This hip strengthening exercise is a perfect complement to targeted hip work (like side-lying leg lifts.) This is a favorite exercise to give athletes with hip weakness or strong hip muscles that don’t fire because it teaches your body to properly fire the hip muscles while building strength in a running-specific angle. How it works: wrap above the knees with material that does not stretch. All of your weight is on the front leg, which is slightly bent, and the back leg is only for balance (toes touching the ground). Keeping a neutral spine, dip forward approximately 45 degrees while ACTIVELY pushing the knee of the weight-bearing leg against the material, hold for five seconds and repeat.