The hip flexors bend your hip and bring your knees toward your chest while also helping to stabilize the hip joint and pelvis. Strong hip flexors can help with movements like kicking, jumping and running, enhancing performance in competitions like shuttle runs and sprints. Before starting a weight-training program, be sure to consult a physician.
Benefits
Strong hip flexors create more powerful upward knee drive and leg movement which helps athletes run faster. Developing the hip flexor muscle also aids in injury prevention because the muscle acts like a braking mechanism for your hamstrings. When too much force is exerted on the hamstrings the hip flexors contract, causing the hamstrings to relax. Powerful hip flexors help athletes in sports like football, basketball, lacrosse, hockey and mixed martial arts.
Standing Cable Hip Flexion
Select a light weight from the low pulley of a cable station rack and secure an ankle cuff around your leg. Take a few steps away from the machine to the point where you experience slight tension in your leg muscles. Balance on one leg and place your hands on your hips. Lift your knee toward your chest while exhaling. Hold the position for brief pause and return to the starting position. As a variation, perform the exercise while holding your leg straight to mimic a kicking movement.
Hanging Leg Raises
Place a dumbbell or kettlebell under a pullup bar. Keep your upper body straight while hanging from the pullup bar and grasp the dumbbell or kettlebell with your feet. Bend your legs and bring your knees to your chest or straighten your legs and bring your toes towards the ceiling until your legs are parallel to the floor.
Spread Eagle Situps
Start the exercise by lying on your back. Spread your legs and hook your feet on the support beams of a power rack while keeping your legs straight. Hold a weight or dumbbell and perform a straight situp. Use a Smith Machine for support if you don't have access to a power rack.
Tips
Stretch the hip flexors before your workout. Tight hip flexors hinder performance, and lack of flexibility can increase your risk of injury.
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