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Finally conquered Swivel Hip

Started by Alan Tseng, February 25, 2014 · 104 Replies · 20,941 Views

Alan Tseng

Lower back. Biggest thing that fixed my Swivel hips is not having lower back in correct position

Keilani Gutierrez

....go on. #intrigue

Alan Tseng
Keilani Gutierrez said:

....go on. #intrigue

It was in my opening post regarding swivel hips:

6. Posture actually pays a big part in Swivel Hips. Believe it or not, this was actually the one that caused the biggest increase in range of motion. Your back should be arched. The lumbar spine shouldn't be rounded in this exercise.

Edoardo Cagnola

When I first saw this exercise in the course it looked so damn easy, I immediately thought that I could do this without problems.. But right now I know that I must fall in love with the scapula shrugs, because I will enjoy their company for a looong time :) hopefully all these tips will be helpful

Keilani Gutierrez

Alan, i'll be honest and admit that arching my back gives me a big pinching sensation in my inner hip and doesnt allow me to move my leg anywhere to where it is in the photo. :/

thats on my right. my left leg just stops like any other lack of mobility.

i need to get to a seminar. #sigh

Lukas Stamm

Thank you VERY much for sharing the Dean Somerset stuff.

5 reps of the side plank, and already improved my ROM.

David Rioux

Everyone, test swivel hips and then go back to arch body holds and focus on holding your feet in an internally rotated position with forceful leg lift.

Retest swivel hips and report what happens. 

Then try it a couple of sessions.

Andre
David Rioux said:

Every exercise proves a great range of external rotation, but if you look closely the torso follows the hip not forcing any level of internal rotation!

Are you saying that this does not put you in internal rotation??

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Alex Tansel

So it is actually possible to do the movement with the glutes planted? Are they not meant to move from the floor at all during the movement?

Andre

Sure, if you are flexible enough. But I guess a little movement is not a problem, just try to keep your glutes on the floor as you gain mobility.

Ashe Higgs

searching for some of the same answers as the others.  I think it would be helpful if some of the advanced athletes could post a video of the posterior aspect while performing swivels.

Ashe Higgs

deleted post.  Way off from any real progress.

Gabriel Nunez

I think it wouldn't hurt to progress to further progressions, if you have been stuck on one for more than 12 months. That's ridiculous. All you will be doing is getting used to doing the same exercise over and over, which will ultimately defeat the purpose of progressing. Proceed to other progressions, but ensure to work on that previous progression you were still not perfect on while working on the following progressions. It has helped me incredibly push past plateus.

Alexander Egebak
Gabriel Nunez said:

I think it wouldn't hurt to progress to further progressions, if you have been stuck on one for more than 12 months. That's ridiculous. All you will be doing is getting used to doing the same exercise over and over, which will ultimately defeat the purpose of progressing. Proceed to other progressions, but ensure to work on that previous progression you were still not perfect on while working on the following progressions. It has helped me incredibly push past plateus.

For swivels hips I disagree.

 

The purpose of swivels hips is to build the flexibility to hold a wide enough straddle planche eventually. If you already limit yourself now you will build upon that limitation in the later mobility drills which are strength-orientated.

 

Having a not very wide straddle means having a hard time achieving straddle planche since the wider your legs go the easier the hold gets.

 

That is not to say that swivel hips is the only thing to do. A lot of stretches for hip rotation could prove benefitial. Check out the MS course too. Supplemental work is very important because just doing the exercise itself will not get you there very fast.

Daniel Taylor-Shaut

You definitely need to stay on a progression until you obtain it. Trust me it IS frustrating. I quit GB for a few months because I was like screw this, I'm not getting definition, etc. Then deadlifting and the like just made me sore, whereas post GB workout I'd feel charged. The aim here is slow and steady. I'm 27 and insanely tuned into my health and so forth, to a fault. With that being said I'm still quite a n00b, if you're older and/or not as tuned in, it. just. takes. time. For the swivel hips though, two things:

 

Firelog pose --> shoelace pose (for external hip rotation)

 

Hero pose --> reclining hero pose (for internal hip rotation)

 

If you want to ace this mobility movement, sit in these positions for as long as possible, all day long, every day. I watch movies and just alternate between the moves for a full two hours and boom, today I made massive improvement on swivel hips. After only a few days of sitting in those two positions (even though I was also sick last week). Patience is the cliche virtue for this program, guys. If you want joint strength, mobility and endurance, as well as muscular strength and endurance, you just gotta give it time. Lastly, if you can't get into those moves out right, don't worry (I can't either), just do it as best you can. Use a yoga block, a rolled up blanket, a box, etc etc whatever enables you to get in that position as close to possible as how it's supposed to look. Holler back in a month. 

Coach Sommer
Daniel Taylor-Shaut said:

You definitely need to stay on a progression until you obtain it. Trust me it IS frustrating. I quit GB for a few months because I was like screw this, I'm not getting definition, etc. Then deadlifting and the like just made me sore, whereas post GB workout I'd feel charged. The aim here is slow and steady. I'm 27 and insanely tuned into my health and so forth, to a fault. With that being said I'm still quite a n00b, if you're older and/or not as tuned in, it. just. takes. time. For the swivel hips though, two things:

 

Firelog pose --> shoelace pose (for external hip rotation)

 

Hero pose --> reclining hero pose (for internal hip rotation)

 

If you want to ace this mobility movement, sit in these positions for as long as possible, all day long, every day. I watch movies and just alternate between the moves for a full two hours and boom, today I made massive improvement on swivel hips. After only a few days of sitting in those two positions (even though I was also sick last week). Patience is the cliche virtue for this program, guys. If you want joint strength, mobility and endurance, as well as muscular strength and endurance, you just gotta give it time. Lastly, if you can't get into those moves out right, don't worry (I can't either), just do it as best you can. Use a yoga block, a rolled up blanket, a box, etc etc whatever enables you to get in that position as close to possible as how it's supposed to look. Holler back in a month. 

 

Excellent post.  Well said, Daniel.

 

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Giovanni Garcea

Coach,

 

do you think that if I work consistently on swivel hips twice a week during the foundation workouts, plus I do each one of the three stretch series once a week, I will eventually succeed on obtaining good form swivel hips (taking as much time as needed)? Or should I plan additional stretches, sitting in hero pose for extended time, etc...

 

Getting acquainted with swivel hips was quite hilarous. After the first time I did them, I tought "this is easy! I'm doing great and I don't understand all the grief in the forums for this move", then I looked at the appropriate form a little more and I concluded that I have the mobility of a 90 years old...

Daniel Taylor-Shaut

Giovanni, see my post. Work in this movement little by little everyday and you'll see greater improvements. For instance, my ankle mobility and shoulder flexion is embarrassing, so I work in squats and reverse cat poses on a swissball for a few minutes in the AM. I squat on the train, try to get brachial flexion (sp?) hanging from doorways etc. just to engage and "grease the groove" of these joints. I, admittedly am still not that flexible but I only bought the program in August and have moved through moves moved back to moves then re-mastered them correctly and so on. It's a learning process, and 90% of people will just go "huh?" and scratch their heads. Do as much as you think healthy and maintainable for you. Eventually that quantity, with discipline, will increase in time, complexity, and difficulty.

jfreaksho
Daniel Taylor-Shaut said:

 

Hero pose --> reclining hero pose (for internal hip rotation)

 

If you want to ace this mobility movement, sit in these positions for as long as possible, all day long, every day. I watch movies and just alternate between the moves for a full two hours and boom, today I made massive improvement on swivel hips. After only a few days of sitting in those two positions (even though I was also sick last week). Patience is the cliche virtue for this program, guys. If you want joint strength, mobility and endurance, as well as muscular strength and endurance, you just gotta give it time. Lastly, if you can't get into those moves out right, don't worry (I can't either), just do it as best you can. Use a yoga block, a rolled up blanket, a box, etc etc whatever enables you to get in that position as close to possible as how it's supposed to look. Holler back in a month. 

 

Haplix said:

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/18066-hip-internal-rotation-stretch/ 

 

I searched for a long time. I found that my external rotation was fine, but my internal rotation was lacking. The frog stretch gave me enough internal rotation(after a month or so) to do swivel hips proficiently.

 

Ashe Higgs said:

just thought I would share something on my progress, specifically with swivel hips. swivel hips really stymied me initially.  recently I was made aware of how little hip extension I had, so I've been focusing aggressively on restoring some hip extension with a few different mobilizations.  well, low and behold, as my hip extension started to improve, so did my internal / external rotation without any specific work on those! tight hip flexors really seem to be the root of much evil.

*video*

Thanks for all these things, everyone.  I've gone through 12 weeks of swivel hips with little or no noticeable improvement in my internal rotation ROM, and in fact have been getting piriformis syndrome (or something similar) on the right side.  The poses, the patience, and the video with the leaning over the swiveled hips all seem to be useful, especially the part about the hip flexors.  I'll keep working on it.

 

My new homework/study positions are hero, prone with foam roller under quads/hip flexors, and frog.

Daniel Taylor-Shaut
jfreaksho said:

Thanks for all these things, everyone.  I've gone through 12 weeks of swivel hips with little or no noticeable improvement in my internal rotation ROM, and in fact have been getting piriformis syndrome (or something similar) on the right side.  The poses, the patience, and the video with the leaning over the swiveled hips all seem to be useful, especially the part about the hip flexors.  I'll keep working on it.

 

My new homework/study positions are hero, prone with foam roller under quads/hip flexors, and frog.

Good on ya. External rotation isn't usually as difficult for most people, but again you don't want to become overly dominant in one pathway and not the other, so be sure to not neglect the firelog (or other external rotation stretches) to counter all the focus on internal rotation. Your knees, piriformis and hips will thank you. 

Dylan Robertson

I went ahead and made a comprehensive list of everything that has been recommended for this. Links will be below.

Rules;

Butt shouldn't come off the floor, ALWAYS in contact with floor.

No pain should be felt in the knee.

Back Arched, No rounding of the Lumbar Spine.

Places to Stretch;

Stretch Piriformis (laterally w/ Lacrosse Ball).

Massage Gluteus Medius/Minimus

Massage/Stretch TFL

Stretches;

Frog Stretch

Lay Down and Sit with both Legs Internally Rotated Stretch

Fire log Pose

Shoelace Pose

Hero Pose (Virasana)

Reclining Hero Pose (Supta Virasana)

Links;

YouTube Follow Along-

Dean Somerset Planks- http://deansomerset.com/planks-are-the-magic-bullet-for-hip-mobility/

(For the Side Plank Leg lifts, follow the 15 reps mastery template)

T-nation (Stretching doesn't work article)- https://www.t-nation.com/training/stretching-doesnt-work

Kelly Starrett Deep Squat- http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/12/episode-117-working-the-deep-squat/

Kelly Starrett Hip Rotation- http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/05/episode-249-improving-hip-extension-and-internal-rotation-for-running/

Edit: Added Kelly's Links