Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
The hip joint may not be at the top of your priority list when it comes to hitting the gym. But, as it is responsible for connecting your lower body to your upper body and involved in every movement you make, you'd be remiss not to bump the hip muscles up to your "muscles to build" to-do list.
To ensure optimal performance and strength while mitigating injury, having the correct exercises for your hips is vital. This article will explain what you need to know about your hip structure and the importance of strengthening the hip muscles, both to improve your performance in the gym and mitigate your injury risk.
We'll cover:
- Structure of the hip joint
- Major hip muscles and movement patterns
- Best hip strengthening and mobility exercises
What is The Hip?
The hip consists of a hip and a hip joint. The hip bone consists of three parts:
- Ilium: The largest part of the hips that stick out and can be seen when someone has low body fat.
- Ischium: This is the strongest part of the pelvis and sit on the lower back end.
- Pubis: This is a smaller structure that sits medially on the front side.
The hip is a ball and socket synovial joint. The femur inserts into the hip (upper leg bone), meaning it connects the legs to the upper body. Its primary job is to help support the body while also manipulating leg placement, which can occur throughout a wide range of motion, including everything from kettlebell sumo squats to any of these lunge alternatives.
As a result, it's a highly complicated joint with many different muscles and structures connected to it.
What Causes Hip Pain?
Due to the amount of stress put on the hip joints during movement, a lot can go wrong with "weak hips."
Common issues related to hips include nerve damage, overuse injuries, trauma, structural damage, and nerve damage.
And even though there are many different reasons one may experience pain or discomfort, if you drill down, the primary cause of injury or pain is due to weak hip muscles and poor mobility.
Major Hip Muscles
When we mention strengthening your hips, we are talking about strengthening your hip muscles. Due to the hip muscles' wide range of functions, there are quite a few important muscle groups to train here.
Here are the muscles included when we're addressing strengthening the hips.
The Glutes:
The glutes include three different muscles involved in virtually every hip movement. The inability to maintain good posture has also been linked to weak glutes.
To have well-functioning hips, you must have strong glutes, meaning glute isolation exercises need to be an important part of your routine.
The three gluteal muscles include:
- Gluteus Maximus
- Glutueus Medius
- Gluteus Minimus
Hip Adductors:
Hip adduction refers to the motion of pulling your leg medially toward your center.
This movement is done by the work of 5 different muscles:
- Adductor Brevis
- Adductor Longus
- Adductor Magnus
- Pectineus
- Gracilis
Emphasizing hip adduction exercises will help strengthen your inner thighs.
Iliopsoas and Rectus Femoris:
The iliopsoas is composed of two muscles: the psoas major and iliacus muscles. Together, these muscles cross the anterior portion of the hip joint.
Due to its location, it acts as the primary hip flexor. The rectus femoris, the largest of the four quadriceps muscles, also assists the iliopsoas with hip flexion. Struggling with hip or back pain? Psoas exercises can help.
Lateral Rotators:
These are 6 small muscles responsible for externally rotating the hip. As this plays a vital role in many human movements, strengthening the hip external rotators is essential.
- Piriformis
- Gemellus Superior
- Obturator Internus
- Gemellus Inferior
- Quadratus Femoris
- Obturator Externus
Primary Movement Patterns Of The Hips
As seen, many muscles and bone structures are involved with the hip joint and hip mobility. This is to facilitate the massive range of movements seen by it. Here are the different movements patterns and muscles involved.
External Rotation:
Hip external rotation is the movement made when your knees are bent and your legs "open up," like when doing a butterfly stretch.
The muscles involved include:
- Gluteus maximus
- Piriformis
- Gemellus Superior
- Obturator Internus
- Gemellus Inferior
- Quadratus Femoris
- Obturator Externus
Internal Rotation:
Hip internal rotation is limited to the structure of the hips. Imagine sitting on the edge of a bench with your knee flexed and feet hanging off. Now, push your feet out, so your knees cave inward.
The internal rotators are:
- Gluteus Medius
- Gluteus Minimus
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Adductor Magnus
Hip Extension:
We all know hip extension. It's perhaps the most fundamental movement involved in weight lifting.
This is when your hips are in a flexed position, and then you pull your hips forward, strengthening them. Think of a deadlift.
Muscles involved include:
- Gluteus Maximus
- Gluteus Medius
- Gluteus Minimus
- Adductor Magnus
- Piriformis
To be clear, your other posterior chain muscles, including the hamstrings and erector spinae, are involved as well.
Hip Flexion:
Hip flexion occurs when the lower body moves toward the upper body, closing the hip joint angle, like in leg raises.
Muscles involved with hip flexion are:
- Iliopsoas
- Rectus Femoris
Hip Abduction:
Hip abduction, and hip abductor exercises, occur when you lift your leg out laterally. Hip abductors include:
- Gluteus Medius (primary muscle)
- Gluteus Maximus
Hip Adduction:
Hip adduction occurs when you pull your thigh toward the middle of the body. Hip adductors include:
- Adductor Magnus
- Adductor Minimus
- Adductor Longus
- Adductor Brevis
- Gluteus Maximus
Whew. That's a lot.
As you can see, we weren't lying when we said the hip is complex. A ton of stuff is going on, making it important to use a variety of hip moves in your exercise program to ensure you're hitting everything.
Best Strengthening Exercises For Hips
There's a saying in the world of strength and conditioning: "Strong things don't break." The best method to prepare your hips for life stresses is to strengthen them.
Here are the best hip exercises for real strength. Make sure you do some hip warm ups as well (we provide some ideas later on), which could be as simple as hip circles in both directions or hip marching.
1. Romanian Deadlift:
The Romanian deadlift is an amazing hip extension exercise to strengthen the glutes. Because we're looking at strengthening and function of the hips, we chose the Romanian hip hinge deadlift over the traditional deadlift because of its greater range of motion and glutes muscle activation. This exercise is also great for your outer thighs.
How to do the Romanian Deadlift:
- Grab a barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with an overhand grip. This is the starting position when you are standing erect.
- Keeping your feet flat on the ground, push your hips back. Your shins should remain vertical with as little bend in your knees as you can. Just enough to allow the movement. You want to keep your knee straight.
- Your shoulders should not come forward. Rather, slowly lower the barbell, so it drops straight down. The bar should stay on the shins.
- Go down as far as your mobility allows.
- When you hit the maximum distance, drive your hips and hinge forward.
2. Barbell Hip Thrust:
Another fantastic movement for hip extension and hip abduction, the hip thrust strengthens the glutes so well that it's commonly referred to as the best glute exercise.
How to do Barbell Hip Thrusts:
- Set up a bench in a spot with an open area. Sit in front of the bench and place the small of your back on the edge.
- Pull your legs up with your knees bent. Your shins should be vertical.
- Place a barbell in the hip crease.
- When ready, drive your heels into the ground and thrust your hips upward.
- Continue until your knees are at a 90-degree angle and your torso is perfectly extended.
Variations:
- If you want to focus on one leg, you can drive that foot into the groud. For example, if you want to target your left leg, drive your left heel into the ground.
- You can even keep one foot on the ground with the other leg straight.
- You can also wrap a resistance band around mid-thigh to further work the hip abductors.
3. Kettlebell Swing:
The kettlebell swing is an amazing hip extension movement. The kettlebell is basically a bunch of hip extensions on repeat. This is not only going to strengthen the muscles, but it will condition them as well.
And since your core is engaged the whole time, it's also a great abdominal exercise. Last, you'll also get in some nice upper body conditioning.
How to do the Kettlebell Swing:
- The starting position has you with legs slightly wider than hip-width apart. Place a kettlebell between your legs.
- Grab the kettlebell with both hands using an overhand grip. Your back should be flat, with most of the action occurring in the hips.
- Let the kettlebell go back and powerfully hinge forward to propel the kettlebell.
- Wait for the kettlebell to stop, then allow it to fall back. Your body should follow the kettlebell rather than force the kettlebell to follow your body.
4. Plie Squat:
The plie squat, otherwise known as a sumo squat, is a squat focusing on hip extension and is performed with your hips externally rotated. It is so much so that your knees are pointing in almost opposite directions.
Because of this external rotation, you will give the hip abductors a much more intense workout.
How to do a Plie Squat:
- Grab one or two dumbbells and let them hang with arms extended. Stand with feet about double shoulder width apart.
- Externally rotate your hips and align your toes with your knees. Drop your hips back and slowly lower your body.
- With your knees bent, be sure they are aligned with your toes. Your torso should remain relatively vertical.
- Descend as low as you can, and then slowly lift the weight back up.
5. Sumo Deadlift:
The sumo deadlift emphasizes hip extension and hip adduction and can be used for the same reason as the plie squat. It's a familiar movement that emphasizes the adductors and inner thigh. What makes the sumo deadlift stand out compared to conventional deadlifts is it provides a significantly greater range of motion in the hips1.
Spend time with the starting position as it's crucial for proper form.
How to do a Sumo Deadlift:
- Place a barbell on the floor and load it. Walk up to the bar and spread your legs about double shoulder width apart.
- Externally rotate your hips so that your knees are pointed outward. Rotate your toes, so they are aligned with your knee.
- Push your hips back to lower your body and grab the barbell in between your legs. Your arms should make a line with your shins.
- Keep your arms extended the entire movement, and maintain a straight back, pulling your shoulders back.
- Keeping your core engaged, slowly lift the barbell pulling it straight up.
6. Back Squat:
When it comes to front squats vs. back squats, the back squat, preferably using the low bar, is a great movement to strengthen the hip muscles through hip extension and hip abduction.
Again, the primary muscles used are the hip extenders. However, your hip adductors and abductors will be put to work and need to keep proper knee alignment.
In fact, knee valgus (when knees cave in) is a prominent problem with squatters. There are a few causes for this, but research has shown that weak abductors are one of them2. The fact is strong squatters have powerful hips. If possible, use a low bar position as this squat position causes the hips to close more.
How to do a Back Squat:
- Set up a barbell on a rack. Place the barbell on your back, across your shoulders.
- The farther you can get it down will require more hip flexion and extension, so go down according to your shoulder mobility.
- Step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Slightly turn your toes out. Begin the movement by pushing your hips back.
- The goal is to keep the barbell in line with your ankles. This is why the low bar squat requires more hip flexion. Slowly lower the weight until your knees are at a 90-degree angle, then propel the body up.
- Adding a resistance band will increase the work from the hip abductors.
We really like the low bar squat as it forces us to improve our hip mobility and loosen up tight hips.
Best Body Weight Hip Exercises
We love body weight workouts. You can use weights for these, they're often difficult enough just with body weight, particularly if you're just starting out. If you do use weight, opt for lighter ones, as we suggest using high reps to condition the hip muscles.
Recommended rep scheme: 3 sets x 8-15 reps
1. Step Ups With Knee Drive:
Not only is the step up a great exercise for saddlebags, but it's also a simple movement that emphasizes hip extension and flexion. This is done by stepping up on a box. However, we can easily engage the hip flexors as well by adding a knee drive movement at the end.
How to do Step Ups With Knee Drive:
- Set up a box with a height that allows you to propel yourself up primarily only using the front leg. If needed, grab dumbbells for loading. Keep your body straight throughout the movement.
- Stand in front of the box. Place one foot on the box. Be sure the whole foot is on the box.
- Now, drive up by pressing down with the top leg. This will activate the posterior chain for hip extension. At the top, drive a knee up as high as it can.
- For example, if your right leg is on the box, you will drive your left knee at the top. Or, if your left leg is on the box, you'll drive your right knee upward.
- Step down and switch legs. The planted leg will become the lifted leg and vice versa.
2. Lateral Lunges:
There are tons of lunge variations, but for hip strengthening, lateral lunges are our favorite. Lateral lunges will strengthen and improve the mobility of your inner and outer thigh muscles to a greater extent than a traditional lunge or reverse lunge. As the name implies, unlike a normal lunge position, you will step out to the side. This move focuses on hip extension, abduction, and adduction.
This sounds relatively easy but will quickly identify weak abductors, abductors, and poor mobility. Go slow.
How to do Lateral Lunges:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart. Choose a leg and step out laterally about 1-2 feet in the direction of the leg (i.e., the right leg steps out to the right). You can adjust the distance as you improve.
- The other leg will remain grounded.
- Keeping your torso looking forward, you will slowly bend your knee to lower the body down toward the outside leg until the knee hits 90 degrees.
- For example, if you step out of the right leg, you will lunge towards the right until the right knee hits 90-degree flexion while the left leg remains extended.
- Push up and bring your right foot to the left foot back to the original starting position.
3. Lateral Shuffle:
The lateral shuffle is a simple and effective movement that works on hip adduction and abduction. You can either warm-up with these or use them as a finisher. You can just use bodyweight here, but adding a resistance band will make it even more challenging.
How to do Lateral Shuffles:
- If you're adding resistance, place a band around your outer thigh. Place your feet wider than hip-width apart and get in an athletic stance (low).
- Shuffle your left leg out by placing your left foot out laterally a couple feet.
- Bring your right foot toward the left until it's in its original position. Continue and then alternate.
4. Lateral Step Up:
Like the lateral lunge, the lateral step up will increase the strength of the inner and outer hip muscles, working on hip extension, abduction, and adduction. Again, the basic pose is the same as the traditional method, but you move laterally.
How to do Lateral Step Ups:
- With feet hip-width apart and next to a box you would use for a normal step-up, take the leg closest to the box and place it on the box. For example, if the box is on your right side, you will place your right foot on the box.
- Now propel the body up by driving the right foot down until the right knee is fully extended, and place the left foot on the box.
- Step down and slowly lower your body weight under control. You can either stick to one side, completing the desired reps, and then switch sides, or if you're using a large enough box, you can step up one side, and lower down on the other side.
Best Mobility & Warm-Up Exercises For Hips
Another great method to keep your hips strong is to take the weight down and utilize mobility exercises. The strongest muscle in the world is nothing if it can't function with a full range of motion.
Use these exercises to help keep the joint working smoothly. These moves are also great for those who experience hip pain.
1. Clam:
The clamshell exercise may look funny but is a great hip abduction exercise requiring external rotation. This movement makes it great for a warm-up of simple mobility work. It's also a great exercise for women training for wider hips.
How to do Clams:
- Lay on your side. Bring your legs up to bend your knees. Be sure to have your top leg in line with your bottom leg.
- Keeping your ankles together, rotate your top legs upward, keeping the knee bent.
- Add a resistance band to increase the intensity.
2. Monster Walks:
Monster walks are simple, safe, and great for stretching and strengthening the hip flexors. You can do them as is, but for a better stretch and additional strengthening, add a resistance band. We highly recommend testing your mobility to help track your progress.
How to do Monster Walks:
- Stand with a normal stance, feet about hip distance apart.
- Lower down, but only about a quarter of the way down. Keep your torso upright and erect.
- Take a wide step forward and slightly out to the side with one leg, and then take another wide step with the opposite leg.
- Continue taking wide steps in a quarter-squat position.
3. Glute Bridge Hip Abduction:
This amazing floor hip flexors exercise strengthens the hip extenders and is also a great butt lifting exercise.
How to do the Glute Bridge Hip Abduction:
- Lie flat on your back, and bend your knees with your feet flat on the ground. Your legs should be wider than hip width, and to begin, your knees will cave in toward each other so they're touching.
- Drive your heels into the ground to extend your hips. Once your hips are in the air, push your knees out to the sides, while continuing to lift your hips. Squeeze your buttock tightly.
- Bring the knees back in toward each other, and then lower down to the ground. Repeat.
PSA: Always Prioritize Hip Strengthening Exercises!
Whether you need to create a new exercise plan or add a couple of these hip exercises to your existing workout split, working on your hip muscles is a must. Focusing on strengthening your hip and pelvic muscles is a smart idea for anyone looking to avoid injury and improve performance.
Related:
References:
- Lee S, Schultz J, Timgren J, Staelgraeve K, Miller M, Liu Y. An electromyographic and kinetic comparison of conventional and Romanian deadlifts. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness. 2018;16(3):87-93. doi:10.1016/j.jesf.2018.08.001
- Dix J, Marsh S, Dingenen B, Malliaras P. The relationship between hip muscle strength and dynamic knee valgus in asymptomatic females: A systematic review. Physical Therapy in Sport. Published online May 2018. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2018.05.015
Garett Reid
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