Bringing up the hips

[Furg]

I need some ideas, even if you just tell me you think I'm doing fine. It's been a process switching from a quad squat to a wider PL squat, and my hips are just awful. I can't go much wider than shoulder width and still make depth, but I've been stretching for at least a half hour every day for about a month now and I will keep that going because I know I am one of the least flexible people I know. I've been hammering my hams with GHR's, and they seem to be catching up. On ME day I have been keeping to 70% GM's, but I have been adding some light box squatting to work on form and keeping my knees out. There is very little movement over my ankles when I squat, but the hips just suck.

Over the last few weeks, I have added in abductions(thanks DG), spread eagles, and I do pull-throughs as wide as I can. Being a conventional puller, I have also pulled sumo a few days(one ME and one DE after Box Squats) to try to hit my hips. What else can I be doing to bring up my hips? It really pisses me off, but that helps on my other days.

You all are an invaluable source of info. I know I don't post all that much, but I check the boards a few times a day. Nice to have ethernet at school. I read the FTS articles pretty much daily, so let me know if I'm missing something. Thanks.


Furg

 

[GRIMMER]

Ya adduction work( i think thats the one) is great. Use a mini or average band for them dbld aroiund youir knees or just use the chick machine at the gym. You can also drag a sled with yoiur ankles if you have one both forwards and to the side.
Wide stance Gms in place of close or regular. These really work my hips well. If i can think of any more i will post them . Good luck

 

[zackdarnell]

Ya adduction work( i think thats the one) is great.

Abduction, I believe.

 

[makedah]

Furg - you're doing everything I was going to suggest. Good luck!

What stretches are you doing? I'm quite flexible, but my hips are not as flexible as I would like. There are some yoga positions that really hit the hips. Let me know if you want me to post them.

How much do you warm up before you start squatting? I don't do static stretches before I lift, but I find that I REALLY need to loosen up certain body parts before I start lifting. For me, it's hams and shoulders that need to be quite limber beforehand.

I read about this stretch for the squat. Squat down. Put your hands on the floor between your legs and use your upper arms to press your thighs outward. If you are a narrow-stance squatter (which you say you aren't) you'd have to take a wider than normal stance to do that stretch. I've done this stretch a few times and I like it.

 

[Furg]

Thanks for your input. Yeah that sounds great makedah. And if you could post those stretches that would be awesome. I know you're the librarian so I was hoping you'd have some suggestions.

I have been doing mostly track type stretches for my hips, hurdler's stretch(front knee bent, back leg straight out and pressing my groin towards the ground), butterfly(which doesnt work very well), and wide squatting is itself a stretch for me. I have been setting up 'hurdles' pretty much anything I can stack and been walking over them with one leg while the other is outside the hurdle. But it's hard because you don't see tangible results. Any and all suggestions welcome.

-Furg