Are high knees uphill sprints are good way to strengthen the hip flexors?

Probably. But you can do some hard pool running intervals to really hit those hip flexors instead.

Karthnath wrote:

Probably. But you can do some hard pool running intervals to really hit those hip flexors instead.

Never though about that. Do you need any added resistance or do you just high knees except in water?

Atlas hugs wrote:

Karthnath wrote:

Probably. But you can do some hard pool running intervals to really hit those hip flexors instead.

Never though about that. Do you need any added resistance or do you just high knees except in water?

You underestimate water

No. You strengthen a muscle by applying hard, direct resistance against contraction. The hip flexors are hard to target but it can be done, for example, by lying on the floor and raising your thigh with an ankle weight draped over your knee and slowly flexing and extending your hip through a short range of motion. You have to know what you're doing to do it right.

Water resistance isn't worth a damn.

Computer Illiteracy wrote:

No. You strengthen a muscle by applying hard, direct resistance against contraction. The hip flexors are hard to target but it can be done, for example, by lying on the floor and raising your thigh with an ankle weight draped over your knee and slowly flexing and extending your hip through a short range of motion. You have to know what you're doing to do it right.

Or you could just run up a hill for more specific training.

Running is not about lying on the floor with weight draped on your knee and slowly flexing and extending your hip through a short range of motion.

Ever.

I like standing on bands and lifting one leg up past horizontal to the ground (to target the psoas). Small 12 inch bands are a great tool.

Stepping over hurdles is a great way to work the hip flexors

How many runners have weak hip flexors? How many have hip flexors being a weak link?

luv2run wrote:

How many runners have weak hip flexors? How many have hip flexors being a weak link?

In high school my coach had us do hurdle drills as a basic form of plyometrics but also to strengthen our hip flexors as the flexors are a relatively week muscle and can be injured easily

I was injured, water ran, and came out faster. Water running is perfect for flexors. Just boring, but so are hill repeats.

runner who professes wrote:

I was injured, water ran, and came out faster. Water running is perfect for flexors. Just boring, but so are hill repeats.

You must not be running the repeats hard enough.

I can't give an answer to how many runners have weak hip flexors but experience tells me that many sprinters develop hip flexor issues. Balance among the muscles in the area and mobility are crucial to hip and groin health.

Atlas hugs wrote:

??

No.

And out of curiosity, are you attempting to "strengthen" your hip flexors because you feel you aren't getting adequate hip flexion while running?

Flo'da boy wrote:

luv2run wrote:

How many runners have weak hip flexors? How many have hip flexors being a weak link?

In high school my coach had us do hurdle drills as a basic form of plyometrics but also to strengthen our hip flexors as the flexors are a relatively week muscle and can be injured easily

Hurdle mobility is more about stretching and flexibility and not really strengthening. Hurdle hops (jumping over hurdles) are a form of plyomtrics, and hops and bounding strengthen the hip flexors.

But the real question luv2run is alluding to is why should runners (non sprinters) care about hip power? If you're a sprinter, jumper, or shotputter, you do care about explosive power and you do things like box jumps, hang cleans (power cleans), or sled pulls.

But the thing is that the hip power is not going to help you much unless you're running 5K out of blocks. If you're a distance runner, you should care more about stiffness and you're better off with things like squats and eccentric loading.

Squat heavy.

lol i would love to see somebody start a 5000m out of blocks

Mo could do it!

SMJO wrote:

Or you could just run up a hill for more specific training.

Running is not about lying on the floor with weight draped on your knee and slowly flexing and extending your hip through a short range of motion.

Ever.

The OP asked how to strengthen the hip flexors, I answered his question. Running up a hill will not do a damned thing to strengthen any muscle.

runner who professes wrote:

I was injured, water ran, and came out faster. Water running is perfect for flexors. Just boring, but so are hill repeats.

You are misconstruing a causal relationship. Water resistance does not do a damn thing for muscular strength, neither for the hip flexors nor any other muscle.