One piece of the movement puzzle I see missing all the time is good hip extension. A lot of emphasis is placed on  strengthening the posterior chain these days and for good reason. However the value of a strong posterior chain or powerful hip drive is lost if you dont have the range of motion to deliver this strength through a full range. Your gluteus maximus is the main contributor to powerful hip extension and its strongest contraction strength is seen in full (terminal) hip extension. So it goes without saying that if you are unable to full extend your hip then you are going to miss out on some signifiicant glute assistance which means less power.

Picture

No hip extension issues here!
The most common compensation for lack of hip extension is to extend (arch) the lumbar spine. You will get away with this for quite a while but eventually this extra demand on the low back to make up for the hip will result in some low back pain.

A lot of astute gym goers, crossfitters and trainers recognise this and aggressively try and increase their hip extension by stretching their hip flexors (illiopsoas). While the hip flexors are a great place to start another significant and often poorly stretched muscle is rectus femoris (RF). The RF is crosses both the knee and the hip joints, for this reason it is very often overworked and is quite susceptible tightness. Because the RF crosses two joints it is also a prime candidate to have an negative impact on the lower back position. By pulling on the AIIS (front of pelvis) it can tilt the pelvis forward slightly causing the low back to arch to accomodate the change of position.

The trouble with common RF/Quadricep stretches is they dont limit lumbar spine movement, so what ends up happening is we continue to compensate for our tight RF with excessive low back extension.
The easiest way to limit your lumbar movement in a quad/RF stretch is to flex the opposite knee to 90degrees. This will act to block the lumbar spine from moving into extension. So here’s how you check if you are missing some hip extension.

Make sure you keep the lower leg at or above 90degrees of hip flexion. Take hold of the ankle of the upper leg and pin it to your backside. Keep the ankle pinned to your backside while you drive your knee back as far as you can, opening the hip into full extension.

Picture

Start position

Picture

Finish position
Take note of your finish position, have a friend hold a broomestick above you aligned through your shoulder and and hip. If your knee is still in front of the stick you need to spend some time here. When you are in full extension squeeze your glute and try to drive you hip forward. Hold each glute squeeze for 10seconds, relax and repeat. Accumulate 2 mins of stretch time on each side.
send

Recent Post

Posted in

Dr Donald Cawthorne

Dr Donald Cawthorne Orthopaedic Surgeon Specialist Hip and Knee Surgeon | Orthopaedic Trauma Dr Donald Cawthorne is an Australian fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon specialising in hip and knee surgery, with expertise in joint replacement, sports knee injuries and orthopaedic trauma. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and a Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) from the University of Sydney, and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and the Australian Orthopaedic Association (FA OrthoA). Following his orthopaedic training across several major trauma centres in Sydney, Dr Cawthorne undertook Australian Orthopaedic Association-accredited fellowship training in lower limb surgery. His fellowship training included robotic and computer-assisted hip and knee replacement, anterior hip replacement, arthroscopic knee surgery, with additional experience in orthopaedic trauma. His clinical interests include hip and knee osteoarthritis, ACL and meniscal injuries, patellar instability, gluteal tendon tears, fractures and traumatic injuries of the upper and lower limbs. Patients see Dr Cawthorne at clinics in Wahroonga, St Leonards, Frenchs Forest, Gosford and Tamworth. He performs surgery at Sydney Adventist Hospital, Northern Beaches Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital and Armidale Private Hospital, taking a personalised approach to care and working with patients to develop treatment plans that reflect their condition, lifestyle and goals. Dr Cawthorne has contributed to orthopaedic research throughout his career, publishing in peer-reviewed surgical journals and presenting at state, national and international conferences, including the Australian Orthopaedic Association Annual Scientific Meeting and the World Congress of Physical Therapy. He also completed six months of specialty surgical training at Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland, Oregon, further broadening his experience in orthopaedic surgery.