What you’re targeting:
- Gluteal Strength
- Hip flexor mobility
- Mobility of the iliopsoas and rectus femoris through hip extension
- Hamstring Strength
- Lumbopelvic core musculature
What you need:
- A mat or carpeted surface for comfort
How to perform:
- Position:
- Lie on your back with both of your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor
- Grasp one knee with both of your hands and draw your knee upwards towards your chest
- Movement:
- Push through your foot of your grounded leg and raise your hips upwards through the ceiling
- Hold for 1-3 seconds at the top of your available range of motion
- Lower your pelvis slowly back to the ground
- Tips:
- Hugging your knee eliminates your body’s ability to compensate for a lack of hip extension by “locking out” the lumbar spine. Lift your hips as high as you can by squeezing your buttock to actively stretch your anterior hip musculature. This activation of your glutes in end range coxafemoral joint extension will improve your ability to control your hip through its available range of motion with the push off phase of running gait.
What you should feel:
- Muscle work throughout your buttock and posterior thigh. Stretching throughout the front of your hip.
How many repetitions and how much weight?
- Athletes should perform 2-5 sets of 20-30 repetitions of this exercise (on both sides) with a hold of 1-3 seconds at the top of their range of motion