Here’s a simple drill to help you both strengthen and mobilize the hip rotator muscles, including:
- Hip internal rotators (rotate the thighs inward): piriformis (when hip is flexed), tensor fascia latae, glute medius and minimus
- Hip external rotators (rotate the thighs outward): glute maximus, piriformis (when hip is in neutral/extended), gemellus superior and inferior, obturator internus and externus and the quadratus femoris
We all need to work on both internal and external hip rotation more (especially internal) because most of what we do with our hips occurs in the sagittal plane i.e. walking, running, deadlifting, lunging etc.
Great drill to do in your warmup and/or in between sets of Bench Press.
Do anywhere from 6-12 reps per side or more!
And if you’ve got a lot of trouble doing this movement, then check out the Hip Flexibility Solution because if you don’t properly address your movement dysfunctions now, they’re only going to get worse.
