Serious Hip Flexor pain

[Hazerboy]

I get terrible pain around my psoas after most training days. Usually it is just on the right side though it can be on either one. At first I thought it was from doing some light sprints (<100 m, not at 100% speed) as a warmup but I think its just from squats/deadlifts in general. Over the summer I didn't squat for a few weeks and I noticed my hip flexors felt great. I also sit down a lot which I'm sure cannot be good.

I do lots of hip mobility work before I workout but I've started doing my hamstring/glute stretching as well as stretching antagonistic muslces is usually a good idea. Stretching the hip flexors themselves does not help hardly at all though, usually it just aches for a long time, and if I'm sitting down and I try and lift my legs the night after I train it REALLY hurts. A few days later and it feels better, but then again a few days later is also another lower body day.

Does anyone have this problem? I assume its because my posterior chain is really strong and my hip flexors are weak. I do lots of ab work that I would *think* strengthens them (hanging leg raises, ab wheels, etc) but nothing really seems like its working. Does anyone else get this and how do you deal with it? This thing hurts like a sum'a bitch some nights.

[AdamBAG]

How close of a stance do you squat with? I have noticed that when I squat with a closer stance my left hip flexor will hurt at the bottom of the squat. If I widen out a tad this pain is alleviated.

[ScottYard]

I had this for months when I started raw squatting. Backwards sled dragging for distance did wonders. Really works the hip flexors. 4-6 trips of 60 yards works 2 times per work

[Hazerboy]

I had this for months when I started raw squatting. Backwards sled dragging for distance did wonders. Really works the hip flexors. 4-6 trips of 60 yards works 2 times per work

This is really smart, I'll give it a try.

[LanceGoyke]

It sounds like an impingement.

Stabilizing your pelvis will help (glute bridges, isometric work for the obliques). Throw and active straight leg raise into your warm up.

If it is an impingement, however, you need to unimpinge it. The body is naturally asymmetrical and the left inominate (half of the pelvis) of the pelvis tends to tip anteriorly, come over the front, and the whole pelvis shifts to the right. Your right hip is then always in internal rotation, really limiting the free room your hip joint has to move there.

So reverse the motion of the pelvis: externally rotate and abduct the right hip; posteriorly tilt left inominate; internally rotate and adduct the left hip.

The PRI guys are brilliant, by the way. http://posturalrestoration.com/

But that's only valid if it really is an impingement, which I wouldn't know for sure since I haven't seen you. You may want to go to a smart local person. Since you're in Chicago, the nicest man in the world may be able to help you (Sean Armstead, http://www.phenomenalfitness.com/).

[ThomasG]

Sled drags, forward, backward and lateral. You could also look into a pair of loose single ply briefs for hip protection like inzers power pants

[LanceGoyke]

Sled drags, forward, backward and lateral. You could also look into a pair of loose single ply briefs for hip protection like inzers power pants

Be aware that briefs will only mask the symptoms, not fix the problem. Rehband makes some compression shorts for warmth as well. They're like knee sleeves.