Weak Hip Flexor?

Triathlon Forum
1

I have been having a spree of injuries on my right leg. Everything from Plantar Fasciitis, interior knee pain, to tight hip muscles.

I just noticed how weak my hip flexor is in this leg. Laying on my back with my legs straight I find it hard to lift my right leg off the ground. Also, some of the muscles in this leg are over developed compared to the other leg.

Any help?? Next stop… back to the Doc…

2

I am amazed that I was able to respond before someone said “PowerCranks,” which is NOT what I am going to say.

My advice – the thera-crunch (that is the crunch bench in the gym where you can add weights and you legs go in between the pads and you do the crunch) & the total-hip machine (the rotary machine that helps you strengthen flexors/extensors/adductors/abductors). Those will all help you… Roman Chair is good too.

3

I just started doing one-legged drills on the trainer and they KILL my hip flexors. I can only do them for about 2 minutes per leg right now. If you have a trainer you might want to try it. I don’t have PowerCranks (yet).

4

Try to use the cable weight thing that every gym has with the attachment that goes around your ankle. You know the machine - its in front of a mirror and the muscle heads use the upper attachments to do some sort of chest crunch thing.

Use light weights for 12 -15 reps and stand in such a way so that you

  1. ass to the pully and push your leg out

  2. face the pully and push you leg back

  3. face the mirror and pull your leg across your body

  4. ass to the mirror and push you leg away from the pully

This seems to work my hip flexors quite well. But you get what you pay for in terms of advice.

5

Isn’t it amazing how spastic you get trying to spin with one leg after about 30 seconds?

6

Sorry, I have to do it, PowerCranks. :o)

Dave

7

I started a thread a while ago on the same subject. In addition to the recommendations you got here, vertical kicking in the diving well was another that I recieved. I haven’t really been focusing on strengthening my hip flexors, (even though I really should be) but kicking both horizontally and vertically makes them quite tired. Since I’m in a swim heavy block, I’m genuinely hoping there is some adaptation going on there.

Best of Luck,

Daniel

8

Sorry, I have to do it, run the marathon before you brag about 6:19 of training.

9

Spastic is a good word for it. I’ve never made so many grunting sounds while training. It makes me feel very uncoordinated.

10

Dont understand your point. I have not been able to be on the PC’s for a week now since I have to return the velotron. Good chance I will be doing the marathon with just runnning, a little biking, and swimming and no PC’s. Darn. :o)

Dave

11

Thanks for the info guys. By the way, i just invested in an SRM so Powercranks are not an opton.

I guess this means bac to the weight room fro strength training…

12

By the way, i just invested in an SRM so Powercranks are not an opton.

Sure they are. It sounds like your legs are really unbalanced and i suspect that it is much more than a single weak hip flexor and you have lots of compensation issues, which will be hard to “fix” in a gym or weight room. Anyhow, almost everyone with PC’s find these issues pretty much corrected within about 2 months. Plenty of time to use them, correct the issue, and, then, send them back for your money back. Total cost, shipping each way.