Hip Extensor Muscles: Complete Anatomy Guide + Best Strengthening Exercises (2025)
Hip extensor muscles are a group of four powerful muscles that straighten your hip joint by moving your thigh backward. These muscles are essential for walking, running, jumping, standing up from chairs, and maintaining proper posture throughout daily activities. The 4 main hip extensor muscles are: - Gluteus maximus - The largest and most powerful hip extensor muscle in your buttocks - Biceps femoris - The outer hamstring muscle at the back of your thigh - Semitendinosus - The inner hamstring muscle - Semimembranosus - The deep hamstring muscle The gluteus maximus is the primary hip extensor and the most powerful muscle responsible for hip extension, generating up to 3 times your body weight in force during explosive movements. The hamstring muscles work as secondary hip extensors, supporting the glutes during movement. Strong hip extensors are vital for athletic performance, injury prevention, and daily function. Weak hip extensor muscles can lead to lower back pain, poor posture, and reduced mobility. This comprehensive guide covers hip extensor anatomy, function, common problems, and the best strengthening exercises to optimize your hip health.
Your Ego is Ruining your Running
It’s my first long run after a couple weeks off and I'm struggling through the last kilometre. I spot someone up on the path ahead. It’s a man walking his dog and heading in my direction. I discreetly adjust my posture - stand tall, shoulders back, strong strides. I’m getting closer, about 10metres away. I have to time this just right. I wait until the last moment. Í take one last breath of air and then, holding my breath with the most relaxed face I can muster up, I seamlessly glide past the pair, abdominals braced, silent and effortless as if I could do this all day!
The Four Reasons all Runners Get Calf Injuries
So here’s what’s up with me. I reckon I’ve touched more calves in the last three months than in the preceding five years.
I’m not mad about it - it’s a really cool area to treat. It isn’t, however, usually among my clients’ favourite areas to get treated. If you’ve ever had a firm massage to the lower leg you’ll know what I’m talking about.
5 Amazing Exercises to Improve your Running Form
Running is one of the most simple and basic practices yet can be the most problematic forms of exercise for many. As humans we are designed to run, and to run long distance, so don’t give up on the weekend trots because here are some great exercises to have you gliding along the track and overtaking that guy with his ipod strapped to his arm.
take a Walk on the Wild Side
Thinking back to my teens, I distinctly remember hearing my mum talking about going for a walk and thinking to myself “what a lazy form of exercise”. I thought, “my parents just got slack, that’ll never happen to me”, and “why walk when you can run??”.
How immature and completely wrong I was!
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Treadmills and Outdoor Running
Benjamin Button, isn’t in this story, but the other two are. Treadmill or outdoor running; which is better? It’s a question that often gets thrown around or argued over. So what’s the difference anyway??
The Gym Rules you Need
Use the smallest possible number of plates.
Load the heaviest plates closest to the centre.
Put them back where they go, neatly and in order.
When motivation = meltdown
In the lead up to summer, the fitness industry is flooding us with 8 week challenges, 2 week unlimited deals, and other varying incentives to get us back in shape.
Being motivated to get in shape is great! So what’s the issue?