Start squatting properly with better mobility!

Mosthip mobility problems stem either from limited mobility in the joint itself or from stiff soft tissues. Today we will introduce a few simple tools to get rid of these problems. I will also share with you a 4 step process to deal with stiff hips.

1. Mobilization
2. Rolling on a foam roller
3. Stretching
4. Activating the lower body chain

Hip Mobilization

Limitation of mobility in the joint should come first. When you test the mobility, the restriction will show up as a twinge in the front of the hip when you pull the knee to the chest. This is because the femur is hitting a blockage in the joint that is preventing proper movement. Normal stretching and rolling will not help here. One of the easiest solutions is mobilisation with a rubber band. This will help with the natural sliding of the bones over each other. We're going to train this in a specific range of motion.

During a squat, the end of the femur slides back into the hip joint as our knees come closer to our chest. This type of mobilization through movement has been used by therapists for years. The goal is to relieve any stabbing pain deep inside the joint.

Rolling on a foam roller

After mobility, soft tissue relaxation should come next. I usually recommend my athletes spend at least 2 minutes rolling each area they want to release for this. All athletes should be rolling every day.

Our goal is to reduce the stiffness revealed by testing. This means addressing the hip flexors, quadriceps and hips. Slowly roll over the leg muscles until you find a tender area. Stop at it and roll for about 10 seconds before moving on.

I like to use the analogy of kneading bread with a rolling pin. You want to roll rhythmically and in small areas, not frantically and in large sections. You can increase your efficiency by incorporating active knee movement during breaks.

Soft tissue stretching

Once you have finished rolling, the last step is stretching. My favorite exercise for activating the hips and improving mobility before squatting is called the World's Greatest Stretch.

This exercise has 4 parts.

Start in a deep lunge with your left leg forward. Contract your glutes and push your hips toward the floor. You should feel this in the front of your right hip. Then lower your left elbow to the floor. Hold like this for 5 seconds. Next, use your elbow or hand to push your left knee out. Keep your foot firmly on the floor. Finally, rotate your entire upper body up and to the left until your left arm ends up in the air. That last movement addresses the mobility of the thoracic spine, which is also prone to stiffness.

Another of my favorite stretching exercises is the hip flexor half kneeling stretch. It's great for the muscles around the front of the hip. Our hip flexors and quadriceps get stiff from sitting all day.

The last stretching exercise is more of a positional exercise and therefore has good transferability to the squat. Start in a deep goblet squat position. Use a kettlebell or discus. Holding the weight in front of the body allows us to worry less about balance and more about the position we want to improve.

After reaching full depth , push the knees out using the elbows. Keep your feet firmly on the floor the entire time. Pushing the knees out will enhance the hip extension.

After stretching the hips here, we can also work on activating the glutes. These help us get up from the bottom squat position. At the bottom of the goblet squat, clench your glutes and push your knees out as hard as you can for a few seconds (feet must remain flat). Then relax and allow the body to return to the stretch position.

This is called the contraction and release technique. Such techniques arewidely used by trainers and physiotherapists because they aremore effective than traditional static stretching. After about 30-60 seconds in this position, stand up and take a break. I practice 2-3 sets in this way.

Lower body chain activation

Failure to properly activate the lower body chain (glutes and hamstrings) is common in athletes. That's why I recommend a quick exercise to my charges after mobility training to get these muscles fired up.

The exercise I'm talking about is called unilateral abduction. In layman's terms, it's called lifting the leg sideways with the rubber band. Put the rubber around your ankles and take an athletic stance on one leg. Push your hips back and your chest forward. This allows you to maintain balance and engage the lower body chain. As with any other squat exercise, my universal recommendation applies here. Squat with the hips, not the knees.

Once in position, lift the non-standing leg to the side in a slow and controlled motion. The distance the leg travels is not the main thing. Concentrate on keeping the standing leg stable and free of shaking throughout the series .

This exercise will not only prepare your glutes for the squatting that follows, but will also help with mid-body and knee stability.

2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Test again and again

Progress needs to be checked. Always test using the same method and after you have done some mobility exercises. This will show you if you are getting the desired results.

Our goal is to see if the overall movement pattern during squatting is improving. The best way to do this is to perform a deep squat. Also try a deep squat on one leg. Has anything changed?

My goal here was to give you the tools you need to address hip stiffness. If you want to be in competitive shape and move without pain, this issue is critical for you. And rubber band mobilization, rolling and classic stretching are the answer.

Source: https://squatuniversity.com/2015/12/28/the-squat-fix-hip-mobility-pt-3/, Youtube, Instagram, Author: Aaron Horschig

Translated by: Jaromír Uhlíř