The strength of the hip flexors plays an important role in numerous functional activities and athletic events. While most individuals that perform strength training do little to isolate these muscles, there are numerous exercises that will result in stronger hip flexors.
Hip Flexors
The muscle group known as the hip flexors is made up of the iliopsoas, sartorius and rectus femoris. All three muscles are located on the front of the hip joint. These three muscles have the primary responsibility of moving the leg forward during walking or running. If the hip flexors become significantly weaker than the hip extensors, an imbalance can result, which places abnormal stress through the hip joint.
Strengthing Exercises
Most common leg exercises, such as squats and lunges, focus on strengthening the hip extensors rather than the hip flexors. Hip flexors can be strengthened by lying flat on your back and lifting the legs while keeping them straight. This exercise is made more difficult by applying cuff weights to the ankles. A similar exercise is performed standing with a low cable. The cable is attached to one ankle with a cuff and then the individual moves the leg forward. A stable object can be grasped to maintain balance. A more advanced hip flexor exercise is done by performing sit-ups on a roman chair.
Athletic Events
Moving forward is the essence of many sports, such as basketball, football and lacrosse. The stronger an athlete's hip flexors are, the faster he will be at running forward, according to trainer Kevin O'Neil, MS, CSCS. The hip flexors are also the main component for a strong kick. For soccer players and football kickers, strength training the hip flexors can add velocity or distance to the kicks.
Precautions
Strength training of the hip flexors should not be performed every day. These muscles are often under trained, so it may be necessary to rest several days in between training sessions. Hip flexors can become tight if they are not adequately stretched. Stretching the hip flexors before any lower body workout can help prevent muscle strains or painful tightness. According to physical therapist and author Mark Dutton, tight hip flexors can result in painful conditions such as bursitis, labral tears and snapping hip.
References
- "Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention," 2nd Edition; Mark Dutton; 2008
- EXRX: Roman Chair Sit-up
- Elite FTS: Training your Hip Flexors
- EXRX: Hip Flexors
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