Hip Flexors are Killing Me...& My Workouts

Ok I have had periodic hip flexor tightness for a while now. Last week it got really bad and moved into my groin area on the right side after doing legs/lots of squats.

I took the rest of the week off of lower body stuff but I literally have pain with each step in my groin area on the right side, but I can feel the extreme tightness of the hip flexors on both sides.

I flipped out and got an X ray to make sure I didn’t fracture anything, and all is good on that end so I know its not a fracture. But doing nothing isn’t helping, only making them tighten up even more. I am stretching all the time, have gotten two massages, am foam rolling periodically, but I still have this slight groin pain when I try to squat.

I want to do lower body work next week, and am thinking it may be ok to push through a little pain since it may actually stretch them out and help them un-tighten? Am I fooling myself? Any other suggestions?

Maybe you should try some weighted situps on a decline bench to really stretch them out. Im no expert tho.

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
I suggest you try split squats, possibly with back foot elevated.

This will force the hip flexors to lengthen under load, possibly resetting the gamma loop (an neurophysiological phenomenon that sets muscle tone).

Another way to overcome neurogenic tone is to do some active stretching.

I use both techniques, plus I stretch out (actively) before bed and sleep on my front for an hour (or thereabouts - when my arms go numb, I flip over) as this encourages true plastic deformation and lengthening of the muscle fascia.

BBB[/quote]

You are awesome. Thanks, I will try this tomorrow. So should I stay clear of back and front squats? I know the leg press was pretty painful so I am defiitely going to avoid that. What about lunges?

And I agree with your response about the heavy decline crunches, I actually think doing heavy decline crunches a few weeks ago contributed greatly to my problem. Is there any “safe” ab-work, besides planks? What do you think about deads or rack deads?

Like I said, “[quote]I’m no expert[/quote]”

[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
k8thegr8 wrote:
bushidobadboy wrote:
I suggest you try split squats, possibly with back foot elevated.

This will force the hip flexors to lengthen under load, possibly resetting the gamma loop (an neurophysiological phenomenon that sets muscle tone).

Another way to overcome neurogenic tone is to do some active stretching.

I use both techniques, plus I stretch out (actively) before bed and sleep on my front for an hour (or thereabouts - when my arms go numb, I flip over) as this encourages true plastic deformation and lengthening of the muscle fascia.

BBB

You are awesome. Thanks, I will try this tomorrow. So should I stay clear of back and front squats? I know the leg press was pretty painful so I am defiitely going to avoid that. What about lunges?

And I agree with your response about the heavy decline crunches, I actually think doing heavy decline crunches a few weeks ago contributed greatly to my problem. Is there any “safe” ab-work, besides planks? What do you think about deads or rack deads?

Thanks for the kind words!

I find it odd that the leg press would cause you pain, since the hip flexors are never in an extended position during this exercise.

I know that my own leg press issues come from a fixated/malaligned sacroiliac joint. You may want to get this assessed by a competent professional.

The SIJ can refer pain anteriorly and/or posteriorly.

The fact that you think the weighted decline situps may have been the initiator to your injury, may point to SIJ involvment too, since the loads on the spine and SIJs during this exercise can be considerable.

Do any exercise that doesn’t cause you pain. When my back plays up, lunges are about the only lower body exercise I can do without pain.

BBB[/quote]

Interesting. Thanks, I will have my chiro check that out on Wednesday. Your quite knowledgeable… I take it you are a physical therapist or chiropractor? Or are you just super smart on this stuff?

Dude, I have had the same problem. Take a couple weeks off squatting to let the stuff heal up. Second find Cressey’s “10 Best Uses for a Smith Machine” and start to do the first 4 or 5 exercise on there. Just awesome. First time I did them my hip flexors just burned.

[quote]BigJawnMize wrote:
Dude, I have had the same problem. Take a couple weeks off squatting to let the stuff heal up. Second find Cressey’s “10 Best Uses for a Smith Machine” and start to do the first 4 or 5 exercise on there. Just awesome. First time I did them my hip flexors just burned.[/quote]

thanks… and I’m a chick.