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

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  • čas přidán 6. 01. 2018
  • 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/456-workouts
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    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
  • Jak na to + styl

Komentáře • 4,3K

  • @athleanx
    @athleanx  Před 2 lety +39

    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: czcams.com/video/K-CrEi0ymMg/video.html

    • @brendonanderson3423
      @brendonanderson3423 Před rokem +1

      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

    • @user-zs3dn7qq7n
      @user-zs3dn7qq7n Před 2 měsíci

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

  • @robertfox05
    @robertfox05 Před 6 lety +4426

    Jeff lost his voice yelling at Jesse

    • @SubnetMaskedMan
      @SubnetMaskedMan Před 6 lety +3

      Robert Markoš lol

    • @D_o_n_k_e
      @D_o_n_k_e Před 6 lety +5

      Robert Markoš lmao good one

    • @aminsbata9240
      @aminsbata9240 Před 6 lety +5

      Robert Markoš 😂😂 poor jese

    • @tapolna
      @tapolna Před 6 lety +16

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

    • @Aerochalklate
      @Aerochalklate Před 6 lety +53

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

  • @ksheelshetty
    @ksheelshetty Před 4 lety +3220

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

    • @adMatec7
      @adMatec7 Před 4 lety +25

      LMAOOOOO

    • @eish1234
      @eish1234 Před 4 lety +3

      Ksheel Shetty 😂😂😂😂😂😂

    • @davec3651
      @davec3651 Před 4 lety +10

      Cheer up Ksheel, Jeff always just wants to help.

    • @oeu3669
      @oeu3669 Před 4 lety

      Ksheel Shetty 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @akdarklight156
      @akdarklight156 Před 4 lety

      😂😂😂😂

  • @Vmh1717
    @Vmh1717 Před 3 lety +906

    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
      @self-madejacobo8281 Před 3 lety +21

      Ikr 😂 cmon though we gotta do it for the better

    • @Edward-ho2bm
      @Edward-ho2bm Před 3 lety +3

      fr

    • @robm321
      @robm321 Před 3 lety +3

      Especially stretching

    • @Woweeeeee100
      @Woweeeeee100 Před 2 lety +35

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

    • @ZendelWashington
      @ZendelWashington Před 2 lety +10

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

  • @vietvo4749
    @vietvo4749 Před 3 lety +312

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

  • @shuntarofurukawa4807
    @shuntarofurukawa4807 Před 6 lety +4438

    Jeff getting those throat gains

    • @ErdemEralpp
      @ErdemEralpp Před 6 lety +8

      LuL

    • @ErdemEralpp
      @ErdemEralpp Před 6 lety +129

      Throat curls

    • @ryutenmen
      @ryutenmen Před 6 lety +8

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

    • @andryferrebus7113
      @andryferrebus7113 Před 6 lety +6

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

    • @ddf5878
      @ddf5878 Před 6 lety +16

      pause

  • @Yakushii
    @Yakushii Před 6 lety +1452

    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
      @rucanunes Před 6 lety +19

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

    • @TylerWelch1987
      @TylerWelch1987 Před 6 lety +2

      Absolutely

    • @vasileventer1180
      @vasileventer1180 Před 5 lety

      0

    • @davidjuarez300
      @davidjuarez300 Před 5 lety +8

      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
      @keith9240 Před 2 lety

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

  • @themanfromearth76
    @themanfromearth76 Před 4 lety +515

    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
      @minhbui4817 Před 3 lety +34

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

    • @JCarlito19
      @JCarlito19 Před 3 lety +82

      @@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
      @zamoo7355 Před 3 lety

      Me too.

    • @vlada
      @vlada Před 3 lety

      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
      @nimishtomar Před 3 lety

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

  • @npackard14
    @npackard14 Před 3 lety +73

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

  • @AD-fj7uv
    @AD-fj7uv Před 6 lety +1392

    Throat workout (sore in 6 min)

    • @dr.harshad.fitness
      @dr.harshad.fitness Před 6 lety +10

      ayush dixxit 😂😂😂😂

    • @Cragzman
      @Cragzman Před 5 lety

      ayush dixxit n

    • @murphdog9506
      @murphdog9506 Před 5 lety +14

      Just ask your girlfriend ;)

    • @huyanhbui7105
      @huyanhbui7105 Před 5 lety

      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
      @glitch314 Před 5 lety +1

      😂

  • @ierikk1
    @ierikk1 Před 5 lety +1417

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

    • @F2Ptaxi
      @F2Ptaxi Před 5 lety +5

      xD

    • @Hahahaha-uj9pu
      @Hahahaha-uj9pu Před 5 lety +4

      yeah Same here

    • @Peter_1986
      @Peter_1986 Před 5 lety +38

      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
      @prashikjadhav3954 Před 5 lety +5

      That's so me

    • @ShadyDogg
      @ShadyDogg Před 4 lety +3

      Thats deep bro

  • @chethanchandrashekar7522
    @chethanchandrashekar7522 Před 4 lety +625

    @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
      @a.m.scape_5133 Před 4 lety +13

      Thanks Bro 👊

    • @aquadan63
      @aquadan63 Před 3 lety +1

      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
      @chrism.1749 Před 3 lety +4

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

    • @WackyPossum
      @WackyPossum Před 2 lety

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

    • @omkarshinde1628
      @omkarshinde1628 Před 2 lety

      @@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

  • @FBI-yi6rn
    @FBI-yi6rn Před 4 lety +637

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

    • @lyledsouza4075
      @lyledsouza4075 Před 4 lety +3

      Always start your sentences with We, be inclusive

    • @windy3935
      @windy3935 Před 4 lety +26

      @@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
      @iloveairsoftnl Před 2 lety

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

    • @1N2345
      @1N2345 Před 2 lety

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

  • @n.n.5286
    @n.n.5286 Před 4 lety +1522

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

  • @shivankchopra7429
    @shivankchopra7429 Před 6 lety +654

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

    • @lockhrt999
      @lockhrt999 Před 6 lety +19

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

    • @decoraven825
      @decoraven825 Před 6 lety

      shivank chopra or just advik

    • @jeffcavalierescarbatteries5540
      @jeffcavalierescarbatteries5540 Před 6 lety +3

      Or just no honey because it’s full of sugar

    • @gilfiazon2575
      @gilfiazon2575 Před 6 lety +1

      Hahahaha absolute non sense

    • @shivankchopra7429
      @shivankchopra7429 Před 6 lety +1

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

  • @MajorMovesB-ball
    @MajorMovesB-ball Před 3 lety +11

    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.

  • @kristinapodobnik2790
    @kristinapodobnik2790 Před 4 lety +37

    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!

  • @taco564
    @taco564 Před 6 lety +1782

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

    • @johnmitchinson9962
      @johnmitchinson9962 Před 6 lety +36

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

    • @AndrewRobeen
      @AndrewRobeen Před 6 lety +32

      John Mitchinson Illuminati

    • @xen6494
      @xen6494 Před 6 lety

      Matt Cioanca l

    • @grizelda4526
      @grizelda4526 Před 6 lety

      Great explanation. Thank you.

    • @Rensoku611
      @Rensoku611 Před 6 lety +4

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

  • @Turco949
    @Turco949 Před 5 lety +2574

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

    • @xlightable
      @xlightable Před 5 lety +18

      I started doing this immediately!

    • @dirtmcgirt01
      @dirtmcgirt01 Před 5 lety +6

      Lmao!

    • @mycharmedunicorn8715
      @mycharmedunicorn8715 Před 4 lety +11

      Turco949 🤣 who told you?

    • @Juggernaut365
      @Juggernaut365 Před 4 lety +5

      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
      @neal311 Před 4 lety +3

      Shut up

  • @RemnTheteth
    @RemnTheteth Před rokem +16

    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.

  • @garicrewsen1128
    @garicrewsen1128 Před 3 lety +15

    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.

  • @cruzanist
    @cruzanist Před 5 lety +1015

    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
      @kargs5krun Před 5 lety +28

      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
      @nikita2560 Před 5 lety +6

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

    • @zeimeris
      @zeimeris Před 5 lety +11

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

    • @onix5221
      @onix5221 Před 5 lety +7

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

    • @mysteryman595
      @mysteryman595 Před 5 lety +40

      @Luke Kulton you cared enough to reply...

  • @privateconfessions7821
    @privateconfessions7821 Před 6 lety +639

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

    • @Elemxnt45
      @Elemxnt45 Před 6 lety +2

      Lol what’s a throat workout.

    • @thehoodie7740
      @thehoodie7740 Před 6 lety +22

      Moaning louder than usual during deadlifts

    • @privateconfessions7821
      @privateconfessions7821 Před 6 lety +6

      Maybe it was too wide

    • @Elemxnt45
      @Elemxnt45 Před 6 lety +16

      Didn’t know my boy Jeff rolled that way 🍆

    • @Aerochalklate
      @Aerochalklate Před 6 lety +3

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

  • @Mustaches4017
    @Mustaches4017 Před 4 lety +8

    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.

  • @77thorpe
    @77thorpe Před 4 lety +6

    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.

  • @VeryNuclearYT
    @VeryNuclearYT Před 6 lety +1013

    Someone got cold.

  • @SSangsen
    @SSangsen Před 6 lety +124

    Please get better Jeff, much love.

  • @lurgy5177
    @lurgy5177 Před 3 lety +21

    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

  • @cmoore8434
    @cmoore8434 Před 2 lety +5

    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!!

  • @HoloJinX
    @HoloJinX Před 5 lety +43

    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
      @mrlarrybobjr Před 3 lety +6

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

  • @seanbichler2002
    @seanbichler2002 Před 6 lety +272

    he even does the video while being sick!

    • @euttdsiggh2783
      @euttdsiggh2783 Před 6 lety +1

      Sean Bichler never skip workout

    • @rocskla3211
      @rocskla3211 Před 6 lety +1

      Sean Bichler everyone does

    • @axelfoley1406
      @axelfoley1406 Před 6 lety +16

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

    • @nexus0803
      @nexus0803 Před 6 lety +3

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

    • @SimpleStrongScience
      @SimpleStrongScience Před 6 lety

      respect

  • @lauraber5094
    @lauraber5094 Před 4 lety +5

    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. ❤️❤️❤️

  • @aolsen6874
    @aolsen6874 Před 4 lety +3

    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!

  • @nonexistentfuture519
    @nonexistentfuture519 Před 5 lety +436

    Why am I doing everything wrong??

  • @BlueShadow777
    @BlueShadow777 Před 5 lety +598

    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
      @xMYK3 Před 5 lety +20

      Daniele Iannarelli he's a physical therapist lol

    • @rutgerv.6050
      @rutgerv.6050 Před 5 lety +8

      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
      @saphiruss7277 Před 5 lety +4

      @@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
      @rutgerv.6050 Před 5 lety +1

      @@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
      @tcullispt1 Před 5 lety +12

      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.

  • @gmc310
    @gmc310 Před rokem +2

    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.

  • @Ritalie
    @Ritalie Před 3 lety +3

    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.

  • @MuchWowNature
    @MuchWowNature Před 4 lety +256

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

    • @rattlesnake1ful
      @rattlesnake1ful Před 2 lety +3

      No df he did not the majority of his videos are misinformation and I can imagine how many people have hurt themselves or given up working out because of this man’s stupid advice

  • @ironmantooltime
    @ironmantooltime Před 6 lety +358

    Jeff worked his voice to failure.

    • @solar0wind
      @solar0wind Před 5 lety +1

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

  • @judysterling9018
    @judysterling9018 Před 2 lety +1

    So glad you explained this. I have been doing hip flexors and my back hurt so bad when I got through.

  • @ericchristopher1687
    @ericchristopher1687 Před 3 lety +2

    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!

  • @Doug_MacArthur
    @Doug_MacArthur Před 5 lety +7

    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.

  • @andreipineda285
    @andreipineda285 Před 6 lety +197

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

  • @paulcombes3782
    @paulcombes3782 Před 2 lety

    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 .

  • @lukasbozik7860
    @lukasbozik7860 Před 3 lety

    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!

  • @saulgarcia7083
    @saulgarcia7083 Před 6 lety +493

    The anatomy is essential! It’s not boring

    • @HashbrownGokusan
      @HashbrownGokusan Před 5 lety +2

      Saul Garcia just the hip strengthening exercise is boring lmaoo

    • @nathanmyhill3337
      @nathanmyhill3337 Před 5 lety

      I find it fascinating

    • @zaklow6654
      @zaklow6654 Před 5 lety +1

      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.

  • @VicBxxx
    @VicBxxx Před 5 lety +54

    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!

  • @JasonS42
    @JasonS42 Před 3 lety +2

    Thanks for making this video! I've been trying to track down the source of some back pain that started out of the blue and I've been making progress via stretching for a couple of days now. The check for psoas weakness was something that I've been looking for!

  • @beckyr2056
    @beckyr2056 Před rokem +1

    So helpful! I've been stretching my hip flexors a lot lately thinking I'm doing a good thing. Turns out I don't have a weakness but they're not tight either from these exercises. Will stop stretching them so much!

  • @christianalbert101
    @christianalbert101 Před 5 lety +16

    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!

  • @Im5nowpr0
    @Im5nowpr0 Před 6 lety +34

    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 :)

  • @mydemon
    @mydemon Před 3 lety

    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)

  • @bufordtannen3516
    @bufordtannen3516 Před 3 lety +1

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

  • @BalmBeach
    @BalmBeach Před 5 lety +3

    Awesome! Thanks. I love the anatomical reasoning to really understand why.

  • @sillystevennstuff360
    @sillystevennstuff360 Před 5 lety +1288

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

    • @collinf714
      @collinf714 Před 5 lety +8

      Hes been a shill for close to 2 years now

    • @josephmcbrien7646
      @josephmcbrien7646 Před 5 lety +1

      Why?

    • @Afflictamine
      @Afflictamine Před 4 lety +16

      @@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
      @turntogod4410 Před 4 lety

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

    • @lessemo
      @lessemo Před 4 lety +6

      @@Afflictamine you really seem angry towards them

  • @KillBill2497
    @KillBill2497 Před 4 lety

    This is exactly the video I needed. Thanks Jeff for your quality content, no one else like you on CZcams

  • @hooks4nooks
    @hooks4nooks Před rokem

    Wow, this has been the most direct, and made the most sense video I've watched and am really impressed. You know what's up. I definitely will test myself with these and progress accordingly. I'm so impressed I'm going to check out more of your videos and channel. Thanks a lot. I'm 54 and hate this back/hip flexor issue I've had since Jan and hate that I've gotten so weak last couple 3 years.

  • @carastone3473
    @carastone3473 Před 5 lety +11

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

  • @Fitand50Formula
    @Fitand50Formula Před 6 lety +4

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

  • @womanphoto66
    @womanphoto66 Před 2 lety

    I have my anatomy chart out and highlighting the muscles you're referring to in each video. Then I google them to see more charts and gather more info. Jeff, you're always spot on! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

  • @jordanrundell9962
    @jordanrundell9962 Před 4 lety

    Wow!!! Thanks for this info! I am a runner, and my coach has been telling me that my hip flexors are tight and do not allow my leg to extend rearwards to lengthen my stride, and thus increase speed. This video helped me very much in analyzing my body.

  • @GianniEndo
    @GianniEndo Před 5 lety +5

    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 💪🏽

  • @grantlee4083
    @grantlee4083 Před 6 lety +129

    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
      @ryanjohnsrud8047 Před 6 lety +2

      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..."

  • @danidino1645
    @danidino1645 Před 2 lety

    You are a legend!
    I have exactly what you described, and stretching does solve my tightness/remove the pain for a short time. And yes, after a while the problem started getting worse and stretching stopped helping. Thanx a lot, you have just given me the solution to my problem and I'll start strengthening those muscles right away!

  • @Yippaah
    @Yippaah Před 2 lety

    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!

  • @cheese388
    @cheese388 Před 4 lety +19

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

  • @jaap8232
    @jaap8232 Před 5 lety +12

    This man a true blessing, thank you.

  • @samtradder7590
    @samtradder7590 Před 4 lety

    Thank you. I am 65 and have been stretching all the while, when I should have been strengthening. I did the first test, passed. Second test failed miserably. And, yes, I always feel the need to stretch so very often everyday. Now, I believe I know why. I shall start the strengthening exercise from today. Thanks a ton, God bless.

  • @coco22811
    @coco22811 Před 4 lety +5

    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

  • @joe_zupko
    @joe_zupko Před 5 lety +16

    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!

  • @AddisonProductions52
    @AddisonProductions52 Před 4 lety +3

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

  • @PermaPen
    @PermaPen Před 2 lety +1

    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....

  • @richardkiskey4995
    @richardkiskey4995 Před 4 lety +3

    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!

  • @desireayer
    @desireayer Před 5 lety +3

    I love how your information is relevant to beginners as well as advanced. :)

  • @ricobrinson6198
    @ricobrinson6198 Před 5 lety +29

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

  • @jmills203
    @jmills203 Před 2 lety +2

    This was a great video to learn from. I’ve been stretching my hip flexors daily and my lower back still has discomfort. Going to own my weakness now

  • @dogmom7747
    @dogmom7747 Před 4 lety

    The best video describing this problem...everyone always focuses of stretching. Thank you!

  • @petermurray439
    @petermurray439 Před 5 lety +2982

    Next video: STOP BREATHING! HERES WHY!

    • @ayoutubechannul
      @ayoutubechannul Před 5 lety +124

      QUIT EATING! WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

    • @jimmyxiong3694
      @jimmyxiong3694 Před 5 lety +6

      Lol!

    • @kbanghart
      @kbanghart Před 5 lety +10

      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
      @travis7836 Před 5 lety +20

      Exactly. Fucking annoying

    • @davidwang895
      @davidwang895 Před 5 lety +3

      HAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAH

  • @vaiole640
    @vaiole640 Před 6 lety +55

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

  • @goradalibargun7185
    @goradalibargun7185 Před 2 lety +1

    That was me, getting some relief when I do some stretching but that it never lasted. Thank you so much for your insights.

  • @greenmarine5
    @greenmarine5 Před rokem

    As always very informative content on how parts of the body work together, the main reason why I follow and listen to you, is because of you sharing knowledge about how the body works.

  • @cherylscolourjam
    @cherylscolourjam Před 5 lety +4

    Thanks for this video. That is exactly my problem. 👍

  • @TheGr8one1022
    @TheGr8one1022 Před 2 lety +3

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

  • @emilyabel5979
    @emilyabel5979 Před 2 lety

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

  • @jkool1919
    @jkool1919 Před 4 lety

    I'm praying this is the solution! I've had hip flexor pain for years now and all I could find were hip stretching exercises online which have only made things worse. Physio's have given me the same advice. Going to try strengthening for a few weeks to see how I go!

  • @AdrianaJSC11
    @AdrianaJSC11 Před 6 lety +36

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

    • @killyourself3404
      @killyourself3404 Před 6 lety

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

  • @petrieme
    @petrieme Před 4 lety +3

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

  • @danielkemp9830
    @danielkemp9830 Před 4 lety

    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.

  • @jodyhakala-ristow7014
    @jodyhakala-ristow7014 Před 4 lety +1

    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.

  • @nicolefryer3110
    @nicolefryer3110 Před 5 lety +5

    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💖

  • @EvolveHer
    @EvolveHer Před 5 lety +12

    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!

  • @THrEeMuNkEes
    @THrEeMuNkEes Před 4 lety +2

    This was so helpful, thank you!

  • @julianfurner
    @julianfurner Před 3 lety

    Brilliant wonderful video. 'Helpful' is a complete understatement. Thanks, Jeff!

  • @ssubramanian605
    @ssubramanian605 Před 3 lety +5

    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

  • @GymGarageMan
    @GymGarageMan Před 6 lety +8

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

  • @torontoisgood
    @torontoisgood Před 2 lety +1

    Fantastic beak down. Clear and succinct. Keep it up Jeff!

  • @AverageGabriel
    @AverageGabriel Před 3 lety

    This video recommendation came up while I was watching Bob and Brad the Physicians on CZcams explain poas and they left out a lot compared to what you offered here in this video and you actually helped me find out what my issue is better than those other two doctors.

  • @johnsmith-yv7rp
    @johnsmith-yv7rp Před 5 lety +41

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

    • @Littlebear2222
      @Littlebear2222 Před 5 lety +1

      Me too

    • @Sagatta32
      @Sagatta32 Před 4 lety +3

      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
      @sean3888 Před 4 lety +3

      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
      @Sagatta32 Před 4 lety

      @@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
      @redd634able Před 3 lety

      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!

  • @mattvandenberg3508
    @mattvandenberg3508 Před 5 lety +96

    Did not think it was possible for Jeff to get sick

  • @ryanviall5287
    @ryanviall5287 Před 2 lety

    That’s great info Jeff. Your informative videos have helped me in many areas correct issues.