
02 May Flat Bench Hip Extension Performance Exercise
The ability to perform hip extension properly with glute activation is imperative in efficient movement patterns. It is very common for the recreational to elite level athlete to have poor hip hinge mechanics and glute activation. In order to perform efficient movement and athletic patterns glute activation and hip extension are necessary.
Improves Your: Hip Extension & Glute Activation
Target Area: Glutes & Hips
Why It’s Important: The glutes are a major driver of locomotion, rotational movement patterns, and stabilization of the kinetic chain. Hip extension is necessary to allow the kinetic chain to create efficient locomotion.
The Common Problem: When the glutes are “turned off” and not firing efficiently, the ability to perform athletic movement patterns becomes much less efficient. Secondly, if the athlete lacks the ability to create hip extension, the lower back will typically become the compensatory joint. Continual extension within the lumbar region of the lower back can lead to a greater potential for injury.
Solution: The utilization of corrective exercise to re-educate the kinetic chain on how to perform hip extension in addition to glute activation can benefit both the professional and recreational athlete. The inclusion of such exercises at the beginning of a training session re-inforces proper locomotion and create activation of the glutes for carry over into the more complex movement patterns within the training program.
Flat Bent Hip Extension
Set Up:
- Place both of your hands on the floor directly under the shoulders.
- Position the hips in contact with the top of a flat bench, place both knees on the floor, eyes looking down to the floor and back flat.
Action:
- Slowly press the right heel upwards, keep the knee bent and hips in contact with the bench.
- Continue to press the right heel upward until your right thigh is parallel to the bench.
- Pause briefly, return to the starting position, repeat for 10 repetitions, and perform exercise with opposite leg.
- Keep the hips in contact with the bench throughout the entire exercise.
About Performance Coach Sean Cochran: Sean Cochran, one of the most recognized performance coaches in sports today. A career spanning positions with 2 major league baseball organizations, over 10 years on the PGA Tour and work with top professionals including three-time Masters, PGA, and British Open Champion Phil Mickelson, future hall of fame Trevor Hoffman, and Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy provides Sean a proven track record of success. He has been involved in the production of numerous performance videos and authored books including; Performance Golf Fitness, Complete Conditioning for Martial Arts, and Fit to Hit. He has been a presenter of educational seminars for numerous organizations including the world renown Titleist Performance Institute.