Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Rock
Half-kneeling hip-flexor stretch that rocks the hips forward and back while the rear glute stays tight.
How to do it
- Kneel with the front foot flat, front shin vertical, and the rear knee on a small pad.
- Keep the torso upright and rest both hands on the hips.
- Squeeze the glute on the kneeling side and tuck the pelvis slightly.
- Shift the hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of the rear hip.
- Rock back to the stacked start without losing the glute squeeze.
- Finish the reps, then switch the kneeling knee.
Key technique cue
Squeeze the back glute, tuck the pelvis; hips go forward, the low back doesn't arch.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Arching the lower back to fake a bigger stretch.
- ✕ Letting the rear glute go quiet so the hip flexor never lengthens.
- ✕ Driving the front knee far past the toes as you rock forward.
- ✕ Leaning the trunk backward instead of staying tall.
Benefits
- ✓ Opens the hip flexors of the kneeling leg without a long static hold.
- ✓ Pairs a glute squeeze with the stretch so the pelvis stays stacked.
- ✓ Needs no load, so it fits warm-ups and between-set mobility.
Progression: from easier to harder
- Step 1
-
Step 2 You are here - Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Rock
About the exercise
The half-kneeling hip flexor rock is a dynamic version of the kneeling hip-flexor stretch. Kneel with the front shin vertical, the rear knee down, and the hips stacked, then slide the body forward while the rear glute stays squeezed so the stretch stays in the front of the down-knee hip. The tissues named for that kneeling lengthen are iliopsoas and rectus femoris, with the front of the thigh taking the stretch when the rear knee stays bent. The hips rock forward and back for reps rather than holding one long stretch. It suits hip-flexor mobility warm-ups, squat and deadlift prep, and desk-to-training sequences as a floor drill with no load.
Updated
Similar exercises
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.