Hip Flexor v. Extensor in lower body explosivness/jumping

[anklebreaker]

I have read/heard from different sources that reverse hyperextensions are a good exercise to improve jumping power as they develop the hip extensor. This makes sense to me as jumping clearly involves the extension of the hip. However I have also heard that decline weighted situps will improve jumping abillity by developing the hip flexor. This does not make intuitive sense to me and I was hoping someone could clue me in about the relative significance of the hip flexor/entensor in jumping and what might be the most effective exercises to develop them.

 

[CowPimp]

I would think a jump is basically triple extension: hips, knees, and ankles. So, your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves would seem to be the most important muscles. Maybe they said that because the rectus femoris, which is one of the heads of the quads, is also a hip flexor? I dunno, but I don't really see how the hip flexors aid in increasing your vertical leaping power...

 

[anklebreaker]

Thanks alot cowpimp. That makes alot of sense and fits well with everything I have heard.

 

[Dale Mabry]

The countermovement portion of a jump is performed by the hip flexors. The faster you get down, the faster you get back up and the more energy you store with the SSC. Here is a good article from Elite. Honestly, I wouldn't put too much isolation work in if you are trying to get better at jumping. If you have a muscular imbalance, fix it, but don't go hog wild with isolation exercises.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/hip_flexors.htm

 

[CowPimp]

The countermovement portion of a jump is performed by the hip flexors. The faster you get down, the faster you get back up and the more energy you store with the SSC. Here is a good article from Elite. Honestly, I wouldn't put too much isolation work in if you are trying to get better at jumping. If you have a muscular imbalance, fix it, but don't go hog wild with isolation exercises.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/hip_flexors.htm

Ah, I see.

 

[topolo]

The countermovement portion of a jump is performed by the hip flexors. The faster you get down, the faster you get back up and the more energy you store with the SSC. Here is a good article from Elite. Honestly, I wouldn't put too much isolation work in if you are trying to get better at jumping. If you have a muscular imbalance, fix it, but don't go hog wild with isolation exercises.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/hip_flexors.htm

The hip flexors play a major role but I do not believe it is an exclusive one.

 

[Dale Mabry]

What do you mean?

I wasn't saying they only were used in the countermovement jump, but that is the bulk of what they do. Of course they stabilize during a jump, and they are very important in the recovery phase of sprinting which one is typically doing right before jumping unless being tested.

 

[topolo]

What do you mean?

I wasn't saying they only were used in the countermovement jump, but that is the bulk of what they do. Of course they stabilize during a jump, and they are very important in the recovery phase of sprinting which one is typically doing right before jumping unless being tested.

Gotcha, I misunderstood your prose.