Build Explosive Power with One Legged Crossed Hip Thrusts
This isn't just a warm-up stretch; it is a foundational strength exercise designed to bulletproof your posterior chain and enhance your on-court durability. The One Legged Crossed Hip Thrust isolates your glutes and hamstrings, correcting the left-to-right muscle imbalances that often plague basketball players. Whether you are a guard needing a lower, more stable base for ball handling or a forward looking to increase vertical pop, this drill builds the hip stability required for elite athletic performance.
How to Perform This Drill
- Setup: Lie flat on your back on a yoga mat or the court floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, positioned hip-width apart.
- Position: Lift one leg and cross your ankle over the opposite knee, creating a "figure-four" shape. Your grounded foot should be close enough to your glutes that you can graze your heel with your fingertips.
- Engage: Brace your core as if you are about to take a charge, ensuring your lower back remains neutral and isn't arching off the floor.
- Drive: Press firmly through the heel of your grounded foot to lift your hips toward the ceiling. Focus on driving the movement with your glutes, not your lower back.
- Peak: Extend your hips fully until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knee. Squeeze your glute hard at the top for a one-second count.
- Reset: Lower your hips back to the floor with a controlled, slow tempo. Do not let gravity drop you; resist the descent to maximize time under tension.
Why This Drill Works
Basketball is a game of unilateral movement; you are constantly exploding into a layup off one foot, pivoting, or sliding defensively on a single leg. This drill mimics those demands by forcing one side of your body to stabilize and produce force independently, which directly translates to a quicker first step and better balance through contact. By strengthening the glutes in this specific range of motion, you take the pressure off your knees and lower back, allowing you to maintain a deeper defensive stance and absorb impact more effectively during games.
Pro Tips
- Drive Through the Heel: Keep your toes slightly elevated or loose in your shoe. Pushing through the toes activates the quads, but we want to target the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) for maximum explosive power.
- Level the Hips: Imagine there is a glass of water resting on your waist. As you drive up, keep your hips perfectly parallel to the floor—do not let the side with the crossed leg dip down.
- Don't Overextend: Stop bridging when your torso and thigh are aligned. Pushing past this point usually forces your lower back to arch, which defeats the purpose of the drill and can cause strain.
- Mind-Muscle Connection: If you feel this mostly in your hamstrings, move your grounded foot closer to your body. If you feel it in your quads, move the foot further away until you feel the glute doing the heavy lifting.
