Hip Mobility Made Simple

The two most important factors for hip mobility is having sufficient internal and external rotation, this is because rotational movement of the hip uses muscles and connective tissue that's deepest within the hip capsule, making it fundamental for all motions done that utilize the hip joint. We often see rotation of the hip trained within a 90/90 base position, understandably so because it is so versatile. The problem with this set up is the demands it places on the hip, they're usually deeper into range of motion than people can handle, making it less effective in most cases. The best approach to improving external rotation is in an elevated pigeon pose. Pigeon poses are commonly done, but usually they're butchered a couple different ways. A few points of emphasis for positioning that gets overlooked: have the knee bent to 90 degrees and feel how that correlates to an increased stretch on the lateral hip, keep the ankle dorsiflexed and anteriorly tilt the pelvis BEFORE attempting to lean over. If you need more length on the outer hip, a deeper and more intense stretch, then lean over as far as you can with a straight back, anteriorly tilted pelvis, WITHOUT getting tension in the closing side of the hip, the adductor/groin; if you get the closing side of the hip in this set up then you are exceeding the range of motion that the hip can actually use, think of this as "ego lifting" in mobility training instead of lifting weight that is too heavy. If this happens, focus harder on anterior pelvic tilt and the previously mentioned positioning and if that doesn't put more tension on the outer hip then lean out of the range you are in. As I've been a trainer longer, going on 11 years now, I find doing a handful of staple movements is the way to go and the pigeon pose here is a really good example of a movement that shouldn't be cycled out at any point. This base position rarely gets modified to open up other "corners" of the hip; we demonstrated this by moving the pelvis from side to side and rotated it to expose different positions within abduction and adduction; essentially doing the exact same drill and training the exact same muscles but in a different orientation to ensure all corners were addressed. As always, we want to add active work to our passive static stretching, isometrics are a staple here as well. Regardless of the specific position you decide to use within this elevated pigeon pose set up, if you begin driving the ankle down, basically trying to internally rotate out of the end range of ER, you should feel the outer hip go from a stretch sensation to a clenching/tensing/contracting sensation; this is the training stimulus, squeezing a stretched muscle for however long you deem appropriate. You can contract harder for shorter periods of time, less intense for longer or some combination of the two. Doing a static stretch, then contraction, then going deeper or altering the position and repeating the process is a very good approach to really open things up. This was followed up with strengthening internal rotation through basic axial rotations, this can be done side lying or sitting up, both with an ankle weight if you want additional resistance (as long as form doesn't suffer). Each position is simply a different variation, similar to how you can do different variations of bicep curls, triceps' extensions, rows, squats, etc. Cramping is common here, this is an indication of poor and untrained neurology here; if the nervous system deems the area unsafe for any number of reasons, it signals a cramp to protect it from potential injury. In this type of set up, injury isn't going to occur, but your central nervous system doesn't know that. Own the cramp, breathe through it or relax and jump back into it. Both set ups can be done as an isometric hold, an eccentric with partner assist or for repetitions. Start with doing one set to failure where the lateral hip musculature is fully exhausted and use soreness the following day to dictate future volume and intensity. If the hip functions better fundamentally, performance and improved muscle engagement will follow. Having a better hip contributes to faster, more explosive movement, better glute hypertrophy, stronger squats and deadlifts, more resiliency to injury and improves how you feel on a day-to-day basis. Having poor hip function can contribute to back pain, knee pain and poor movement patterns when exercises and walking; stretching and weightlifting alone will NOT fix a dysfunctional hip. We have a saying, "You use your hip to squat, but you don't squat for your hip", with this in mind, you need tissue specific training to address tissue specific deficits. If you want to learn more about this training approach, take a look at our Skool community through the link in our bio. We have an extensive exercise library, programs, concept videos and access to coaching feedback, all for $25/month or $250/year, both with a 7-day free trial.