Crack The Mystery of Tight Hips and Get That Squat Strong!

It's very common to hear people complain about their inability to get into the bottom portion of a squat i.e. The Thai Fisherman position. There are often explanations about sore knees, tired backs or various other tight body parts but the core issue is usually tight hips.

It isn't a great mystery that tight hips can impede a good squat but knowing that only helps us if we act on the information and do the hard practice to improve it. So, what simple ways can we improve these stiff hips? Well, here are two crucial ones to get you started!

The Hip Flexor Stretch

This is one of the most effective but reviled stretches in the trainer's stretch cache. Most lifters and runners are tight in their hips and have trouble closing them fully (the ability to at least bring their knees past the crease of their hips generally), so they tend to avoid painful stretches in this tight area, which in turn messes them up further. Stopping this vicious cycle requires a little bit of pain and endurance but is amazingly worth it. The best advice is to find a bench or a wall, start thinking happy thoughts and settle into this stretch for 2-3 minutes at least. Remember to use something as a pad for your resting knee to lean down on, as this can get a little brutal otherwise! Check out the video below for a quick visual aid:

Psoas Stretch on wall or bench.


2) The High Hamstring Masher

Tight or stressed hamstrings can be a real killer for hip mobility, especially if constantly stiff or tense. Most people spend the majority of their day sitting on this area and further squashing it, adding to the problems and making it a little tougher to perform a fully mobile squat. We can reduce this by taking a small, hard and spherical object (like say, a lacrosse ball) and placing it under your glute fold (the part where your bum looks like it meets your leg) and sitting on it hard. You need to roll onto it and really allow it to break down any scar tissue, tightness or other impediments to your mobility. Again, this one will hurt! Be prepared for a little pain and suffering but the outcome is a definite improvement in your hip's ability to perform their given tasks!

Hamstring Mash