Isolate the Muscle You're Trying to Exercise

If you have seen my Instagram posts, you know that I talk about compensations. We all make them and we all adapt to daily discomfort which in hand turns to movement discrepancy. I had a friend contact me about compensation of the abs (since for most people it’s weak). I have heard of people having popping hips (I am a victim myself) or the hip flexors compensating for the abs.

I would recommend isolating the muscle that you are trying to work. For example, if you have an issue with hip flexors while doing abs you could do standing ab exercises. While doing this to strengthen your abs, you should also stretch your hip flexors by doing hip extension STRETCHES. These muscles are typically overworked from being in a seated position most of the day. If they are overused that means they are tight. Stretching will also increase your range of motion and you won’t have to make those compensations. There are common misconceptions that if a muscle is tight, you should work it harder. All you need to do is stretch more and then strengthen the weaker muscles that are compensations for it. Balance is key. If your muscles are not balanced, some will work harder than others. Try it again after a couple of weeks and, if you are consistent, you will see results. You will notice that your hips pop less and you will not compensate as much, if at all.

Just like everything in life, this takes consistency. Whether you do it 10 minutes per day or 10 minutes per week, we all start somewhere. Then you can build on that.