Stop Stretching Your Hip Flexors! (HERE'S WHY)

The hip flexors are one of the first areas we rush to stretch since they tend to feel tight more often than any other muscle group. The problem is, tightness can often be confused for weakness and when you stretch a weak muscle you are only making the problem worse. In this video, I’m going to show you how to determine if your hip flexors are tight or weak and the appropriate approach depending on those findings.
60% off all AX programs - athleanx.com/x/...
Subscribe to this channel here - bit.ly/2b0coMW
First we need to talk a little bit about anatomy however. If you have ever had low back pain while doing ab exercises, then you know why the hip flexors are so important. They originate on the lumbar vertebrae and can pull on your lower back when they get tight. They can also wreak havoc elsewhere when weak. Determining whether or not you are dealing with a tight or a weak hip flexor is crucial.
To start however, you have to understand that the hip flexors are not a single muscle group. Instead, there are 5 muscles that contribute to the act of lifting the hip into flexion. Three of these (TFL, rectus femoris, and sartorius) originate at the level of the hip and the iliac crest which means that they are at a mechanical advantage to lift the knee to the level of the hip but are at a disadvantage to lift them any higher. Two other muscles however (the psoas and iliac) are found at a higher origin and are capable of lifting the hip past ninety degrees.
Knowing the difference between these muscles is a crucial step in determining the right course of action once you do your tests. Speaking of the tests, the first thing you want to do is see if you have a true tightness caused by muscle shortening. To do this, you are going to perform what is called a Thomas Test. Start by sitting at the edge of a bench or box with your legs halfway over the edge. Lean back and pull both legs into your chest and be sure to flatten the lower back against the surface.
From here, slowly drop one leg while tightly hugging the other to your chest. You want to observe two things about the down leg. First, is the thigh capable of making contact with the bench and second is the knee able to bend and hang freely at 80 or 90 degrees of flexion. If you find that either of these is not happening then you will want to straighten your knee and see what happens. If upon straightening you find that the thigh goes down to the surface, then your tight rectus femoris was what was keeping the leg up and you’d want to stretch that. If the leg didn’t drop down even after straightening the leg then you are dealing with a tight psoas or iliacus that could benefit from stretching.
The key is however, many times the Thomas Test is normal but the hip still feels as if it should be stretched. This is usually due to fatigue caused by having a weak hip flexor. In this case, you want to proceed to testing your strength. You can do this by either hugging one knee to your chest while standing tall and then releasing it. If you can hold it above 90 degrees but feel a cramp in the outer hip, then you likely have a high hip flexor weakness in the iliacus or psoas. If you can’t hold it there and the first place you can gain control of the thigh is at 90 degrees or lower, then once again you likely have a weakness.
Alternatively you can place your foot on a flat surface high enough to place your knee at a starting level above the hip. From here, lift the foot while standing upright and see if you can hold it off the box for at least 15 seconds without the cramping discussed earlier. If weak, you can use this as the exercise to strengthen it and can add resistance by placing a band around your foot or ankle.
Bottom line is, it is not smart to randomly stretch a muscle if you are not sure if it is actually tight in the first place. Instead, take a couple minutes and do a few tests to see what you are really dealing with. If you want a complete step by step program for getting in the best shape of your life without overlooking anything important that other programs often do, head to athleanx.com and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System.
For more videos on stretching routines and how to stretch properly, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at / jdcav24

[@athleanx]

If you suffer from Anterior Pelvic Tilt, you definitely need to know which muscles to stretch and which to strengthen and I'll show you how in this video right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gV6mo3ifZd6gg8k

[@brendonanderson3423]

I've been getting a bit of sharp pain in my hip flexes and running down my quads on the inner side. I also get a bit of sharp pain in my lower back. My previous job was very physical which is the cause of the pain. What do you suggest would fix this issue

[@JasmineSandberg-e2q]

If you have back pain when you do AB exercises. What does that indicate?

[@alxmtncstudio2066]

Bro, I got an anterior pelvic tilt, that you explains comes from tight hip flexors, but the tests you gave at the beginning tells me I'm a negative, all functions well as "should" :(... so how come I have pelvic tilt? Is it because I spent years tilting my ass up like a bimbo to show some ass because I was ashamed of having no shape down there :')? (actually I had shapes down there but hey, teenagers complex about anything for nothing). I mean I could have literally worked my muscles in that shape without tight hip flexors, which would be the dumbest thing I've done in my teenage years

[@thetank971]

You have any knowledge on AVN Avascular Necrosis? Any exercises?

[@Yakushii]

You think you're boring us with the anatomy lesson, but personally it's the main reason I watch this channel. Learning the anatomy answers the hows and whys of each exercise. It's golden knowledge!

[@rucanunes]

Yakushii That's what I like about Jess. We need to know how our muscles work to train correctly.

[@TylerWelch1987]

Absolutely

[@vasileventer1180]

0

[@davidjuarez300]

You goddamn right yakushii i love seeing the skeleton it really shows me where the muscles are connecting for example how the psoas major muscle connects to the spine. I like to visually see whats going on

[@keith9240]

That's why I watch videos to see what I can learn from them. The more knowledge the better!

[@robertfox05]

Jeff lost his voice yelling at Jesse

[@SubnetMaskedMan]

Robert Markoš lol

[@D_o_n_k_e]

Robert Markoš lmao good one

[@aminsbata9240]

Robert Markoš 😂😂 poor jese

[@tapolna]

Robert Markoš - funny!!! Notice Jesse wasn't in this vid. Maybe he's outside picketing, striking for better working (or working out) conditions?

[@Aerochalklate]

tapolna jesse is too busy crying because jeff shouted at him until failure

[@AD-fj7uv]

Throat workout (sore in 6 min)

[@phoodpharmer]

ayush dixxit 😂😂😂😂

[@Cragzman]

ayush dixxit n

[@murphdog9506]

Just ask your girlfriend ;)

[@huyanhbui7105]

hi everyone ,if anyone else wants to discover exercises for stiff hips joints try Trefendous Pain Relief Tips (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some amazing things about it and my partner got amazing success with it.

[@glitch314]

😂

[@chethanchandrashekar7522]

@1:40 check weakness vs tightness of hip flexors @4:00 second check for hip muscle group @6:00 exercise to strengthen weak hip flexors...

[@a.m.scape_5133]

Thanks Bro 👊

[@aquadan63]

You are the man Jeff! thank you so much. I am currently dealing with a recurring left hip issue. I have been stretching it. I think all along it’s been a weakness issue.

[@chrism.1749]

@7:19 is good too. Less brisk walks, more sprints.

[@WackyPossum]

What about exercises for tight quads? Just did his test, i just have tight quads

[@omkarshinde1628]

@@WackyPossum same I also have tight quads or rectus femur.... Should I stop streching if I have weak hip flexor I'm really confused cause my resting leg is partially touching when I bent it 90,80 degree and full touching when I straight my leg

[@cruzanist]

I am a physician and this is the best explanation for testing whether 1.) the tightness is iliacus/psoas or leg flexors or 2.) whether which of the 2 groups is weak. The distinction is crucial for proper treatment. The iliacus/psoas combination is the only connection between the upper and lower body. Thanks for presenting this so elegantly. Even with my knowledge of anatomy, some of this material in your video was new to me.

[@kargs5krun]

He's a "blessing" to have on Ytube....and one of the best at what he does. If he "went on the road" with his demonstrations, he'd be mobbed by thousands of fans everywhere he went....for sure.

[@nikita2560]

cruzanist I don’t understand, so am I not supposed to stretch my hip flexors if I am trying to fix APT?

[@zeimeris]

@@nikita2560 if you have APT your hip flexors would be tight that means they need to be stretched...

[@onix5221]

@cruzanist can hip flexors be both weak and tight? Thanks in advance for your answer

[@mysteryman595]

@Luke Kulton you cared enough to reply...

[@shivankchopra7429]

Warm water + honey + ginger will be good for sour throat! Respect for bringing quality content even when you're not well!

[@lockhrt999]

shivank chopra not the ginger. It's known to irritate mouth, it can cause sore throat. Use turmeric instead.

[@decoraven825]

shivank chopra or just advik

[@jeffcavalierescarbatteries5540]

Or just no honey because it’s full of sugar

[@gilfiazon2575]

Hahahaha absolute non sense

[@shivankchopra7429]

Gil Fiazon lol I guess I confused garlic and ginger xD Not a native speaker so please excuse xD

[@themanfromearth76]

Wow, I almost teared when you said “getting temporary relief after stretching. And then getting worse an hr later” that’s been me for years. Thanks man. Really.

[@minhbui4817]

yep this guy seems to really know this thing. Better than a lot of doctors actually

[@JCarlito19]

@@minhbui4817 As a guy who went to numerous doctors because of a back injury, I can safely say, doctors are absolutely useless for stuff like this. They have zero idea of how to get to the root-cause of the problem, so all they do is prescribe medicine for the pain symptoms, give sometimes-mildly-useful tips for dealing with the pain, or send you to another doctor who usually isn't any better. Doctors may know a lot of things, but getting down to the root-causes of certain muscle, joint, or skeletal-related pain, is apparently not one of them.

[@zamoo7355]

Me too.

[@vlada]

How many other channels did you watch where an "expert" (because it worked on him) claims a one solution to all your back, knee shoulder problems no matter what they are? What may help for one kind of problem may not work for another and actually make it worse.

[@nimishtomar]

@@JCarlito19 that's what ayurveda does. Maybe you can read about it. Jeff is the GOAT btw.

[@ksheelshetty]

Me: Exists Jeff: That's absolutely wrong, and let me tell you why

[@adMatec7]

LMAOOOOO

[@eish1234]

Ksheel Shetty 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@davec3651]

Cheer up Ksheel, Jeff always just wants to help.

[@oeu3669]

Ksheel Shetty 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@akdarklight156]

😂😂😂😂

[@shuntarofurukawa4807]

Jeff getting those throat gains

[@ErdemEralpp]

LuL

[@ErdemEralpp]

Throat curls

[@ryutenmen]

What does Tatsumi Kimishima do in the field of fitness since he is in the filed of video games business(president of Nintendo)?

[@andryferrebus7113]

yo tatsumi since you are over here what can you tell me about those gains of twintelle?

[@ddf5878]

pause

[@ierikk1]

As usual, I realize I’ve been fucking something up when I thought I was fixing it.

[@F2Ptaxi]

xD

[@Hahahaha-uj9pu]

yeah Same here

[@Peter_1986]

I always find out that I have been doing some stupid thing wrong on my exercises, like "oh noes you bend very slightly too much forward/backward at this particular moment during the motion", or crap like that.

[@prashikjadhav3954]

That's so me

[@ShadyDogg]

Thats deep bro

[@Vmh1717]

I swear every athlean x video just makes me feel like I have a new set of homework that I really don’t feel like doing

[@self-madejacobo8281]

Ikr 😂 cmon though we gotta do it for the better

[@Edward-ho2bm]

fr

[@robm321]

Especially stretching

[@Woweeeeee100]

Could be worse. You might not have someone going out of their way to tell you all the answers. 👍

[@ZendelWashington]

bro can’t even talk and he made this vid we got this

[@RemnTheteth]

I've been rehabilitating really bad muscle imbalances in my legs for the better part of a year now. And while I've gained a lot of fundamental strength back, I'm still having nagging issues with my hip flexor feeling bad all of the time. This video helped me realize that I need to address some acute hip issues due to weakness before I can make more progress. You've probably saved me months of problems, so thank you. Super informative video.

[@n.n.5286]

Me: doing anything Jeff: That's killing your gains

[@CJ-gy8ie]

#samecommenteveryvideo

[@AverageGabriel]

Feels that way XD

[@kimw.5369]

😈🤣

[@BlueShadow777]

AT LAST...!!! A personal trainer who knows what he’s talking about! As an osteopath (and sportsman) of 31 years private practice, I get so despondent with personal trainers who have no real knowledge of anatomy and who always get it wrong regarding the hip flexors! Excellent video! Nice one!

[@xMYK3]

Daniele Iannarelli he's a physical therapist lol

[@rutgerv.6050]

i have been walking with pain in my right hip for about two years now. not only that but for the last 1.5 years im having neck, shoulder and back problems. at some point i couldnt walk without having a lot of pain in my neck and shoulders after it. when i do the test with bringing the knee up i get a cramp at the front of my right leg. say 5 cm above the groin and 20 cm to the right (from my perspective) . normally my pain ( its more a soreness or stiffness which i can feel all the way around the right hip from my groin to my buttocks) is on the outer- and back side. thats why i was thinking lately about piroformis syndrome. i have been stretching my hip a lot and i have the feeling it gets better but still it's not healed 100% so after seeing this clip Im not sure if i should continue stretching. i understand you cant guarantee anything. but can all thse neck shoulder and back issues come from a weak hip? or piroformis syndrome or is it likely that they are different injuries who kinda keep annoying each other and therefore not heal. im seeing a lot of specialists but nobody can help me. sorry for my english. it isnt my native language thanks in advance

[@saphiruss7277]

@@rutgerv.6050 So I´m not a physical therapist or anything related to that but learend a bit about anatomy in the last years, but please ask a professenal about it! When your hipflexers are weak (as you discribe they are) then a hell of lot can come of of it! Your back gets pulled in positions it´s not supposed to be in. Thereby maybe one of your nerves coming out of your back is touched by one whirl which is causing your strange feeling in the hip. (More or less the same as a piroformis syndrom). When your lower back is in the wrong spot the spinal becomes inbalenced and could lead to your other problems. My (super nonprofessional) advise is: strenghen your hip flexers in coordination with your specialists and see wether it gets better. Hope I could help you (non native speaker here too)

[@rutgerv.6050]

@@saphiruss7277 thanks a lot! i really appreciate you taking the time. I have been with specialists for the last 1.5 years but we focused a lot on the back shoulders and neck. reason is that my "pain" in the hip is here for so long, its almost normal for me. i have been reading up on stuff ( and feel stupid i havent done it earlier) and i start to get the feeling that all my other injuries ( which are way more painful so thats why we focused on that) come from my hip. i think my specialists ( fysio therapists chiropractors, accupuncturist) know a lot of stuff in their fields but what i need is some sort of movement specialist of whatever its called. or just a really good PT which knows his/her stuff but in my experience there arent a lot of those. i am learning though and i feel confident that i will get well within a couple of weeks /months if I do these and other excercises ive learnt the last couple of weeks. thanks again for taking the time!

[@tcullispt1]

As a licensed physical therapist I am frustrated that people still confuse a personal trainer with a physical therapist. Years of college , specially internships and professional liability for making a mistake in treating a medical condition puts our profession in a class by itself.

[@VeryNuclearYT]

Someone got cold.

[@killerown100]

VeryNuclear wow just saw u on austins video!

[@VeryNuclearYT]

Mark Fekkes saustin

[@killerown100]

VeryNuclear #saucesquad

[@VeryNuclearYT]

Mark Fekkes yup

[@Freadz0r]

that's why he's wearing a shirt for once

[@lurgy5177]

This freakin saves my life, been doin a ton stretches variations thinking that my flexors are tight and got frustated cause the pain keeps coming back and it turns out my flexor was damn weak. God bless you Jeff for this, you saved thousands of people and explained every details that we need to understand, your works are revolutionary , I can't thank you enough

[@SSangsen]

Please get better Jeff, much love.

[@MuchWowNature]

He just saved millions of people from mindless stretching and pain , great comprehensive way of teaching us , we really appreciate your help Jeff

[@firstname4337]

mindless stretching ?? LOL, this guy is a quack

[@HoloJinX]

Dude, this is it! This is going to change my life. I don't know how I haven't been told this by my chiropractor, doctors or physical therapists. I have had chronic back pain for years, and these exercises for psoas weakness are the only thing that have brought me any kind of meaningful relief. I can't thank you enough, Mr. Cavaliere!

[@mrlarrybobjr]

Don’t forget he’s a physical therapist first.

[@larrybird69420]

jeff lost his voice because of he was trying avoid internal rotation of his vocal cords

[@Turco949]

At some point, you really have to stop watching (these videos), and actually start doing 'em.

[@xlightable]

I started doing this immediately!

[@dirtmcgirt01]

Lmao!

[@mycharmedunicorn8715]

Turco949 🤣 who told you?

[@Juggernaut365]

I have giant knots in all of these muscles so I’m not sure if they are being overused or underused. Makes me gun shy on doing the workouts.

[@neal311]

Shut up

[@saulgarcia7083]

The anatomy is essential! It’s not boring

[@HashbrownGokusan]

Saul Garcia just the hip strengthening exercise is boring lmaoo

[@nathanmyhill3337]

I find it fascinating

[@zaklow6654]

Nerd Edit: Since it's hard to convey sarcasm through text, I can see why some people have misconstrued my comment; I was not seeking to genuinely shame the person I was replying to, I was simply joking.

[@privateconfessions7821]

Don't worry Jeff's just sore from yesterday's throat workout

[@Elemxnt45]

Lol what’s a throat workout.

[@thehoodie7740]

Moaning louder than usual during deadlifts

[@privateconfessions7821]

Maybe it was too wide

[@Elemxnt45]

Didn’t know my boy Jeff rolled that way 🍆

[@Aerochalklate]

Sopapilla when u get on ur knees to activate the neck flexors then blow a shtick down and up fast in a steady kotion

[@MajorMovesB-ball]

Someone get Jeff the lifetime achievement award for awesomeness... I've been watching for almost a decade, haven't learned more from any other channel than Jeff's.

[@taco564]

Well... time to find out another thing I’m doing wrong in the gym. 😂😂😂

[@johnmitchinson9962]

Matt Cioanca bro how the fuck are you in the top of every comments section

[@AndrewRobeen]

John Mitchinson Illuminati

[@xen6494]

Matt Cioanca l

[@grizelda4526]

Great explanation. Thank you.

[@Rensoku611]

John Mitchinson by putting generic basic emoji comments you can do it easily... Or maybe botnets

[@Doug_MacArthur]

prior to him explaining the reason why sometimes hip flexor stretches can actually further emphasize a weakness I thought just based off the thumbnail and title that he wasn't advocating stretching your hip flexor at all so I was a little confused. But I watched the whole video and did the knee bend test past 90 degress and held it up there with ease so now I know I'm dealing with actual tightness. Thanks for clarifying in the video Jeff, always good content.

[@VicBxxx]

THANK YOU! I’ve been stretching but Omg 😮 I am so weak! I gotta do some work to build strength - back pain from hell .... no wonder! You are the god of all common sense Re body alignment/muscle balance issues from feet 🦶 to neck THANKS for all you do!

[@Mustaches4017]

This video was so necessary! Thank you. I'm a cross country runner who was always told my hip flexors were tight. It took several years/seasons to realize they were wrong. It's weakness. That's why it was recurring each season despite focusing on strething.

[@christianalbert101]

28 years old with 3 kids. Been an athlete my entire life, playing sports year around. Have had hip pains for almost 10 years off and on. These tests/exercises helped a lot... my hip started to cramp so looks like I need to strengthen them! Thanks man, you’re a very smart and hardworking man!

[@nonexistentfuture519]

Why am I doing everything wrong??

[@gonzalosaavedraalban]

Is weird, like if the existence itself is killing our gains

[@prufrok]

you're not this guys full of BS

[@allthingsjjshorts7425]

Rick Pitcher lmao 😂

[@virtualvegan7376]

You're not, Jeff just wants you to buy his programs.

[@matiasdamer3109]

@@prufrok tf r u saying

[@npackard14]

.. I’m starting to realize I have weakness pretty much everywhere now 😂

[@kristinapodobnik2790]

I really enjoy the videos in which Jeff explains how things work in the body in regards to anatomy. Not only is it really helpful and informative, it is also extremely interesting! I've learned so much about the kinetic chain just by watching Jeff's videos!

[@Im5nowpr0]

I really love these PT videos. I enjoy your workout advice, but there’s a million channels that give very good advice on similar concepts. These PT videos are what really set Athlean X apart from other channels. Hope to see more of them soon :)

[@seanbichler2002]

he even does the video while being sick!

[@euttdsiggh2783]

Sean Bichler never skip workout

[@rocskla3211]

Sean Bichler everyone does

[@axelfoley1406]

This is his job though. You don't get sick days when you run your own business.

[@nexus0803]

Sean Bichler, of course, Dr. Bro Science wants that youtube money.

[@SimpleStrongScience]

respect

[@garicrewsen1128]

There's a lot of 'personal trainers' on YT. Very few are trained in the science of exercise. This gentleman seems to be the exception.

[@Clint3571]

Jeff, you have helped more athletes than any other personal trainer or physical therapist. The comment section seems to agree.

[@sillystevennstuff360]

Someone needs to get this guy on Joe rogans podcast, especially for sober october

[@collinf714]

Hes been a shill for close to 2 years now

[@josephmcbrien7646]

Why?

[@Afflictamine]

@@collinf714 joe rogan did a full 180 on his stance on the moon landing. also when he was talking about 9/11 with jesse ventura he diverted attention away. he uses that computer bitch jamie to distract the guest anytime they want to change the subject

[@turntogod4410]

Yeah no wonder he was found chilling with Stanton levay and making horrible comments about Christ

[@lessemo]

@@Afflictamine you really seem angry towards them

[@grantlee4083]

Hey Jeff I was wondering if you could do a vid on your weekly workout routine I’d be really curious to see what you do! Keep up the great work

[@ryanjohnsrud8047]

General Killshot His programs are great and worth the $$$ plus you get lifetime access. I'm in my second program and got a great compliment yestetday: "Man, there are powerlifters, bodybuilders, and crossfitters, what you're doing is... something else..."

[@pepetiredofursht]

Me: I- Jeff: Wrong, here's why-

[@lyledsouza4075]

Always start your sentences with We, be inclusive

[@windy3935]

@@lyledsouza4075 That's exactly what leads to ignorant and misleading comments and claims like "We don't want this" or "We want this". No-one knows what people want and don't want, so they need to say I. Speaking for yourself is far more credible, actually entirely accurate, than (ignorantly) speaking for others. You only speak for others when you're speaking for or a part of a legitimate group like a development team, club, etc.

[@iloveairsoftnl]

@@windy3935 but it is the FBI though . . .

[@1N2345]

I mean.. you're FBI. You're obviously wrong.

[@ericchristopher1687]

Thank you. I've been told for years that the problem with my psoas was tightness. I did your tests and found the truth is the opposite! I will now give up the stretching, and replace it with strength work. Marvelous!

[@andreipineda285]

Jeff must have been working out his throat cause it seems a little sore

[@Elemxnt45]

Andrei Pineda lol that’s gray bro

[@becarefulwhatyoufish4764]

Sopapila He's been getting some of that breast milk

[@RolfCityDirtHunt]

Get choked out for 20 seconds 12 reps

[@vaiole640]

I was stretching hip flexors when this popped up Also, hope Jeff gets better soon!

[@shaibiseni2190]

I see my hip flexors pop up lmao

[@cheese388]

Thanks so much!! The test revealed I have a tight quad. As soon as I straightened that leg, down went the leg. 🤯

[@jodyhakala-ristow7014]

You are brilliant and explain it all so well. Really medical doctors dont know why your having all the issues, pain...weakness. Even physical therapist wont help you LEARN ALL THIS! I am going to do all these and watch this again.

[@carastone3473]

Yep! my hip flexors are WEAK, not tight. Thank you! Now I know exactly how to fix the issue!

[@AddisonProductions52]

I’ve been stretching my hip flexors off and on for almost a year... I just now discovered they’re weak... thanks Jeff!!

[@ironmantooltime]

Jeff worked his voice to failure.

[@solar0wind]

He needs to train his vocal chords as well. You should train everything, right?😂

[@PermaPen]

Holy Moly, finally some answers, thank you! I've had problems on my left hip for decades, and no amount of osteopathy, massage or stretching helped for more than a few minutes. Just did the two weakness tests - yes, the the cramping, and then the hold-then-release - laughable! - my leg just dropped. Flopped, even. The right hip/thigh, no problems. Exercises here I come. No idea why it started, since it started while I was weight-training....

[@Ritalie]

I'm half way through and I just want to say, this is the best muscle and tendon information I've ever seen on the internet. This is outstanding information, and presented better than anyone ever has.

[@AdrianaJSC11]

I just love this channel so much, such good info.

[@killyourself3404]

Sometimes the delievery is too slow and weird, but can't argue with the solid info.

[@Mohanz]

You legend! I have been concentrating on flexibility and stretching for months only to get another back spasm. I actually have very weak flexors. THANK YOU!

[@rivolinho]

Hey man, did u sort out the spasms after?

[@Mohanz]

@@rivolinho only had 1 very minor one which just hurt for a couple of days. Havent had an injury since!

[@rivolinho]

@@Mohanz nice. I believe I have tight or weak flexors which are creating a pull on my low back causing spasms. Going to do the tests and go from there. What sort of regime did u follow n how long?

[@Mohanz]

@@rivolinho i followed Guerilla Zen fitness APT exercises, do lots of glute bridges, core work, lunges plus hanging leg raises for the hip flexors plus using a box and lifting my leg up and holding it like in this. Do it ever second day with running on alternative days

[@rivolinho]

@@Mohanz Many thanks pal

[@gmc310]

Jeff. This video helped me hugely. Just started playing hockey again after a decade off. Super back pain. Keeping loose helped a bit, but now after your video, I’ve tested and realized my flexors are week and NOT overly tight. Thanks So much. Ps. A nice beginner exercise is the foot on a chair, then lift your knee as high as you can. Gets better and stronger pretty quick. Thanks again.

[@EvolveHer]

Thank you! I didn’t realize my issues was weakness around my hip. I’ve been stretching it like crazy and couldn’t figure out why it was still so painful. Good information here! Now I know what I actually need to do!

[@cmoore8434]

This is an incredibly helpful video for me. I've done all the stretches recommended online and it made things worse. Your tests showed me that my hip flexors are weak, not tight. You also answered my question about why they got weak in the first place. THANK YOU!!

[@lauraber5094]

Hello, I would like to thank you straight from the heart for this video. With your advice I was able to diagnose my problem and starting to work out, to fix my lower back pain, which lasted over 1,5 year's. I'm incredibly thankful for helping me and taking my pain away. ❤️❤️❤️

[@r.j.dunnill1465]

After 30 years of suffering with it, I fixed my anterior pelvic tilt in two weeks by stretching my hip flexors and stretching my low back.

[@ricobrinson6198]

"The test becomes the exercise" I LOVE IT!!!!!

[@christiananderson3274]

The path becomes the way. Made me laugh hard bro.

[@johnsmith-yv7rp]

This is an absolute game changer - I thought my hips were tight for ages!

[@Littlebear2222]

Me too

[@Sagatta32]

You thought? How about feel if they are or not. I'm all for strengthening but more crucial is the afterward stretching. Athleanx is smart but I think here he is wrong. Stretching is rarely bad. You need it the coming days + in lifts for availability. Just do the quad + hip stretch it's massive. Sit down on a soft mat on your knees, lean backwards, catching yoursel with your arms but keeping primary pressure on the quads+hips. Tilt the hip forward, feel where it stretches, perhaps lift and reach to one side with either arm to stretch the sides of the hip. As you get more of an open hip, from sitting on the knees + catching with arms, go down to the elbow position. Same thing, feel for whre it stretches, push out the hip, using glute flex. Max stretch is when your upper body is on the floor as you 'sit' but lie on the floor.... I nowadays do this on an office chair.. sitting on my legs but with the knees pointing downwards the floor (sitting on the edge of the chair)... lean backwards, catching yourself with the hands. 'Melt' the hip. Call me a conspiracy theoirist but google (owned by china is evil) results on stretching benefits are definitely lacking but my life experience tells a different story. Stretching benefits include a 'full recovery' to the next days, no tension as you would otherwise have, no pain. Flushing out all the waste products store in the muscles. Breaking the stress pattern (psychological stress within the muscle, muscle memory, literally), making your muscles more easily readily available the comings days but also as your body becomes open, so does your mind. (Why does all the yoga people look so relaxed hm? give it a shot, forgive your enemies and youself, it's all in your head, you are in control!!! but drink plent so that the blood is thin) Stretching also removes inflamation, especially seen in the long term. Stretching gives me inner peace and helping me reach spiritual levels.

[@sean3888]

Ethan Michell he doesn’t say not to stretch, he just says not to stretch the hip flexors if they’re not tight because it could lead to back problems in this one particular scenario

[@Sagatta32]

@@sean3888 My interpretation is that he wish people would 'activate' the hip. I am all for that but I do so with an 'open hip', stretched because then I have more availability. I understand him but it's still misleading. If the hips are stiff they are ALWAYS 'activated' which is in my opinion not good. Perhaps why it's called 'stresspattern'. To the contrary, in my experience, if the hips are stiff usually I use more of my back to lift - not good!

[@redd634able]

Maybe thats why after i did a few sprints, the next day i woke up feeling more flexible and loose then i had in a while!

[@77thorpe]

This channel is amazing. I have struggled with different aches and pains for yours and been extremely frustrated. The tools you teach are excellent and actually give me hope that I can deal with some of these issues. Thank you.

[@kimrrosen]

I was today's date yrs old when I found the stupidly simple truth about hips and my hips and all people's hips and hip issues. Sending this to every physical therapist, rheumatologist, personal trainer, fitness vhs person, faux-reiki-ist, faux-pilates-ist and assorted other disseminators of hip lies that have kept me from learning this sooner. This Jeff person and Tracy Anderson and the Alexander Technique people are the true keepers of the keys. Thank you Mr. Jeff person.

[@Fitand50Formula]

Just started serious sprinting this year. Definitely learning about my hip flexors

[@coco22811]

Omg thankyou so much, I’ve been stretching like crazy because I think my hips are super tight but they continue to pop, I didn’t know it was because of a weakness

[@danharrington2965]

After literally years of pain, money wasted and stretching I now have the answer to my hip issue, thank you so much Jeff.

[@paulabernethy4925]

Dan harrington have noticed reduced pain since doing the exercises?

[@lukasbozik7860]

This is really informative! As a masaage therapist I come across many people complaining about tight hip flexors and I've never thought it could the weakness actually. Thank you!

[@GymGarageMan]

Awesome tips as usual so much research to help others thanks Jeff.

[@timtravis6871]

One other potential issue to consider: Per this video, I tested myself for hip flexor strength and flexibility and passed both tests, though intermittent pain continued, so I met with my primary care physician, had my hip x-rayed and found that I had moderate arthritis in my hip - the apparent source of my significant muscular pain [in the hip flexor bundle, I-T band, quad and groin].

[@brianharder7714]

Indeed. Hip osteoarthritis and labral tears (those causing pain) are entirely different kinds of pain generators that are not going to respond long term to any of these methods. Hip OA can sometimes improve for a time following improved mobility but birthdays and gravity usually win the battle as the disease process progresses over time.

[@GianniEndo]

What's up Jeff. Your channel is the only fitness channel that I go to for accurate and informative stretches and exercises. Keep up the great work 💪🏽

[@bufordtannen3516]

Amazing. Ive had a horrible pain in my right hip and the strengthening has worked tremendously in relieving the pain. Thank you

[@TheGr8one1022]

That sense of relief when you fit Jeff's exception.

[@vladtepes9835]

Jesse from Athlean-X should arm wrestle Jamie from Joe Rogan Podcast. That would make a good video

[@ctaukus9146]

Vlad Ţepeș how about mike Chang from six pack shortcuts!!!!

[@fe5018]

Vlad Ţepeș, has he ever been on JRE???

[@IllBeDARNd]

no he's a fitness scam artist, "buy my 2min workout to get a six-pack"

[@taunokekkonen5733]

Or...Rsymond against Alan Thrall!

[@danielkemp9830]

This might be a life-saver. Just tried it and my right hip flexor is definitely WEAK and not tight. This is the first video I've seen from Athlean-x. I've heard about them before but haven't watched them yet. Really like the channel so far I'll be watching more.

[@mattvandenberg3508]

Did not think it was possible for Jeff to get sick

[@chubbymike3372]

His throat is just sore from the workout the day before

[@Only2GendersCommonSense]

His throat is just hoarse from yelling at Jessie.

[@richardkiskey4995]

So good! Been stretching hard for years and ‘flaring it up’ every damn time. Thanks for this. I don’t have tightness! I have weakness!

[@michaelkubicek2790]

6 minutes soreness-neck. Hope you get better jeff.

[@emilyabel5979]

OMG. I have been in pain for years and this is all it took!?!! DUDE THIS JUST CHANGED MY LIFE! THANK YOU!!!

[@ssubramanian605]

This is an excellent video. I have had pain or discomfort in one of my hips and the flexors stretch never helped me on long term. I am definitely adding this exercise to my list. Thanks Jeff

[@tejiritebite4831]

How is it now ?

[@liusam651]

Take care Jeff you sound a bit sick..

[@FoxGoodmanYT]

Even when Jeff sounds like he is sick, he still posts a video for us. NO EXCUSES!

[@EggRollNinjutsu]

The gym goat himself. 🐐. Many thanks for your hard work

[@petermurray439]

Next video: STOP BREATHING! HERES WHY!

[@ayoutubechannul]

QUIT EATING! WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

[@jimmyxiong3694]

Lol!

[@kbanghart]

I don't really feel soreness when I lift my knee up like he did in this video. Just tired in the quad. I can lift it up past 90, but not much more. I guess that means I just need to exercise it by lifting it a lot? I do karate and really need to get as much movement as possible out of my hips, glutes, etc, cuz I'm middle-aged and out of shape with a desk job ugh. Any other help you can think of is appreciated. Thanks

[@travis7836]

Exactly. Fucking annoying

[@davidwang895]

HAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAH

[@jaap8232]

This man a true blessing, thank you.

[@iSven]

Whole youtube: you have anterior pelvic? Stretch hip flexors etc Another youtuber: don't strech hip flexors, don't even move your body.

[@Digamortis]

I clicked on this because I’m trying to fix my APT

[@commentconnoisseur1001]

@@Digamortis I replied to this because I'm a bot

[@Digamortis]

Comment Connoisseur Beep boop

[@plinkplonk8475]

he made a video about anterior P-tilt that said to stretch your hipflexors... now he says dont. I'm so confused.

[@Settingz385]

@@plinkplonk8475 even his confused lol

[@mydemon]

Jeff you just exploded my view in a million pieces. Ive been stretching my hip flexors incorrectly and unnecessarily for years whereas I had the opposite problem ( weakness iasue)

[@chloem86]

Thanks for this! I’ve been struggling in karate with high kicks- now I know it’s a weakness and not tightness!! 💪🏻💪🏻

[@chloem86]

Follow the howl yeah I still stretch and everything- just means I know that I should also be doing some exercises to help too

[@alainfitnessdoc4503]

Tightness and weakness are not mutually exclusive. Often when your muscles are weak, they become tight to make up for their lack of strength.

[@joezupko]

Jeff's videos are awesome. Love the anatomical breakdown, really helps get to the bottom of what's actually going on in the body. May not be glamorous, but this stuff is important!

[@Aranore]

Just found this. I'm an adult toe walker due to shortened Achilles tendons my whole life, which has resulted to tremendous issues with my hip flexors. No one at any gym or physiotherapist said to test if it's a tightness or weaknesses. Definitely weakness apparently. And yes - lower back pain while doing anything on my back (leg lifts , crunches, sit ups) Thank you so much!

[@omkarshinde1628]

I also have tight quads or rectus femur.... Should I stop streching if I have weak hip flexor I'm really confused cause my resting leg is partially touching when I bent it 90,80 degree and full touching when I straight my leg

[@shitslammer9948]

WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU JEFF?! thanks so much

[@thoremeyer5886]

Get well soon props to you for making the video though

[@uesgaroe8998]

Thore Meyer what is meant by "props"

[@lukej7758]

I’ve been dealing with tons of pain in my hips the last 2 years, like after 2 hours walking they hurt, I stretch them constantly but it only relieves it temporarily. It’s been effecting every area of my life particularly work as I’m always on my feet walking. I’ve been searching for the answer online and seen several PT/doctors with no solution and it only gets worse. What Jeff says sounds closer in line with what I’m dealing with than anything else I’ve come across, I have the flexibility/ROM but with the test I think it’s weakness. Going to try these exercises religiously the next 3 weeks and see if it improves. Seriously I can’t describe how encouraging this video was, almost wanted to cry haha. Sounds dramatic but my hip pain has seriously been harming my quality of life I REALLY hope this helps

[@Krazyyerttle]

Me too buddy

[@lukej7758]

Update: after only 4 DAYS of doing hip flexor strengthening exercises ALL the pain in my TFL has disappeared. Seriously Jeff is a wizard with the human body, 2 years of problems resolved with 10 minutes of exercise. Thank you Athlean X!!!

[@andiuptown1711]

Luke J Dude, that amazing!! Happy for you

[@Yippaah]

I've been watching you now for a long long while now. Every time i come back to your youtube channel. I just noticed this vid is from 2018 but I just want to personally thank you for all the information you're handing out. Very happy for your services!

[@aolsen6874]

ALWAYS the best and most informative videos out there when it comes to training and anatomy, taking several scenarios into consideration which makes me see the whole picture and addressing the problem without leaving questions behind. Thanks again!

[@petrieme]

Great content. As a distance runner, I have nagging hip flexor soreness, tight hamstrings, and not activating the glutes nearly enough.

[@wozhendeaa]

I found out I have tight quads, hip flexor and weak hip after the test

[@dr.miguelrivera114]

Billy Yang kk

[@arza0932]

Loll

[@dannac_8888]

Join the millions of others...

[@solar0wind]

Start ballet. Helps with all those problems.

[@soullessSiIence]

My hips are so fucked up, I feel like I was 50. I'm always afraid to watch these videos because I know there are a lot of things wrong in my body

[@Mike-du9yz]

I sat on the gym bench to tie my shoes and had a sharp pain up my back and was stuck in bed for a week. Thought it was hip flexor tightness and always thought i struggled with hip flexor tightness and it turns out it was a weakness. Thanks for the video it has helped so much. I would have been stuck in this loop of pain forever if it wasn't for you.

[@princenkansah5966]

My God!! Every time i'm about to do something fix my body ATHLEAN-X: STOP DOING THIS! jheezzee

[@richiwiwichi8657]

You should grateful to him, say thank you to him cuz he helping your gainz

[@caseyferigno9304]

SO TRUE

[@shivomkumar628]

Hi Jeff, Can u please make a video covering all the exercises that help to address weak hips problem. How to strengthen weak hips ?

[@Sagatta32]

'the muscle asking for help from another muscle' hence cheating. Just do the quad + hip stretch it's massive. Sit down on a soft mat on your knees, lean backwards, catching yoursel with your arms but keeping primary pressure on the quads+hips. Tilt the hip forward, feel where it stretches, perhaps lift and reach to one side with either arm to stretch the sides of the hip. As you get more of an open hip, from sitting on the knees + catching with arms, go down to the elbow position. Same thing, feel for whre it stretches, push out the hip, using glute flex. Max stretch is when your upper body is on the floor as you 'sit' but lie on the floor.... I nowadays do this on an office chair.. sitting on my legs but with the knees pointing downwards the floor (sitting on the edge of the chair)... lean backwards, catching yourself with the hands. 'Melt' the hip. Call me a conspiracy theoirist but google results on stretching benefits are definitely lacking but my life experience tells a different story. Stretching benefits include a 'full recovery' to the next days, no tension as you would otherwise have, no pain. Flushing out all the waste products store in the muscles. Breaking the stress pattern (psychological stress within the muscle, muscle memory, literally), making your muscles more easily readily available the comings days but also as your body becomes open, so does your mind. (Why does all the yoga people look so relaxed hm? give it a shot, forgive your enemies and youself, it's all in your head, you are in control!!! but drink plent so that the blood is thin) Stretching also removes inflamation, especially seen in the long term. Stretching gives me inner peace and helping me reach spiritual levels.

[@nicolefryer3110]

Definitely weak hip flexors. Thank you. I’ve always thought stretching would help. Wow! You have really helped me with your videos! Thank you for being open to sharing. Quick question: if I have weak hip flexors is it still good to do the weight lounges for fixing posture, as well. My posture is improving big time from your videos! Thank you💖

[@paulcombes3782]

Well done sir ! So many people I know have back issues because their stabilising muscle groups are weak . You know your muscle physiology very well Jeff .