Name: Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch (Upright Lunge Series)
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:03:06.000Z
Duration: 7 min 49 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/CG7200CpTlnj400Heo2Apm9w46Jo8XMN6QjuWGaZCTWYM.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform the dynamic hip flexor stretch (upright lunge series) in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and exercise modifications to improve dynamic hip flexor flexibility and hip mobility. Enhance hip extension and stride mechanics while supporting optimal lumbopelvic alignment with this targeted dynamic mobility exercise. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to reduce anterior hip tightness, improve mobility, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch

Key Anatomy and Initial Stretch Techniques

Progressing the Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch

Advanced Variations and Techniques

Overview of Complete Stretching Series

Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch (Upright Lunge Series)

This is Brent, President of B2C Fitness, and we're talking about our dynamic hip flexor stretch in this video. So, if we're doing our dynamic hip flexor stretch, I'm going to assume that you've already done static and active hip flexor stretch techniques. Of course, using those static techniques to return a muscle that is adaptively shortened to its optimal length, then using those active techniques to increase end range strength and return normal reciprocal inhibition, and then we're moving on to our dynamic techniques now to increase neuromuscular control at the tempo of daily activity. So you're going to see this series progress in two major ways. You're going to see the series progress in complexity and stability to help increase neuromuscular control or increase the amount of neuromuscular control required, and then you will also see this series progress in velocity or speed so that we're getting more and more prepared to use this range of motion in whatever daily activity we do from just being in the gym and working out, all the way up to our more athletic individuals playing field sports or whatever sport they happen to be involved in. I'm going to have my friend Leanne come out and help me demonstrate the exercises in this video. Now, Leanne's going to assume the kneeling hip flexor stretch that we've all seen for our static and active techniques. Quick review of our anatomy: we have our psoas, which we'd probably feel in this area here which connects to our lumbar spine. So it's going to be important to look at your pelvic, as well as lumbar spine position in this series. We also have our TFL, which is this area here. We're going to have to pay very close attention to how the hip and how the leg moves, because that TFL is going to try to move us into rotation one direction or another. And then, of course, the rectus femoris. The nice thing about this particular series of dynamic hip flexor stretches is, pretty much no matter what we do, we will end up with a dynamic rectus femoris stretch. Now, this is a good position to start teaching this stretch from, because what we're going to use is a lunge. So, it's a static lunge, it's not the lunge that we were doing for strength training, it's an upright lunge, but if I start from here and posteriorly tilt, know that she has a good stretch going, I can then just have her go straight up. So let's go up into our lunge. You can see she lost the posterior pelvic tilt that was keeping the stretch in her psoas, so this ends up being a pretty good teaching queue, and we're just using that yoga block to make sure that she can descend into the hip flexor stretch she already knows. Once she has this mastered, we can then, of course, take the yoga block away. So we can slow it down as much as we need to, we can have her kneel down stay, posteriorly tilt, and then come back up. Once I know she's got it I'll let her get more dynamic, more fluid, and speed it up a little bit. I'll go ahead and take this yoga block away. Now, we have a couple different ways we can progress from here. We can progress from that arm series we used in our active hip flexor stretch series. Leanne's going to show us that. So she's actually going to reach up as she descends into this lunge. So go ahead and descend into the lunge, and she's going to use that same reach pattern, which if you  remember is going to be reach straight up, laterally flex and just rotate back a little bit. But, the key here is if I'm going to let her progress, she's got to be able to do that by maintaining a drawn-in position here, as well as a posterior pelvic tilt.  So as she descends down, rotates, I'm going to be watching her pelvic position very closely. How does that feel Leanne? -Great. Now, of course, if this progression didn't increase the stretch she feels in her psoas, which is what that arm position is meant to do, then we wouldn't do this progression. There's no need to just add complexities for the sake of complexity, we want to make sure we are getting an increased benefit. Another progression that you could use is, I'm going to have you go ahead and put your hands right out in front of you Leanne. Some of you have probably seen this before, she's going to descend down into her kneeling hip flexor stretch here, and then rotate towards me. Now, what that's doing is that's placing a lot of stretch on this fascia, as well as rotating her pelvis a little bit, increasing the amount of stretch on her TFL. So she's going to descend down, rotate toward her front leg, and then come back up. How does that feel? -Good. Can you feel it increase in the stretch of your TFL? -Yes. So she feels this one actually a little bit better than she did for the psoas, so I'd probably keep her with this progression, and maybe we would have to practice that psoas progression a little bit more. Now, if Leanne has this down really well, I can start progressing in velocity. The easiest way to do that is to go from our static lunge, to a reverse lunge with the same arm progressions. So let me have you go ahead and get centered here. Let's go ahead and see that reverse lunge first, with no arm series, making sure that you maintain a posterior pelvic tilt. Good. You should feel that stretching through your psoas, TFL, rectus femoris. Note, once again, this isn't like a weight lifting lunge, I would have her do a lot more forward lean. This is not something I would add mass to or any sort of resistance to. Let's go ahead and progress this now. So let's try that  psoas progression with the arm. So once again she's reaching up, laterally flexing and turning back as she's descending down, lengthening her  psoas even further. Let's see that TFL progression.  So now she's going to descend down, rotate toward her front leg. Now, if I wanted to take this another step further, we could go from a reverse lunge at that tempo, to now increase in the velocity and neuromuscular control required by going into a walking lunge. So we'll start again without arms. Make sure she can maintain that posterior pelvic tilt. When you come back Leanne, I'm going to have you walk through. Rather than coming up to two feet balance, just keep walking through. She can step all the way through and increase the velocity even further and since Leanne feels a lot more when she does the rotation toward the front leg, I'm going to go ahead and add that progression  back in. So she's going to walk, twist, step through, twist this way. Great. So there you  go. There's your dynamic hip flexor upright lunge stretching series. So just to kind of recap all of those progressions, you had the static lunge with the yoga block, just as a teaching queue to keep teaching that posterior pelvic tilt even mechanics. You then have the static lunge with a reach for the psoas, or static lunge with rotation to the front leg. We then had the reverse lunge with either arm series, and then the walking lunge with either arm series. You're going to do anywhere from 10 to 20 repetitions of each side, and I hope you enjoyed this video. It was a lot of fun to make, and thank you to Leanne.

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Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch (Upright Lunge Series):

It is helpful to have your patient/client practice the active stretch before attempting this exercise so they are aware of what they are trying to "feel".

Have your patient/client assume a half-kneeling position, with the knee on the side to be stretched directly under the hip on a yoga block or similar height object. The other leg should be in line with the hip, with the hip and knee flexed to 90° (foot directly under the knee).

Note: The yoga block creates space between the floor and the knee, and mimicks the "bottom" position of the lunge. We do not want our patients/clients having to bounce their knees off the ground to "feel" the stretch.

Have your patient/client assume an upright posture (normal curvature of the spine, shoulder back and down, head back and chin tucked).

Cue your patient or client to posteriorly tilt their pelvis (I find the cue "tuck the tail" to be helpful), and squeeze their glute.

Have your client relax, and then rise from this position into an upright lunge (a staggered stance with back straight), using the glute of the front leg.

As your patient/client descends back into the bottom position of the lunge they should feel the stretch as they did in the start position.

Perform 10 – 15 repetitions or until an increase in range of motion is noted.

Increase speed as necessary for their sport, assuming optimal form is attained.

Inability to achieve or maintain a posterior pelvic tilt - This progression is not effective if an anterior pelvic tilt is adopted in the bottom position. It is important to carefully progress individuals after mastering the active hip flexor stretch and not before.

Static Lunge with Psoas Modification - Same Side Arm Reach (abduction), Lateral Flexion and Ipsilateral Trunk Rotation (same side as being stretched)

Static Lunge with TFL Modification - Trunk Rotation toward the front leg

Reverse Lunge with Psoas Modification - Same Side Arm Reach (abduction), Lateral Flexion and Ipsilateral Trunk Rotation (same side as being stretched)

Reverse Lunge with TFL Modification - Trunk Rotation toward the front leg

Walking Lunge with Psoas Modification - Same Side Arm Reach (abduction), Lateral Flexion and Ipsilateral Trunk Rotation (same side as being stretched)

Walking Lunge with TFL Modification - Trunk Rotation toward the front leg

Dynamic Hip Flexor Stretch (Upright Lunge Series)

Dynamic Biceps Femoris (Lateral Hamstring) Stretch

Dynamic Adductor Stretch Anterior or Short Adductors

Lower Leg Dynamic Stretching Series

Dynamic Adductor Magnus Stretch Lateral Lunge Series

Dynamic Calf Stretch - Gastrocnemius, Soleus & Peroneals (a.k.a. Fibularis)

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