Intermediate Hip Flexor and Quad Stretch

How to perform

1. 01Lie face down on the floor, with a rope, belt, or band looped around one foot.
2. 02Flex the knee and extend the hip of the leg to be stretched, using both hands to pull on the belt. Your knee and your hip should come off of the floor, creating tension in the hip flexors and quadriceps. Hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds, and repeat on the other leg.

Form cues

• —Brace your core before the first rep and keep it braced.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.
• —Adding weight before the movement pattern is clean.
• —Bouncing into the stretch instead of holding it.