Loosening the hips???

JP · Posted On: 8/24/2006 9:49pm

editted cause it's pointless, already been pointed out.

**velomaster** · Posted On: 8/25/2006 6:23pm

You might have tight piriformis muscles. Ask a physiotherapist how to do proper piriformis and hip flexors stretches (overstretchig can worsen your condition!). If you are sore after kicking apply ice for about 20 minutes put a wet towel between the ice pack and your skin.

**Happycrow** · Posted On: 8/26/2006 12:32pm

And all of those little muscles are extremely unpleasant to have dealt with. I had an ART guy (Active Release Technique, which is high-speed/-low-drag bodywork) work on some of these little, hard-to-get-to muscles.

It is like being born into a new universe of pain tolerance.

**Seraphim** · Posted On: 8/26/2006 12:50pm

This is a good thread. I could do the splits when I was younger, and now I can get maybe 50 degrees.

Good information all around.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 8/28/2006 10:09am

Originally Posted by Beaton Yu

Have you ever see that guy Rodney Yee? My wife has some of his videos. That dude is a STUD!!!!!!

I know. My sisters have one of his DVDs, too. And yep, she oogles at him. LOL.

This is a good thread indeed. Piriformis, that's a new one to me.

**Ronin.74** · Posted On: 8/28/2006 2:55pm

Originally Posted by wakinonioi

You have a condition called "Just Not That Flexible"

The easiest and cheapest way to deal with it is to just accept that big, dramatic, flashy head kicks are just not gonna be the way you knock someone the **** out. Too bad.

I too suffer from this condition. I am no where close to side splits and never have been, but I can do butterfly splits like they're nothing and with a little partner assistance put my chest to my feet in that position, but when I try to throw proper high kicks I get pain through my hip. I also used to think it was a joint issue, but after a session with my instructor we did partner stretching afterwards and after seeing my lack of flexibility in some positions he felt that, that was the cause of my hip pain. I think it can be improved upon through regular partner stretching drills, but it is something that will take time.

**bob** · Posted On: 8/28/2006 4:11pm

Originally Posted by velomaster

You might have tight piriformis muscles. Ask a physiotherapist how to do proper piriformis and hip flexors stretches (overstretchig can worsen your condition!). If you are sore after kicking apply ice for about 20 minutes put a wet towel between the ice pack and your skin.

favourite office worker piriformis stretch - sitting in a chair, cross one leg onto the other so that the outside of one ankle is resting on the opposite knee. Let the crossed leg lie as flat as it can but don't push it flat. Now lean the centre of your chest forward towards the knee of your crossed leg. Take it slowly and easily and move forward to the point where you feel the stretch basically in the centre of your butt, or slightly to the side. If you don't feel it here then adjust the position of your leg.

This is an adaption of the classic figure four pirif. stretch that I love because you can do it at work or on the net. You'll usually find there is a difference between the two sides if you kick with one leg a lot.

Tight pirif. will seriously affect your ability to raise your leg high. Another trick is to get a tennis ball or similar, lie on your side on the floor with knee raised and roll onto the ball, using it in the side of your butt against your body weight as a self massage. You'll know when you're in the right spot.

Pirif. is also implicated in a lot of sciatic pain (sharp pain down the back of your leg). About 15% of people have a sciatic nerve which runs directly through this muscle and will be especially prone to sciatica if the pirif. gets tight.

**Aaron Blandon** · Posted On: 12/19/2010 1:24am

lkj;j

**callum828** · Posted On: 12/19/2010 4:40am

Originally Posted by Poop Loops

Yeah, it's a shame I can do either without any effort, huh (like I've already said)? Or else that could have actually helped.

I've had the exact same problem, but I'd recommend seeing a sports masseur rather than a physiotherapist or chiropractor. Apparently it's such a common problem that they all know how to fix it. It'll almost definitely take more than one session (I'm still working through mine) but there are a few things you can do in the mean time.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...w=1235&bih=684

Apparently since the muscles on the side of your torso are connected to the ones in the leg that cause the problem, this helps a lot (in this case it's important to cross the legs like he's doing in the picture to really feel it) Your standard quad stretch also helps a bit. On top of that, you can try standing against a wall with a tennis ball between your hip and the wall and sort of 'grinding' on the hips/upper leg with the ball. It looks weird but it's the only way to get deep enough to get to the muscles you need to.

**DarkXacreD** · Posted On: 12/22/2010 3:11am

I'm sure it's already been said, but I just read the OP and pretty straightforward, the solution is to stretch your hips/glutes. There are plenty of resources online to help you with what specific stretches to do, just find a couple you like and start doin em.