Exercise Tips Of The Day-Hip Exercises

As you design your workout program, you’re likely putting a lot of focus on your quads, hamstrings, chest, back, and arms. These are the most noticeable body parts that men work since they are the most visible to the naked eye. Despite this fact, it’s important to think about some of your smaller muscle groups that may not look all that impressive, but will improve your ability to lift heavier during other exercises, and will also help you better perform many of the activities or sports you do on a daily basis.

Hip exercises are the perfect example of this type of less-visible but highly functional focus. The hip flexors in particular are a small muscle group that play a big role in the body. They help to keep the hips in the correct position, and they’re working hard every time you step up a stair, do squats or just get out of a chair. Having strong hip muscles will also help prevent back problems: When the hips are in alignment, the spine is in alignment as well.

an introduction to hip exercises

Here are some of the main hip exercises that will target the hip flexors and all the surrounding hip muscles.

Decline sit-up

While you may have always thought of decline sit-ups as stimulating the abdominal muscles, they also call the hip flexors into play. As you lean back past a 180-degree angle, your hip flexors are automatically going to start tensing, preventing the body from falling back completely.

Keep in mind that the hip flexors are generally a much weaker body muscle, so it’s not going to take all that much weight to get them stimulated and progressing. Aim to complete two to three sets of 10-15 reps.

Hanging leg raise

Another classic abdominal exercise is hanging leg raises, which make for another good hip exercise. To increase the intensity of this movement, wrap weights around your ankles or attach a cable to your ankles as you raise them through the air.

Maintaining the straight-leg position throughout the movement will be challenging enough at first, however, so be sure you’ve got that covered before adding any additional resistance. Perform one to two sets of 8-10 reps.

Cable single-leg raise

Cable machines offer a nice variety of resistance training options and are perfect for hip exercises. After attaching the cable to your ankle, select between 20-40 pounds, which is usually plenty to work your hip flexors.

From there, stand facing away from the weight stack with both legs straight and shoulder width apart. Begin to lift one knee up toward the chest, pausing for a second at the top before lowering again. Complete 10-12 reps on one leg and then switch sides for two sets total.

You can also do this movement with your leg going out to the side or back. The only difference is that you should maintain a straight-leg position rather than bending at the knee.

Lying leg raise

If you don’t have a cable available to you, another hip exercise option is a lying leg raise. To do this one, you will again attach an ankle weight, and lying on your back or side, lift your leg straight up into the air until it’s at a 60-degree angle with your body. Lower to complete the rep and switch sides to work both legs equally. Complete 15-20 reps on each side for two to three sets.

Stationary lunge stretch

After performing any hip exercises, you will want to ensure that you’re stretching thoroughly afterward because this muscle is prone to becoming tense.

One of the best stretches to perform for the hip flexors is a stationary lunge where you move into a lunge position, but allow your back knee to touch the ground. Once in that position, place your hands either on the floor in front of you or on your knee and slowly allow the body to rock forward gently until you feel a pull in the hip area. Hold that position for at least 10 seconds, and then switch legs and repeat two stretches for each side.

Stretch it out

The classic quad stretch will also stretch the hip if you think of pushing the hips forward slightly while pulling back on the knee that’s bent.

Doing these stretches regularly will keep the area lose and limber. Often hip flexors can also become tight from sitting all day at work, contributing to lower back pain. By stretching your hips every day you will help overcome hip and back pain.

hip flexor power

It’s a great idea to think of your hip flexors in your regular workout. They won’t be a muscle that you’ll build to a significant degree, but by strengthening them you can reduce your risk of injury and enable yourself to lift heavier on the weights that do make a difference in your appearance, such as the squat and dead-lift.

Exercise Tips Of The Day-Hotel Workouts

If you’re a businessman on the go or a frequent vacationer, there’s a good chance that at some point you’re going to end up away from your gym and on the hunt for a place to work out. While many assume that every hotel comes equipped with a gym, this is often not the case. Even some pricey boutique hotels do not include an exercise room, so it’s important to have a workout backup plan.

This where hotel workouts come into play: you can use items found in your hotel room as props to help you work out and maintain your physique while out of town. The key to an effective hotel workout is finding creative ways to challenge the muscles, all while using your own body weight or props.

For the cardio portion of your hotel workout, options include stepping up and down on a chair or bench, running stairs located in the hotel, skipping (outside if you’re not on the bottom floor), or simply going for a run.

For strength training, you’re going to need to put a spin on traditional exercises to create your hotel workout.

Here are some useful ways to get an effective hotel workout.

Props

To complete your hotel workout, you can use the following props:

• 2 2-liter bottles of water obtained at a nearby grocery or convenience store
  
• 2 chairs found in your room
  

The objective of your hotel workout is to move through the following exercises as quickly as possible.

Body weight squats with wall squats

Start your hotel workout by holding one of the water bottles directly out in front of you with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Begin to squat down, keeping your toes pointed forward and going as low as possible. Complete a total of 30-50 reps, depending on your fitness level.

Then, stand with your back against a wall and move down into the squat position so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle.

Hold this position for 20-30 seconds.

Push-up sequence

To add more difficulty to regular push-ups, place your feet on top of the bed while keeping your hands on the floor. Your body should be on a flat decline.

From there, perform push-ups as usual.

Once you’re finished doing 15-20 reps, turn your body while lifting one hand off the floor so that you are sideways with one arm fully supporting your body. Maintain this position for 20 seconds.

After you’re finished, repeat the push-ups, only this time place your hands in a triangular position.

Repeat once more on the other side, holding the sideways position to complete this sequence.

Chair dips

To work your triceps, place your hands on the edge of the chair with your feet stretched out and resting on the edge of a second chair you’ve placed about 4 feet away.

Perform your standard dip movement, pausing momentarily at the bottom of the position.

Do as many as you can before you are too fatigued to continue.

Balancing T raises

Next up on the list of exercises for hotel workouts are T raises. To make this more difficult, perform one entire set while balancing on one foot, then switch feet and perform them again.

Grab a bottle of water in each hand, lift them out to the side of your body, and then move your arms in a half circle until they are directly in front of you.

After you have performed this 20 times, switch feet and repeat reversing the direction.

Single-leg deadlifts

This hotel workout will work your hamstring muscles and test your balance and agility capabilities.

Stand in front of your bed, and place one foot back so it’s resting on the edge, while the other leg stays straight.

Next, with a chair placed about a foot in front of the standing leg, bend over and grasp the two bottom chair legs.

Once you have a firm grasp, lift your body upwards, keeping your back as flat as possible.

Come to a standing position, and lower the chair back down to complete the rep.

Ab contractions

For the last exercise, lie flat with your back on the floor holding one of the water bottles above your head with both hands.

From there, contract the abdominals so you bring your legs in toward your body while you’re crunching up.

Once your chest is as close to your knees as possible, reverse the movement until you are flat again (but not fully rested) on the floor. Complete 15-20 reps.

hotel room fitness

Next time you’re away from the gym, consider these exercises. Doing these hotel workouts is better than nothing and you might just find these exercises pose quite the challenge to your fitness abilities