The sartorius is the longest muscle in the body. It starts on the outside of the hip bone, crosses the thigh and runs down the inside of the upper leg to the knee. The sartorius is a weak muscle compared with other muscles of the hip. It assists larger muscles such as the iliopsoas of the hips and rectus femoris of the quadriceps to move the hip and knee.
Machine Exercises
For workouts to build muscle and maximal strength, you need to lift a lot of weight. Heavy weights and workouts, including three to six sets of one to 12 repetitions, increase strength. If this is your goal, you can strengthen the sartorius using a hip flexion weight machine, which allows you to select the heaviest weight you can lift. To use the machine, step onto the platform and grip the handlebar in front of you. Place the front of knee closest to the weight stack against the leg pad with the knee bent. Push up against the leg pad until your knee is above weight level. Turn around to work the other leg.
Body-weight Exercises
Instead of working out the sartorius with weight machines, you can use just your body weight to strengthen this muscle. Depending on how strong your hip flexors are and what exercises you do, body-weight exercises may be difficult enough that one to 12 repetitions to build strength is as many as you can do. As you get stronger, you will be able to many repetitions. Performing two to three sets of 12 to 25 reps improves muscle stabilization and endurance, which is the ability to contract your muscles many times in a row without getting tired. An example of a body-weight-only exercise that uses the sartorius is the hanging leg raise. The hanging leg raise utilizes a pullup bar. Hang from the bar with your palms facing forwards and then bend your knees as you lift them up to waist height.
Abdominal Exercises
Abdominal exercises such as situps and crunches engage the sartorius and other hip flexors to assist the abs when lifting the upper body. The abs raise the upper body to a 30-degree angle from the floor. The hip flexors lift the upper body past that point, according to the "SuperAbs Resource Manual" by Len Kravitz, Ph.D., of the University of New Mexico. To target the abs, you need to make small movements, but if you also want to strengthen the sartorius, raise yourself higher. For example, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Then, raise your head and upper back toward the ceiling until it is at a 45-degree angle with the floor. Avoid situps with your feet supported under a bar or with someone holding the feet because this places stress on your lower back.
Sartorius Stretching
Stretching exercises that target the hip flexors also lengthen the sartorius. An example is the standing hip flexor stretch. To perform this stretch, lift your foot onto an exercise bench and step your other foot back approximately the distance of the length of your legs. Bend the front knee and straighten the back leg with the foot flat on the floor. The stretch happens by moving your hips forward, not by leaning. Your back should stay up straight, with your chest lifted. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and then switch sides.
References
- Weber State University: Hip Joint and Pelvic Girdle
- ExRx.net: Hips
- ExRx.net: Lever Hip Flexion
- The University of New Mexico; SuperAbs Resource Manual; Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
- Bodybuilding.com; Impress Your Friends: A Primer on Some of the More Obscure Muscle Groups; David Robson
- ExRx.net: Standing Hip Flexor Stretch
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