Psoas Stretches WON'T Improve Your Squat (BUT THIS WILL)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- Getting stuck when squatting? This squat mobility drill goes beyond the myths and gimmicks to teach you how to really improve your squat depth.
There’s a common myth that tight hip flexors hold people back from squatting low. But if you consider the anatomy and biomechanics of the hip, this theory makes no sense.
In this video, we discuss your iliopsoas, a hip flexor that runs from vertebrae in your low back, down the front of your pelvis, and inserts on your femur.
If this muscle is tight and shortened, it puts you in a position of hip flexion - the position you need to be in to squat deep.
To lengthen or stretch this muscle, you’ve got to go into hip extension - or reaching or leg out behind you.
SO, if your hip flexors are tight, the motion that will be limited is hip EXTENSION, NOT hip flexion.
Instead of focusing on hip flexor length, it’s way more effective to consider hip flexor activation.
As your squat gets deeper, your iliopsoas shortens. If it isn’t able to fire correctly in this position, you’ll either be stuck in a mini-squat or you’ll go from a neutral spine to a rounded low back - aka the squat butt wink.
[5:26] This squat mobility drill is an End Range Expansion or ERE technique that will help you build activation and control over a deeper range of motion.
This position mirrors a deep squat on one side of your body and helps you train control over the range while your back leg hangs back and provides support.
With this drill you’ll build strength in the shortened range of your hip flexors , creating way more squat depth and control than any hip flexor stretch possibly could.
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![Your Psoas Isn't Just Tight, It's WEAK [Don't Stretch, Do These Instead]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/h_srhkcJxAY/mqdefault.jpg)
![Your Psoas Isn't Just Tight, It's WEAK [Don't Stretch, Do These Instead]](/img/tr.png)
![เขามัทรี - เอ็กซ์ ศุภกฤต - จอนนี่มิวสิค [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AS9ufKuQIVs/mqdefault.jpg)
Time-Stamps
1:16 - Description of Hip Flexor Muscles (Rectus Femoris & IlioPsoas)
1:40 - How/Where Tight Hip Flexors Limit Mobility
3:30 - Weak/Tight Psoas limits Lumbar Curve during Squat (weak-core lacks stability & causes Butt-Wink)
4:12 - How to Know if Psoas isn't working properly (Psoas strength during Shortened-Range)
4:46 - Describing how to get Hip-Joint to work proprly (Training Psoas at Bottom Range of Squat)
5:42 - Determining End-Range for 1st Leg of Where Psoas Muscle Looses Strength
6:42 - Leg Lift Hip Flexor Exercise - Half Kneeling Postion (To Restore Strength to Psoas in that Range) - 1st Leg
7:10 - Activate Hip Exensors - Isometric Hold w Balance - 1st Leg
7:30 - Activate Hip ABductors - Isometric Hold against Hand - 1st Leg
7:52 - Activate Hip ADductors - Isometric Hold against Hand - 1st Leg
8:15 - Leg Lift Hip Flexor Exercise again - 1st Leg
8:47 - Determining End-Range for 2nd Leg of Where Psoas Muscle Looses Strength
9:01 - USE A KETTLE BELL FOR BALANCE (To Keep Neutral Spine Posture)
9:21 - Leg Lift Hip Flexor Exercise - Half Kneeling Postion (To Restore Strength to Psoas in that Range) - 2nd Leg
9:44 - Activate Hip Exensors - Isometric Hold w Balance - 2nd Leg
10:01 - Activate Hip ABductors - Isometric Hold against Hand - 2nd Leg
10:18 - Activate Hip ADductors - Isometric Hold against Hand - 2nd Leg
10:30 - Leg Lift Hip Flexor Exercise again - 2nd Leg
10:50 - Summary of How to Improve Squat Range
Please watch entire video to receive the full instructions on how the exercises work. These instructions improve the effectiveness of the exercise, and prevent injury. The Time-Stamps are for repeated viewing, so that one can easily incorporate the exercise into their regular fitness habits. Enjoy!
Thanks Coach Eric for the wonderful fitness instruction!!
Amazing work! Thanks so much :)
@@PrecisionMovementCoach You bet! I appreciate your great fitness instruction! I have been looking for much more thorough instruction on improving hip strength, through the full range of mobility. Your fitness videos are killer! Thanks for all that you do!!
Thanks for your comment! It shows you deeply care about this ♥
Thank you so much for your detailed work
Wow super thanks
my gosh..thanks a ton for at least somebody addressing this bunch of crap circulating around. this is the first and only channel i have so far subscribed to. may the knowledge be with you peeps!
இதற்கு தமிழாக்கம் தாருங்கள்
This is the exact information about a mobility issue that almost everyone needs to work on but does not know how. Good video.
Thanks for the kind words.
You've helped me so much with all your videos Eric! I had no idea what my body was capable of and it continues to amaze me, thank you!
Awesome to hear @Sammy E - yep your body is capable of a TON.
Omg this is amazing I was struggling with this pain for months looking other videos didn’t help but this one really worked in a couple days I was feeling relieved Thank you so much You really helped me Good job and God bless you 😊 👍🏻
You are welcome. I'm glad that the material is useful to you.
How can it be that in this market you are the only one that knows about these remedies for the problem areas of the body? Nobody else's recommendation exercises ever fixed my problem areas. Thank you for posting because your stuff works on me.
Thanks for the positive feedback!
Great to hear some confidence around this stuff about hip flexion/torsion...when so much about it doesn't seem to cut it. Thanks a lot Master E!
Thanks for the great feedback.
Thanks! This was a lifesaver for me. After years of struggling with squats and lower back pain on the left side I got immediate relief from this excercise.
Great to hear!
We are so happy that you found us. Thanks for taking the time to try it out and comment. We really appreciate the support.
Let us know if you ever need more advice or assistance :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Thank you for addressing load of craps Eric. I remember at the time I got pain in my lower back I found a person self claiming "chiropractor"I did like he showed and right after that the pain got much worse. I have the lesson learned from it. Whenever I need something I come to this channel and a happy subscriber.
Thanks!
Always appreciate the knowledge offered. Respect.
Coach E is KING!!!
Another excellent exercise video!!! (On a side note: I'm 70 years old now, and over the years I have help many people on various exercises - everyone who told me that they could not squat all the way down ... I ask them to hold on to a pole and using their arm strength to help them squat slowing all the way down and up) 100% of those who did this was able to squat all the way down and up 😁
Thanks for sharing!!
FINALLY I find something that looks like maybe it might work to help fix my lack of mobility in my left hip. Currently I can't bend enough in my left hip to touch my left knee to my left shoulder. it always feels like someone is digging a dagger into the front of that left hip and that pain there prevents me from being able to go deeper into any bending. I also in that hip have almost no internal or external rotation of the femur. I've been trying to rebuild my mobility ranges but almost everyone on line is assuming that a person can just get down into a 90/90 stretch and progress from there. If I could get into a 90/90 stretch I wouldn't have a problem improving the flexibility the rest of the way. My problems is that I can't even get into the beginnings of those stretches. Thank you for putting this video out I'm subscribing and am going to comb through your other videos to see if you address any of the other things I need a hand with.
Thanks for following along and let us know if you have any more questions :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Yo thank you for making these videos u really helped me with my Achilles
Just came across your videos..wow.. really really helpful.
Please if you could make a video on baker's cyst and how far can we go concerning squats or other leg exercises. Tks again.
thank you so much for teaching me proper biomechanics for hip mobility as after that 2016 hip fracture and right knee oschgoodschlaterz disease I am really feeling that integrative kinetic chain flow! lol thank you
You are welcome!
I couldn’t lift my foot at first but after a couple of tries I got it. Now I can see where I need to work on . I thought my gluteus weren’t firing properly and was doing everything I could to activate my glutei for 5 years now , so this video I hope will save me a lot of pain & time . Thanks for doing the video !🙏🙏
That's great progress. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic explanation and presentation! Thank you 🙏🏻 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Definitely going to give this a try! Try being the operative word! Thanks Coach E!
I just tried this and couldn’t do it exactly like you showed Coach E I had to use a stool. I believe I will benefit from this! Thank you!
Wow my mind is blown. I could barely lift my foot and I was out of breath. Looking forward to changing that. Thanks
Nice work!
Please make something about external hip rotation. For example I cant do pigeon.
Check this out: www.precisionmovement.coach/5dhmc/
gluteus medius excersize helps.
@@PrecisionMovementCoach This page no longer exists. Is there an updated page or video that talks about external hip rotation for pigeon? Thank you!
Thank you so much … went through an hip opération 😅and was only stretching which caused me pain with tendinite …your exercices are excellent and dont need to go to the gym …so accurate … merci from Switzerland
Glad it helped!
Thank you I was having a lot of stress in my hip flexors and this provided some relief.
Excellent.
Best video regarding this issue
Thanks!
Coach E - Do you have anything on improving ankle mobility. It is affecting my squat!!
Check this out: www.precisionmovement.coach/ankle-dorsiflexion-ere-sequence/
very nice vid. improved squat mobility right away. Always had imbalances in mobility btwn left/right. Warms up the hip muscles and improves range of motion. thanks!
Well done!
I just found this video, but a year ago I was struggling with this issue. My physical therapist suggested that I get a large inflatable ball and put it behind my back while I squat, to help keep proper spine position. Less than a week later I was doing proper squats without the help of the ball.
Awesome progress.
Yeah I heard that so many times. Thanks for putting out accurate info.
Any time!
Why is my TFL on both sides cramping during the foot lift? It’s a sudden cramp that goes away if I straighten leg out. My heels will not touch ground for squat...that’s actually my ultimate goal, a yoga squat!
Hey Susan, likely because you're trying to flex the hip (lift foot off ground) in a range where the primary hip flexor (iliopsoas) isn't functional/strong enough, so something else (TFL) is trying to help but because it's not strong enough nor suited for the job, it cramps up. Thus, the key is to get your iliopsoas working properly, doing what I recommend in this video. Also, for a deep squat with feet flat, consider improving your ankle dorsiflexion (search my channel for more).
Thank you for strength exercise !! Hips😁
You are welcome. Thanks for following along.
The TFC guys make the argument that tight hip flexors contribute to poor ankle mobility which contributes to squat issues.
What say you?
Awesome exercise here, thanks man
Every part of the kinetic chain affects the others but it's a little more complicated than picking just one culprit for a particular issue. I promote ensuring optimal control over functional ranges-of-motion of every joint.
Uhmm, no way my foot is getting off the floor trying this :(
Do you have advice for people who aren't even able to do that?
IF YOU CAN'T GET YOUR FOOT OFF THE GROUND (I think/hope I mentioned this): put your hands on yoga blocks or even a chair - find something that allows you to do it, then over time work your way to the ground.
@@PrecisionMovementCoach I think it is most important like you say Eric, to keep the neutral spine and as close to your squat position as possible. Even an isometric hold with the foot still on the floor would work to gradually improve strength. This routine is fantastic thanks
Mark Rippetoe is your opposite, but I think you guys should collaborate.
haha
Very well explain, help me so much to understand.... thank you so much😁
You are welcome!
Tough for me.. but that's the right path, my efforts won't be in vain, so let's climb that mountain..
:)
Excellent explanation. Thanks!
showing my respect > thanks Eric
You are very helpful to us. We love you.
Totally agree I'm a squat master but have tight hip flexors
I hinge to you, master
Awesome! Felt good straight away.
Excellent!
Thank you ..I will try this..makes total sense.
How did it go?
Best excersice ! Great!
Glad that you like it :)
Makes sense. I'm try this for 6 weeks and see
Jet Mann Any progress?
aboslutely great content crusial for my situation thank you so much.
You're very welcome.
How many sets and what kind of frequency?
Start at 1-2 sets, ramping up to 3-4... do 2-3 days/week.
Perfect! Thank you!
Thank you very much, your video is very useful for me and it is very serious, thank you.
It's our pleasure :)
this dude is the one PT to rule them all
Much appreciated!
thx again brother, very useful exercises
You are welcome!
Amazing! You are amazing! Thanks for the video
You are welcome!
Loving this. Thank s mate. Cheers. John
Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoy this man’s sass
Yassss❗️
Thank you for the great videos!
My pleasure!
New to the channel but appreciate your approach and information. Quick question, my internal hip rotation is really bad. How much does this affect my squat depth? Thanks!
Most definitely. A lack of it is correlated with poor hip joint centration, which can result in a pinching feeling when at the bottom.
@@PrecisionMovementCoach Thank you! My whole life I thought I just had lower back pain and tight hip flexors...
best channel ever. ty
Thanks!
Thank you!!! I believe I have a psoas problem, I´ve never have done Malasana yoga position and also i´m fleeling my lumbar scoliosis is increasing, I going to try this exercise
36/5000
Wonderful!
I'm an IT guy. I sit for long periods of time. I'm also overweight. Over the last 5 years I've become very very active I've lost weight I've put on muscle and I've increased my ability. Question to you can your hip flexor shrink and become inactive or hard to fire as a result of prolonged sitting. And should I start doing your exercise to strengthen the hip flexor or should I combine your exercise with a hip flexor stretch.
The muscles can become "locked" into a shortened position. You do not need to stretch but address imbalances and keep them out of the provocative position for extended periods of time. This material should help: www.precisionmovement.coach/office-hip-mobility-exercises/
This man is a life saviour ❤️👍
My pleasure.
thank you so much for sharing
You are welcome!
Man you’re genius!!
Thanks!
Thank you.
Could I have more exercises like this thank you so much
Here you go: th-cam.com/video/63DQMoOdzdI/w-d-xo.html :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
holy shit thank you! this is really good
Happy to help!
1st, I'd like to thank you for all your free videos. My question is, What if I'm coming down to the squat position and I'm feeling sharp pain around the groin area on one side? I'm constantly using a pso-rite to get in there as well as going to my chiropractor to get deep into the psoas. But after 2-3 heavy squat sessions, it just comes back. I just attempted this routine for the first time and I could even lift my foot up without sharp discomfort on the right side around my groin area
You are welcome and thanks for following along. It sounds like your psoas is not activating properly when you need it.
Try this out next:
th-cam.com/video/63DQMoOdzdI/w-d-xo.html
:)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
I really appreciate your videos! Is this exercise the only one needed to fix getting stuck when squatting? Ive seen alot of videos/articles about angle mobility. Is that something I should also focus on? I feel like i loose my balance when Im trying to do deep squats.
Ankle dorsiflexion is very important for squatting. Check out this article for more information: www.precisionmovement.coach/ankle-dorsiflexion-ere-sequence/
This is exactly what I needed, seems to be a modified gecko pose with end of range exercises. This is brilliant.
I have a weak left glute, I wonder if this would work as an activation exercise prior to squatting too? (it literally falls asleep, is very annoying as I was just getting close to my pb before recognising my form was wack)
Sorry for the late reply.
This is a great squat-prep exercise :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
I cannot even lift my foot off for the first one. Holy crap. I can see why I bend forward about 2/3 of the way down. Been doing this for years. How can I strengthen, if I can't lift off?
Keep at it and you will improve soon enough. As long as you are activating the right muscles the strength will come :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Thank you for your video! I really apreciate it, so i subscribe to your channel.
Thanks for the sub!
Thank you Eric. I will try this! Are you based in Toronto?
You’re welcome and I am in TO.
Great content thanks
You are welcome!
Amazing explanation! Tnx c:
You're welcome!
Be careful about your lower discs ... guard them as if they were great treasures, because once they flatten out, you cannot do ANYTHING.
Treasures indeed.
Do these exercises put undue stress on the lumbar discs?
Thanks bro ❤
You are welcome and thanks for following along :)
Awesome exercise but I can’t do it😊. If unable to lift foot at all without losing neutral spine would you modify by lifting heel only?
That is a good idea.
Also, reach out for support from nearby objects.
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Some more questions if you don't mind.
How many cycles or reps should be done on each side?
Should glutes be flexed or relaxed while leg is lifted/when you're pushing inwards or outwards on the knee?
Is it useful to do lift the leg outwards when doing the exercise, maybe even do little rotations from the hip, or only lift it directly up and then lower it down?
2 - 3 cycles per side are sufficient.
Keep your glutes relaxed.
Try to do it as closely as possible as to how Eric is demonstrating.
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Great stuff
:)
I am not an expert but even though tight hip flexor doesn't limit range, would it still make the glutes weaker than they would otherwise be? Or is it more of a case that the weak glutes are causing the "tight" hip flexors? Or would this not be a problem for squats as the quads would do most of the work on the bottom end range.
Tight hip flexors may be correlated with weak glutes, but not necessarily the cause and vice versa. In most cases it's impossible to determine the initial root cause. At bottom range the glutes are indeed necessary to get out of the hole with power. The fix is to strengthen both iliopsoas and glutes.
@@PrecisionMovementCoach Ah, okay that makes sense thanks for the reply.
That's what I need....
Glad to hear it :)
really thank you! very smart
You're welcome!
haha...your funny getting all hot under your collar about all those silly psoas stretching wallys out there thinking that's going to help their squats!. what would we do without you huh! ...:))))) loved the video .... thank you
You are welcome!
"That's how you're going to improve squat mobility, IF you believe that biomechanics is a thing. If you don't, do whatever you want." lol
;)
Dang! I couldn’t even get my foot off the ground. Haha
You will improve with time and practice :)
Great info! What if I have Lordosys and my hip flexors are shorted, would this modality to work on my psoas affect my lower Back?
If you've got excessive lordosis (extension) and your ilipsoas is indeed contributing, then try this: th-cam.com/video/tsq7pFcUM58/w-d-xo.html
ty so much nice video
So nice of you!
great videos man ive been watching your stuff for a while....but why do you always sound like you're out of breath? lol
Thanks for following along...I'm out of breath because I'm working hard and talking at the same time.
What does it mean if it hurts our hip flexors to do this? Is that weakness?
It definitely could be due to weakness.
Check out this video for more ideas on how to address the root cause of that issue:
th-cam.com/video/63DQMoOdzdI/w-d-xo.html
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
I can squat down very easily and hang out there, however I think I have Psoas problem anyways because when I sit cross-legged my back rounds and I can't straighten it
But yeah, when I squat down my spine rounds too so I guess it's same problem
Potentially...this mini-course should help you get started in figuring out more about your hip mobility: www.precisionmovement.coach/5dhmc/
Thank you. I will try and let you know
I mountain bike on weekends, through the week I feel tight in the hip flexors which converts to lower back pain, what exercises do you recommend ?
Start with this free, mini-course: www.precisionmovement.coach/5dhmc/
I am flexible enough to squat deep but at the deepest its hard to keep the back straight for a few minutes....in the exercise to lift the foot I can not manage to get my foot of the ground...what is the reason? And how can I train to be able to do that?
Sounds like you are just weak in those ranges and will improve with time and practice. Use nearby sturdy objects for assistance while doing the exercise and respect your capabilities.
This is your starting point and we know that you will make progress with consistent practice :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Thx!👍
so this is why ppl fall back when they squat? i’ve been struggling with a weak psoas for almost a decade
This video can help :)
I have tight psoas and tight hip flexors
My daughter has tight hip flexors
You can see it when running
Sorry for the late reply.
Did you ever resolve your issue?
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
Will this be enough for integration of upper body lower body or other psoas video of your video need to be done
It's a good idea to practice the material in both videos :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
EXCELLENT!!
Party on!
Thank you
Welcome!
I was looking st your website. You're based out of Toronto? Do you have a physio clinic?
Hi!
We don't have a clinic but will be happy to provide as much assistance as we can. Please email us at hey@pmcoach.pro if you need any advice or assistance :)
- Coach Joshua, Team PM
@@PrecisionMovementCoach you're really competent. I wish I could say that about other therapists and I wish you had your own clinic.
Thanks but won’t work for me as I’ve bad arthritic knees.
Here's what I have to say about arthritis: www.precisionmovement.coach/fuck-arthritis/
My pal Dr. Erin Boynton also has some useful advice:
th-cam.com/video/5pqle9Cei50/w-d-xo.html
and
th-cam.com/video/As_hxbx7oog/w-d-xo.html
gracias
De nada! - Team PM
...and Pso-as it goes!
Good morning.
Ha.
Your lower back clearly shows flexion in your squat, so your basically saying you have a weak miss firing psoas?
First, I've never used the word 'misfire'. The video is about improving functional squat depth - there's a bottom range of the squat for everyone where the pelvis will posterioly tilt and the lumbar spine will flex, but for those who have a psoas that is weak at its shortened range (e.g. people who sit a lot and have never trained it), it'll happen earlier/not as deep in the squat.
You have theeee best videos on yt!!! They helped me so much and I only discovered you month ago. I can't believe how much I learned.
Just a question for this excercise, I can't lift that foot of the ground, I just can't haha only if I am holding with my hand on a table, and even then barely. Does it mean that I don't have enough strength in my legs or? Because I am doing the excercise without lifting and it's great, I just want to learn how I can improve it even more.
Thanks for the kind words.
It sounds like you just need time and practice in order to get stronger. Keep it up.
Awesome 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼