Better Hip Muscle control via the hip crease

A while ago I was having trouble hiking up stairs. My left hip joint felt like it was collapsing inwards. I thought it was a psoas related problem and so played with different ways of activating the psoas while I climbed. It helped and I thought it would be a good action to teach in my classes. But I also realized that for a lot of people in my classes, it would be difficult to teach. And so I figured out an alternative method that centered on the hip crease. Although it's debatable whether I was still affecting my psoas, the focus on the hip crease was still helpful and so I taught it in my classes over a period of a few months, refining my understanding of how to teach it effectively, and also refining the actual exercises that I used.

Most of the people in my classes enjoyed these lessons and I got more than a few compliments and comments that this was something rarely taught. Not just the hip crease, but simply learning how to better control the hips.

Thus, this program. 

As with all the muscle control techniques that I teach, this hip control program isn't the be all and end all of muscle control courses.

It offers a relatively simple way to both experience your hips and improve your ability to control them.

While this program was initially called the hip crease control course, I've changed its name to hip control because that's what this course is really about.

It's a set of four courses designed to compliment each other and to give you a reasonably extensive set of instructions into learning to feel and control your hip joints.

Access to "Better Hip Muscle Control via the hip crease" is also included as part of the "take out the slack" membership program.

The hip has three axiis of rotation

As you are probably aware, the hip can be thought of as having three degrees of freedom. It can rotate around three different axiis. Assuming that it's the pelvis moving relative to one leg, 

• it can tilt forwards and backwards, thus rotating around a horizontal left-right axis. 
• It can turn left and right thus rotating around a vertical axis. 
• And it can tip left or right. In this case it rotated around a horizontal nose-tail axis.

To make matters more interesting, the thigh bone (or "femur") can move relative to the hip bone in the same ways.

With Hip control you'll learn to do all three movements with the hip bone as the fixed point. And you'll also learn these movements with the thigh bone as the fixed point.

Using the hip crease as a "proprioceptive" reference

The nice thing about the hip crease is that you can use it as a sort of marker or reference in all three types of movement (whether it is the hip bone that is moving or the thigh bone.)

Rather than just learning movement, you'l learn to feel the movements. You'll not only get a feel for your hip crease but also for the muscles that actually drive the movement and that can be used to stabilize the hip joint.

It's sort of like learning to drive a car or motorbike. And so while initial lessons are simply learning the basic movements and the sensations that accompany these movements, you'll also learn to apply the same control of your hip joint in a variety of standing poses and then seated poses.

Learning to Self Adjust

Where it can get really interesting is that once you get a feel for your hip crease and for hip muscles in general, you can then begin adjusting the way that you use your hips. Rather than just activating or relaxing muscles, you'll learn to fine tune both your muscle control but also, your positioning. ()

And so what you'll be learning is how to use your body intelligently.

Learn to feel your hips (and knees and feet)

Rather than just doing exercises and counting reps, you'll be doing exercises and feeling muscles activate and connective tissue get stretched.

You'll get a feel for your hips, and in some cases you'll also get a feel for your hips and your feet and you knees.

That's one thing about hip control. Go far enough and it becomes harder to keep it separated from the knees and hips. But that's all right because what you'll then learn is how to integrate control of your hips with the knees and feet

When I first started playing with the hip crease, I focused on it in isolation. A little later I started integrating it with inner and outer thigh control and other muscle control actions.  And that's basically what you get with the four different programs that Hip Control is made up of.  You get  one that focuses on the hip crease in isolation, two that focus on the hip crease with two other actions (inner/outer thighs and heel control) and a final one that focuses on an altogether different method of activating the hip joint muscles.

This last method provides a nice contrast to hip control and can be thought of as a type of active rest.

And all the things you learn in this course can be applied to poses and actions not covered in these courses. And this again is like driving lessons. You learn the basics of hip control so that you can continue to explore it and improve it on your own.

4 programs for improving hip intelligence

With program 1 you learn basic hip crease control while standing. You'll learn how to differentiate between opening and closing the hip crease by feel.

You'll also learn how to self adjust, basically "fine-tuning" your hip crease control efforts.

And you'll learn how to use hip crease control while sitting.

(file series 1 and 2)

Program 2 builds up on program 1 by teaching you how to activate your inner and outer thighs and then combining inner and outer thigh control with hip crease control.

(file series 3)

Program 3 builds up on program 1 and 2 first by teaching you how to feel and control and stabilize your heels. Then you'll learn how to combine this with inner/outer thigh control and/or hip crease control.

(file series 4)

Program 4 does not build up on the other programs but instead offers a different approach to feeling and controlling the hip joint (and leg in general) via "resisted pressing". Any of the above techniques can be tiring and the technique used in program 4 offers a way to actively rest from directly controlling the hip crease. 

Benefits?

You'll learn to better feel, control and otherwise use (or operate) your hips. You may find it helps you with hip stability. And in turn you may find that you can use it for more effective hip stretching. You may even find that you can apply the hip control from this program while walking, using stairs, running (to a degree) and any other activities where the hips are involved.

30 Day money back guarantee
The course comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. So if you aren't satisfied, let me know within 30 days of purchase and I'll give you your money back.

As for the videos themselves. You can download or stream them. Just remember your log in details (email and password) so that you can access from anywhere.

Download or Stream

Downloads are mp4 format and if viewing on a windows or mac machine I'd highly recommend the VLC app. 

Each video is from 1 to 5 mins long (roughly) with each video focusing on a particular exercise or set of related exercises. You can watch the videos and follow along. You can also watch a video and then do the exercises by yourself at your own pace, which is what is recommended.

learn to feel your body while you use it

The exercises are designed to help you feel and control your hip creases in such a way that you can then use that control in other activities. And so while you can repeat the routine from these videos a few times, the goal of these videos is to help you learn hip crease control so that you can use it easily in the context of a variety of different poses or actions.

What's included in each program?

Program 1

Standing poses

• hip crease control 1-00 introduction.mp4
• hip crease control 1-01 Shin Rotations.mp4
• hip crease control 1-02 F-Bend with Shin Rotations.mp4
• hip crease control 1-03 Single Leg Thigh Rotation.mp4
• hip crease control 1-04 Both Leg Thigh Rotation.mp4
• hip crease control 1-05 Pelvic Rotation with Knees Bent.mp4
• hip crease control 1-06 Pelvic Rotation with Knees Straight.mp4
• hip crease control 1-07 Pyramid Pose.mp4
• hip crease control 1-08 Turning the Pelvis (Instead of Rotating the Thigh).mp4
• hip crease control 1-09 Half Moon Pose.mp4
• hip crease control 1-10 Extension Adduction and Abduction.mp4
• hip crease control 1-11 Noticing Contrasts in Sensation.mp4
• hip crease control 1-12 Low Back Awareness and hip crease Opening.mp4
• hip crease control 1-14 part 1, End Notes.mp4

• hip crease control 2-02 basic adjustments and fine tuning 1.mp4
• hip crease control 2-03 adjusting and fine tuning 2.mp4
• hip crease control 2-04 adjusting during dual leg rotation.mp4
• hip crease control 2-05 adjustment and fine tuning options.mp4
• hip crease control 2-06 adjusting in standing forward bend.mp4
• hip crease control 2-07 adjusting in pyramid pose.mp4

• hip crease control 2-08 hip crease control in pigeon pose.mp4
• hip crease control 2-09 hip crease control while sitting cross legged .mp4
• hip crease control 2-10 hip crease control in extended cat.mp4
• hip crease control 2-11 hip crease control in boat pose, 1.mp4
• hip crease control 2-12 bent knee hip crease control in hurdlers stretch.mp4
• hip crease control 2-13 hip crease control in boat pose, 2.mp4
• hip crease control 2-14 hip crease control, bound angle pose.mp4
• hip crease control 2-15 hip crease control in boat pose 3.mp4
• hip crease control 2-16 hip crease control while on your back.mp4
• hip crease control 2-17 part 2 end notes.mp4
  
  

• hip crease control 3-00 part 3 intro and some anatomy
• hip crease control 3-01 f b weight shifting
• hip crease control 3-02 f b weight shifting on one foot
• hip crease control 3-03 dealing with difficulty
• hip crease control 3-04 inner outer thigh activation basics
• hip crease control 3-05 foot control while activating inner/outer thighs
• hip crease control 3-06 chair pose
• hip crease control 3-07 standing f-bend

Hip crease control with inner/outer thigh control while standing

• hip crease control 3-08a inner outer thigh control and hip crease control
• hip crease control 3-08b direct innerouter thigh control
• hip crease control 3-09 pyramid pose
• hip crease control 3-10 half moon pose
• hip crease control 3-11 half moon pose 2
• hip crease control 3-12 movement control
• hip crease control 3-13 triangle pose front leg
• hip crease control 3-14 triangle pose 2 back leg
• hip crease control 3-15 triangle pose 3 both legs
• hip crease control 3-16 half moon pose 3

Hip crease control with inner/outer thigh control while seated

• hip crease control 3a-01 sitting cross legged
• hip crease control 3a-02 bound angle
• hip crease control 3a-03 seated twist using hip crease control
• hip crease control 3a-04 seated half lotus with modification options
• hip crease control 3a-05 seated f-bend
• hip crease control 3a-06 half side splits
• hip crease control 3a-07 kneeling
• hip crease control 3a-08 side splits
• hip crease control 3a-09 virasana, kneeling with butt between feet
• hip crease control 3a-10 front splits, front leg focus
• hip crease control 3a-11 note on lumbar awareness
• hip crease control 3a-12 front to back splits, back leg
• hip crease control 3a-13 a note on being more aware while practicing muscle control
• hip crease control 3a-14 front to back splits, both legs
• hip crease control 3a-15 toes tucked kneeling
• hip crease control 3a-16 wide leg (sumo) squat
• hip crease control 3a-17 standing f-bend
• hip crease control 3a-18 tree pose
• hip crease control 3a-19 eagle pose
• hip crease control 3a-20 finishing poses
• hip crease control 3a-21 note on experimenting with muscle control combinations
• hip crease control 3a-22 stabilizing the hip joint (via hip crease control)
• hip crease control 3a-23 part 3 end notes (and what's next)

• hip crease control 4-01 Basic Heel Awareness
• hip crease control 4-02 Basic Heel Activation
• hip crease control 4-03 Toe Spread with Heel Activation
• hip crease control 4-04 Standing Shin Rotations
• hip crease control 4-05 Shin Rotations with Heel Awareness
• hip crease control 4-06 Weight Shifting with Heel Activation
• hip crease control 4-07 Standing F Bend
• hip crease control 4-08 Pyramid Pose
• hip crease control 4-09 Giving Your Leg Muscles an Anchor Point
• hip crease control 4-10 Half Moon Pose
• hip crease control 4-11 Half Moon both Heels
• hip crease control 4-12 Chair Pose
• hip crease control 4-13 Heel Activation May Help Your Squats
• hip crease control 4-14 Triangle Pose

• hip crease control 4a-01 Lateral Tilting Intro
• hip crease control 4a-02 Single Leg Hip Lift Basics
• hip crease control 4a-03 Hip Lift with hip crease Control
• hip crease control 4a-04 Hip Lift with hip crease and Heel Control
• hip crease control 4a-05 Sequencing Multiple Activations
• hip crease control 4a-06 Hip Lift with 3 Actions
• hip crease control 4a-07 Dealing with Poor Balance
• hip crease control 4a-08 Hip Lift in Lunge with hip crease and Heel
• hip crease control 4a-09 Active Rests
• hip crease control 4a-10 Hip Lift in Lunge with 3 Actions
• hip crease control 4a-11 Dual Action hip crease Control in Lunge
• hip crease control 4a-12 Tree Pose with 3 Actions
• hip crease control 4a-13 Eagle Pose with 3 Actions
• hip crease control 4a-14 Using a Wall for Better Learning
• hip crease control 4a-15 Lateral Glute Control
• hip crease control 4a-16 Lateral Glute Activation while Standing
• hip crease control 4a-17 Lateral Glute Control Standing F Bend

Combining heel stabilization with hip crease control (seated)

• hip crease control 4b-01 Sitting Cross Legged
• hip crease control 4b-02 Cross Legged with hip crease and Heel Control
• hip crease control 4b-03 Cross Legged 3 Actions
• hip crease control 4b-04 Pigeon 2 Variations
• hip crease control 4b-05 Hurdlers Stretch 3 Actions
• hip crease control 4b-06 Seated Twist
• hip crease control 4b-07 Compass Prep Hamstring Stretch
• hip crease control 4b-08 Half Lotus Prep
• hip crease control 4b-09 Seated F Bend
• hip crease control 4b-10 A Note on Half Lotus
• hip crease control 4b-11 Bridge and Finishing
• hip crease control 4b-12 End Notes
• hip crease control 4b-13 Heel and Outer Edge of the Foot

• hip crease control 5-00 part 5 Intro
• hip crease control 5-01 Pressing the Hands
• hip crease control 5-02 Pressing Both Hands and Plank
• hip crease control 5-03 Foot Pressing in Cat
• hip crease control 5-04 Foot Pressing in Lunge
• hip crease control 5-05 Forefoot and Heel Pressing in Lunge
• hip crease control 5-06 Straight Knee Lunge
• hip crease control 5-07 Sitting Cross Legged
• hip crease control 5-08 Pigeon Pose
• hip crease control 5-09 Bound Angle
• hip crease control 5-10 Hurdlers Stretch Inner Foot Focus
• hip crease control 5-11 Hurdlers Position Forward Bend
• hip crease control 5-12 Seated Twist
• hip crease control 5-13 Half Side Split
• hip crease control 5-14 Noticing Changes in Sensation
• hip crease control 5-15 Front Split
• hip crease control 5-16 Standing Forefoot Press
• hip crease control 5-17 Weight Shifting with Active Pressing
• hip crease control 5-18 Pyramid Pose
• hip crease control 5-19 Choosing Where to Pay Attention
• hip crease control 5-20 Heel Activation Variation
• hip crease control 5-21 Basic hip crease Control with Active Pressing
• hip crease control 5-22 Bend Knee Lunge Back Leg Focus
• hip crease control 5-23 Bent Knee Lunge Front Leg Focus
• hip crease control 5-24 Half Moon
• hip crease control 5-25 Non-Pressurized Hip Activation
• hip crease control 5-26 Tree Pose
• hip crease control 5-27 Eagle Pose
• hip crease control 5-28 Knee Pressing
• hip crease control 5-29 Balancing Cat
• hip crease control 5-30 Bridge and Finishing
• hip crease control 5-31 End Notes