There are many different Hip Flexor exercises you can do to strengthen your muscles, most of which target multiple muscles at the same time. There are situations, however, where you might want to isolate your main Hip Flexor muscles, the ones that comprise the Iliopsoas.
Why Isolation Can Be a Good Idea
The Iliopsoas is comprised of the Psoas and the Iliacus, both of which are anterior (found on the front) muscles on the top of the hip region. These are the main muscles that are often injured from various activities.
During the rehabilitation phase of injury recovery, you may need to strengthen these muscles in particular to help them catch up to the other muscles of the region. It will also help you get used to the specific motion of hip flexion that these muscles control.
How to Use an Exercise Machine to Work Your Hip Flexor
There are various machines that you can use, but they all have the same function: to provide resistance when you are lifting your leg.
Depending on your gym’s equipment, the movement may vary a small amount, but should look similar to the following pictures:
In the rest phase your foot should start and finish on the ground. The active movement is a controlled lift of one of your legs as high as you can comfortably go with losing balance or good posture.
You should start with a low weight and increase it over time, typically taking at least a few days between workouts. If your Hip Flexor is still injured, stop if you ever feel pain and try next time with a lower weight.