Hip Mobility for Back Pain, Running, Deadlifts & Glute Amnesia

Back pain from deadlifting (at the top of the rep) is usually a byproduct of having limited hip extension, although it can definitely be spine function as well. It’s also very important for sprinting and general walking (more so for the elderly).

Hip extension refers to the orientation your hip/pelvis is in when standing, with your femur/upper thigh in the back portion of your pelvis (versus sitting where it is in the front).

Hip mobility is almost exclusively done in hip flexion (think the 90/90), and little to no attention is given to improving hip extension, especially rotational tissue, with the exception of just stretching your hip flexors.

Internal and external rotation takes precedent over all because rotational tissue is deeper within your hip capsule, thus all subsequent movement is facilitated through it. Rotational work being done in flexion absolutely has merit. However, if we want to ensure all of our bases are covered, we should be training rotation in hip extension as well.

For this hip extension based workout, we focused on moving pelvis independently of our femur/upper thigh and followed the length loading progression: training tissue at-length (in a stretched position), to-length (eccentric loading from short to length/squeeze to stretch) and then short (contraction in a shortened position focused).

To train at length we did PAILs/RAILs (Progressive/Regressive Angular Isometric Loading), where we spend time passive stretching followed by isometric contractions. To train to-length, we contracted our hip by driving our foot into the box, followed by intentionally rotating our pelvis around our femur until we achieved end-range internal or external rotation. To train the shortened position, we did end range liftoffs to contract our hip, actively reinforcing and owning that opened new range.

After doing internal rotation, we followed the exact same line of thinking by training hip external rotation within hip extension through end range of motion isometrics (PAILs/RAILs), to-length eccentric loading and short by doing end range liftoffs.

Once rotational positions were primed and established, we moved to linear based hip extension (think just forwards and back, not rotating side to side). After PAIL//RAILs in a traditional hip flexor stretch set up, we reinforced and saved the work by doing end range liftoffs in hip extension, both with a straight and bent knee.

Hip extension function is underrated not only for deadlift quality, but for building and developing muscle through our glutes/hamstrings.

It is important to acknowledge that hip extension may not necessarily be what your body needs, relative to the exercise you are having issues with. Without a proper assessment and/or trial and error over time, we are shooting in the dark and need to repeated give deliberate efforts towards these types of drills so we can develop adaptions over time.