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Form

Stand with feet wide (wider than shoulder-width). Shift weight to one side, sitting back into that hip while the other leg stays straight. Stop before hip pinch — depth varies by FAI tolerance. Push through weighted foot to return to center. Alternate sides or do all reps one side before switching.

Weighted knee tracks over toes; don't let it collapse inward. The straight leg's foot naturally turns up as you descend (heel stays grounded). Keep chest up. This is a mobility drill first, strength second — bodyweight only until you can reach parallel pain-free.

Weight: Bodyweight only until parallel depth is pain-free and controlled. Can progress to goblet hold (10-15 lb) if FAI allows, but ROM matters more than load.

Note: Addresses lateral hip ROM (side-to-side shift) which complements the front-back ROM from RDLs and squats. Adductor flexibility directly reduces FAI symptoms by creating more joint clearance.

Hamstring stretch with band: Lying down, use band to assist stretch

Hip adductor sit backs: Sit back into deep squat position, focus on adductors

Lacrosse ball massage on hip: Roll on tight spots in hip area

Heel glute bridge: Bridge position, drive through heels to activate glutes

Bird dogs: On hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg

Exhale-Biased Dead Bugs: Lie on back with ribs glued to the floor and pelvis in neutral. Forcefully exhale all your air as you slowly extend the opposite arm and leg. Stop the leg extension the exact second your lower back peels off the floor or your ribs pop up — this is your range limit. Return the knee only to 90°; bringing it closer to your chest will trigger the FAI hip pinch.

Hip PT (Actual Program)

Banded clamshells: Lie on your side, hips stacked, knees bent ~45°. Band just above the knees. Feet stay together — rotate your top knee up toward the ceiling, pause 1 sec, lower with control. Not a side plank — you're flat on your side on the floor, no weight bearing through the arm.
- Sets: 3 × 15–20/side. Light-to-moderate band.
- Form tip: Pelvis must stay completely still. If your hips rock backward to get more range, your TFL is compensating — shorten the range. The movement is small (~30–40° of rotation). Feel it in the side of your glute, not the front of your hip.
- FAI safety: No deep flexion, no adduction, no internal rotation. Stop at any anterior pinch.
Lacrosse ball massage: Roll on tight spots — front of hip (hip flexors), outer thigh (IT band/TFL), glutes. Pause on tender spots for 20–30 sec rather than rolling continuously.
- Areas: TFL/IT band (outer thigh), hip flexors (front of hip crease), piriformis/glutes (sit on ball)
90/90s: Sit on the floor with both legs bent at 90° — front leg with knee pointing forward, back leg with knee pointing to the side. Both shins on the floor. Sit tall, hinge forward slightly over the front leg to feel a stretch in the front hip. Can also rotate to the back leg to feel the back hip open.
- Form tip: Keep your pelvis level — don't let the back hip hike up. The goal is to find the hip capsule stretch without any anterior pinch. If you feel pinching in the front of the forward hip, back off the forward lean slightly or widen your front-leg angle.
- FAI safety: Stop immediately at any anterior hip pinch. Work in the pain-free range — depth and angle vary day to day.
Hip adductor sit backs: Start in a wide kneeling or seated position. Shift your weight back into your hips while keeping your knees wide. Focus on the inner thigh/adductor stretch as you sit back.
- FAI safety: Stay in a range where there's no anterior pinch. Don't force range.
Hip flexor stretch with band distraction + kettlebell (0°/45°/90°): Take a hip flexor lunge position. Heavy red band looped around the hip/groin crease of the front leg, anchored behind you so it pulls posteriorly — this distracts (pulls) the femoral head away from the acetabulum, creating joint space. Hold a kettlebell in both hands for gentle downward load. Stretch forward into hip flexion (0°/neutral), then 45°, then 90° — hold briefly at each angle, then repeat. The band distraction is the key mechanism: it physically opens the joint during the stretch, allowing more range with less impingement.
- Form tip: Let the band do the distraction work — don't force range. Keep pelvis neutral, don't arch the lower back. Stop immediately at any anterior pinch (which should be reduced compared to unloaded stretch because of the distraction).
- FAI safety: Band distraction is a clinical technique specifically for FAI — it reduces anterior impingement during hip flexion by creating joint clearance. Still stop at any pinch.
Heel glute bridge: Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat. Drive through your heels to lift hips. Squeeze glutes at the top, hold 1–2 sec, lower with control.
- Sets: 3 × 12–15
- Form tip: Drive through the heels specifically — this shifts emphasis from quads to glutes and hamstrings. At the top, hips should be in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Don't hyperextend the lower back.
- FAI safety: Closed-chain, hip stays in safe flexion range. Stop if anterior pinch.
Side-to-side cossacks: Wide stance. Shift weight to one side, sitting back into that hip while the other leg straightens (heel stays grounded, toes point up). Return to center and shift to the other side. Continuous side-to-side movement.
- Sets: 2–3 × 8–10/side. Bodyweight. Slow and exploratory.
- Form tip: Weighted knee tracks over toes — don't let it collapse inward. Chest stays up. Stop short of any hip pinch on the flexing side — depth is limited by your FAI, not by effort. This is mobility work, not a depth competition.
- FAI safety: Stop before hip pinch. Depth varies day to day — honor it.
Raised platform squat (opposite leg extended forward): Stand on a step or raised platform on one leg. Extend the opposite leg forward in the air (not back). Slowly squat down on the standing leg, controlling the movement as the non-standing leg lowers toward the floor in front of you. The forward-extended leg acts as a counterbalance and changes the hip loading compared to a standard step-down.
- Sets: 2–3 × 8–10/side. Bodyweight. Use wall or door for balance support as needed.
- Form tip: The standing knee tracks over the second toe — don't let it cave in. The movement is slow and controlled on the way down (3 sec eccentric). The hip of the standing leg should hinge back slightly as you descend. Stop at the depth where control is maintained and before any anterior hip pinch.
- FAI safety: Monitor the standing hip closely for anterior pinch as you descend. The forward-extended leg position means your torso stays more upright than a standard squat, which reduces anterior hip stress relative to depth.
Hamstring stretch with band: Lie on your back. Loop band around one foot. Keeping that leg as straight as possible, use the band to draw it toward you until you feel a hamstring stretch. Hold 30–45 sec. Hip stays neutral — don't let it roll out.
- Sets: 2 × 30–45 sec/side
- Form tip: Keep the non-stretching leg flat on the floor. The stretch should be felt in the back of the thigh, not behind the knee. If you feel it behind the knee, soften the knee slightly.
- FAI safety: Hip stays neutral. Avoid adducting the leg across midline during the stretch (that's the impingement position).
Single leg glute pushback (machine): Stand at a cable machine or hip extension machine. Drive one leg straight back (hip extension) against resistance, squeezing the glute at the end range. Hold 1–2 sec at the back, lower with control.
- Form tip: Keep the standing leg slightly soft (not locked out). Torso stays upright — don't hinge forward to compensate. The movement is at the hip, not the lumbar spine. Squeeze at full extension.
- FAI safety: Hip extension is safe for FAI — moving away from flexion/impingement zone. Stop if any anterior pinch during the return (hip flexion) phase.
Single leg machine squat (25 lbs): Machine-assisted single-leg squat (leg press setup, lying/seated back support). One leg pressing through the footplate, other leg off. Lower under control, press through heel to return.
- Sets: As prescribed by PT. Currently 25 lbs.
- Form tip: Drive through the heel of the working leg. Keep the knee tracking over the second toe — don't let it cave inward. Controlled eccentric (3 sec down). The back support allows focus on leg mechanics without balance demand.
- FAI safety: Monitor for anterior hip pinch at the bottom of the range — stop depth before pinch. Machine limits the ROM compared to freestanding single-leg squat.
Copenhagen plank: Lie on your side. Place the top leg on a bench or raised surface (shin or ankle, depending on difficulty). Stack the bottom leg under the bench or crossed behind. Lift your hips off the floor, supporting your body weight through the top leg's inner thigh and your forearm. Hold.
- Sets: As prescribed by PT. Start with shorter holds (10–20 sec/side) — this is an advanced exercise.
- Form tip: Hips stay stacked — don't let the top hip drop backward or rotate. The load is through the adductor of the top leg. This is significantly harder than it looks. Ankle-on-bench is harder than shin-on-bench; use whatever level allows controlled holds.
- FAI safety: No deep hip flexion in this position. The top leg is abducted (away from midline) which is FAI-safe. Stop if adductor pain (distinct from the expected burn).
Step-down from standing board (sitting back into the hip): Stand on a raised board or step on one leg. With control, lower the free leg toward the floor by sitting back into the standing-leg hip — like a slow, controlled step-down. The "sit back" cue keeps the hip loading the glutes eccentrically rather than collapsing the knee forward.
- Sets: As prescribed by PT. Slow and controlled.
- Form tip: The key cue is "sit back" — push the hip of the standing leg back and down, not just bending the knee. Torso can hinge slightly forward but not excessively. Standing knee tracks over second toe. Touch the floor lightly with the free foot, then drive back up through the heel.
- FAI safety: Monitor for anterior pinch as you descend. The "sit back" hip hinge reduces anterior hip stress vs. a knee-dominant step-down.
Bird dogs on foam pads: On hands and knees, with hands or knees on small foam pads for added instability. Extend the opposite arm and leg simultaneously while keeping the spine neutral. The pads add a proprioception and stability challenge.
- Sets: As prescribed by PT.
- Form tip: Don't let the hip of the extending leg hike up — think "long" with the leg, not "up." The spine stays completely neutral throughout. On foam, the challenge is significant — smaller range is fine if needed to maintain control.
- FAI safety: Hip extension in bird dogs is FAI-safe. No deep flexion.