sore in a weird place

[ebm1224]

i've been doing the stronglifts program for a few weeks now and i also set a goal for the challenge of being able to run a 5k by the end of it. yesterday, i did workout a of stronglifts (squats, benchpresses, barbell rows). today, i made good on a commitment to myself to see where i'm starting in terms of my 5k. i got up, did a little warmup and stretching, and went for the run. i didn't make it the whole distance running (no big surprise there) but what was surprising was how sore i was on my...hip flexors? basically right around where my legs meet my body. i also did alot of walking today (shopping) and they were hurting pretty bad by the end of it.

anyone know what causes this? the only thing i can think of is the barbell rows because you're baically bent over 90 degrees during exercise...and i guess those muscles are engaged? i did do a few set of straight-ish leg dead lifts (wight light weight) because i'm trying to stregnthen my lower back a bit. while i'm certainly no runner, i often run for 5 minutes or so as a warm up...and i've done shorter runs here and there before without any pain in this area (though none since starting stronglifts).

any idea what the cause is? or, more importantly, any idea how to avoid it? stretches i should do? exercises to stregnthen those musles?

[unicornassassin]

I'm curious about this, too. I have that issue, but it never gets too bad. I think yoga makes it worse for me, all the hip-opening and all.

[shiggles]

basically right around where my legs meet my body.

This is not very descriptive at all. That could be anywhere really including some parts I really bet it's not and that would be better discussed in the womens guild.

Also what type of movements make it sore or is it more like general DOMS?

[eco2pia]

If it is hip flexors, I would not suspect the rows so much as the dead lifts. You really shouldn't be using hip flexors on a row, but they could be stabilizing your hips on a dead lift I think, depending on your form? Ab work such as pilates and leg lift type moves usually get in there for me, that is that pike position and dead lifts are really just working the other half of the lever. of course you should be lifting with your butt and hamstrings I think...but maybe at the very top of the motion?

why don't you run thru the basic motions you made un-weighted and see what hurts the most? should give you a feel for when you were engaging them...

[scott82962]

Google "it band".

[morethanjustamom]

Is it on the outside or inside of the hip? I forgot to ask you earlier when I sent those stretching links.

[BadWolf]

Do you mean the top front of your thighs where they meet the joint? Like you can feel the bone sort of? If so, I had some weird soreness there when I was doing lunges, so I just stopped and did lunges on another date. Other than that, I'm not sure what to do.

[Waldo]

Excessive leg lifting exercises make my flexors sore. Leg lifts and L-sits are the worst culprits. Though running does it too (I ran 5.5 miles last night and my flexors hurt like hell today).

Flexors respond REALLY well to stretching. The best stretch I've found is:

Kneel down on a comfortable surface, if on hardwood floors grab a pillow or something

Do what amounts to a lunge, but keep your rear knee on the floor. If on a hard surface put something soft under your rear knee

Put your hands on the ground inside your forward leg so that your front leg isn't holding a lunge

Rotate your hips such that the bottom of your hips comes forward and the top goes back

It should strongly stretch the hip flexor in the leg with the knee on the ground

[Arashi]

Well, the psoas is among the hip flexors. If that's the muscle with which you're having problems, this article provides some nice yoga moves to help.

http://www.stumptuous.com/yoga-for-fighters-releasing-the-psoas

[cacodaemonia]

Going to agree with Waldo on the stretch he recommended, if that is in fact where you're sore. Here's a Mobility WOD video of the stretch he descibed: http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/08/dont-go-in-pain-cave.html

You might also try the yoga pigeon pose, which will stretch your hips in a slightly different way.

And it might just be the running that did it to you. A very common problem that people have with their running form is that they tend to cross their legs over their midline while running, when they should be going pretty much straight forward and backward with each stride. That lateral motion can not only lead to sore hip flexors and adductors, but really mess yup your knees, hips, and back. This video demonstrates what I mean, and if you're interested, here are a bunch of great resources for proper running form.

[notanartmajor]

YES! Thank you cacodaemonia, I was trying to find that stretch yesterday. That one will fix you right up.

[oystergirl]

Oh dearie, those hip flexors certainly can kick your butt. Here is the deal with them and running. If you have even a slight imbalance in your quad to hamstring strength and flexibility you can tend to bend forward more when running and instead of allowing the hip to move free and clear your body starts to actively lift up the foot and move it forward creating an even more sore hip flexor and a shortening. It does respond really well to stretching, but make sure both your quads and your hamstrings are nice and warm and very stretched before embarking on your run. Try and keep your upper body erect and as loose as possible which can help keep the hip flexors from tensing up. If you are REALLY sore in that area, you can also ice them down, but stretch BEFORE icing, not after. Feel better!

[ebm1224]

thanks all!

[Woodsrider]

I'm no expert so take it for what it's worth.

5 minutes of warm up running isn't really a good start to being able to run 5k. It took me and my wife a few weeks of 'running a few minutes/walking a few minutes' over the whole 5k to build up to actually being able to run 5k. And let me tell you, my hips and knees where very sore the first few times.

If running a 5k is your goal, train specifically for that goal. It is easily attainable with some proper conditioning.

Good luck and rest up those joints.

[Hermione Gainser]

I had the same issues, Emb. That area was just ouchtown on a regular basis. It got better for me when I did the stretches Caco recommended. I do a lot of hip mobility (when I'm being good) to help with that. Now that I've cut down on the number of days I squat it's much better. Just rest when you can, stretch when you can.

[Maggie May]

If it is your hip flexors, I think that's a normal place to be sore after running. I'm usually sore there if I haven't been out running in a while then go. (ie, this weekend... I hadn't been out for 4 months and just went running. Definitely sore!) Be sure to work on your flexibility in your hips like the others have suggested! I think this is common especially in people with desk jobs, too. Do some of the stretches and incorporate a little more running into your routine and it should get better