Hip mobility for guard players
Four exercises in 10 minutes to rotate in guard more easily and spare your lower back.
A good guard depends on loose hips. When internal and external hip rotation is locked up, your lower back compensates, and that is when the pain shows up after training.
The 10-minute routine
- 90/90 with transition: 2 sets of 8 side switches, without using your hands if you can
- Single-leg glute bridge: 2 sets of 10 per leg
- Paused deep squat: 3 sets of 30 seconds
- Controlled hip escape: 2 trips up and back on the mats, slowly
When to do it
Before training, as a warm-up, or on rest days. Consistency matters more than intensity: three times a week already makes a difference within a few weeks.
If you feel sharp pain, stop and see a health professional for an assessment.
Read also
Xande Ribeiro, at 45, reveals he wakes up in pain every day
In an interview, the multiple-time champion explained how he deals with the wear and tear of more than three decades of jiu-jitsu and what changed in his routine so he could stay on the mats.
Gi or no-gi: which should you train first?
The differences in grips, pace and positions, and why training both makes you more well-rounded.
ADCC champion Victor Hugo makes his ONE debut against Devhonte Johnson on November 6
The Brazilian, +99 kg gold medalist in Kraków, competes in an openweight grappling match at ONE Fight Night 49 in Bangkok. In the night's main event, Lucas Gabriel faces Alibeg Rasulov in MMA.