How many reps of the 90/90 hip switch should a beginner do?

Start with eight to twelve slow switches per side, one or two rounds, pausing briefly in each 90/90 position rather than rushing the transition. As control improves, add a lean-forward hold over the front shin for a few extra breaths each side.

How do you make the 90/90 hip switch easier or harder?

If the low back rounds or you can't sit upright, sit on a folded blanket or cushion to tilt the hips forward. To add difficulty, lift the hands off the floor during the switch, or hold the lean-forward stretch over the front shin longer on each side.

What does the 90/90 hip switch train, and who should modify it?

It builds rotational hip mobility that carries over to squatting, changing direction, and getting up off the floor. Keep the range small, or sit on extra height, if you have a hip impingement or a knee that complains about being loaded at a deep bend like this.

Beginner

90/90 Hip Switch

The 90/90 hip switch trains the often-neglected rotational range of the hips: one hip works into external rotation while the other moves into internal rotation, then you switch. It builds usable mobility for squatting, changing direction, and getting off the floor. Keep the chest tall and rotate from the hips rather than collapsing the spine.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes, Thighs
Type: Functional, Stretching
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius

How to do it

1
Sit on the floor with one leg bent in front at 90 degrees and the other bent out to the side at 90 degrees.
2
Sit tall over the hips and place the hands lightly on the floor for support.
3
Keep the front shin and the back shin roughly parallel to the mat's edges.
4
Lift both knees and rotate them across to the other side, reversing which leg is front and which is back.
5
Lower the knees down on the new side and lengthen the chest tall again.
6
Continue rotating slowly from side to side, pausing to lean forward over the front shin for a deeper stretch.

Tips

Sit on a folded blanket if the low back rounds or you cannot sit upright.
Drive the motion from the hips and keep the torso tall rather than twisting the spine.
Lean the chest forward over the front shin to add a stronger glute stretch.

Variations

Common mistakes

The torso twists to help swing the knees across, which routes the rotation through the low back instead of the hips where it belongs.
Pushing off hard with the hands to launch the knees across turns a controlled hip rotation into a momentum-driven flop from side to side.
The chest slumps forward the moment the knees land on the new side, rounding the low back instead of staying lifted through the switch.
Once the hips are tight, forcing the shins to stay perfectly parallel by cranking the knee can strain the joint more than the rotation is worth.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the 90/90 hip switch should a beginner do?: Start with eight to twelve slow switches per side, one or two rounds, pausing briefly in each 90/90 position rather than rushing the transition. As control improves, add a lean-forward hold over the front shin for a few extra breaths each side.
How do you make the 90/90 hip switch easier or harder?: If the low back rounds or you can't sit upright, sit on a folded blanket or cushion to tilt the hips forward. To add difficulty, lift the hands off the floor during the switch, or hold the lean-forward stretch over the front shin longer on each side.
What does the 90/90 hip switch train, and who should modify it?: It builds rotational hip mobility that carries over to squatting, changing direction, and getting up off the floor. Keep the range small, or sit on extra height, if you have a hip impingement or a knee that complains about being loaded at a deep bend like this.

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