the