Your life just got better - Hip Resolutions and Mobility

Why Hips Suck

Basically, you roll a ankle, you get a sore knee, anything unilateral, and you weight one leg more while its healing. Because your body is frustrating, you continue to do that forever.

If you look at someone from behind or infront (and they aren't aware) more than likely they will have one hip down and one leg weighted more.

The Proudest Day of my Life

After having a series of hip issues, and working on the (as describe below) I recently went to a shoe store to get a pair of shoes fitted. It had one of those fancy machines that shows foot weighting and arch height, and standing naturally I was exactly 50/50, the salesperson said they never see that (he probably had never seen anyone that excited to be 50/50 either)

Do you have a issue

If you hips are really jacked up, you might feel

a) sore back
b) sore hips
c) side shift squatting
d) have no leg drive in deadlifts

Generally, the above can be caused (in part by)

1. Hip flexors are tight, (or worse, have differences in mobility)

2. If your ankles are immobile (or worse, have differences in mobility) they need to be fixed

One of the most common things we see if people that constantly foam roller your back, and of course, it's gets 'looser' than your anterior (super tight psoas).

The Fix - Test, fix, retest

Issue 1- test

• Post tib - Stability test

Sounds fancy, just means stand on your toe one footed. If you ankle collapses on one side, or is super uneven, this is a issue.

• Even mobility test

Hip flexor stretch each side, note the differences. Test ankle mobility (below) and note differences

A lot of people will feel better by just getting even Stevens here. Stretch the tighter side after each workout, and do single leg calf raises on the weak leg first.

If you are massively different from side to side, its possible you don't feel great often (and perhaps should seek a physio out)

Bigger Issues?

Issue 2 - Anterior or posterior tilt, or more commonly, tilt on a single side. This creates a unilateral weakness (lots of back or hip pain caused during heavy load, poor or ‘twisted’ form, single side groin or ql issues)

This harder to test at home, and you often can't feel you are twisted. Tight psoas and a history of unilateral sports can make you uneven.

Working on issue 2: 

Step 1, equalize left right mobility 

Step 2, Test/Build the musculature to ensure hips remain in even plane

Step 3, equalise application of force 

What to do if you think you have bigger issues

A physio is the answer, but if you want to see you strength on unilateral planes, below is a great start:

Testing and  Building
Suitcase deadlift (KB, one hand)
Single leg deadlift (KB, one hand)

Psoas March

If you are super uneven, here is a great way to move forward:

Goblet squat (forces dorsiflexion) - warm up
Alternate reverse lunges - worst leg first
Reverse lunges single leg - worst leg first
Lunges walking  - worst leg first
Walking lunges Goblet  - worst leg first
Single arm overhead lunge, one leg at a time (left hand up, right leg lunge)

Every Day - post training

Wide out step lunge
Side plank (weak side first)

There is a huge amount of info above, and we've cut it down to bare bolts not to overload anyone. We'll come back to more on tilt in a future blog!