Groiners
Groiners move you through a deep alternating lunge, one hand planted on each side of your front foot, driving your hips open on each rep. They stretch and warm the adductors while asking your shoulders and core to hold you steady over the ground, which makes them a solid dynamic warmup before squats, sprints, or any lower-body session that needs open hips.
Why it works
Sinking into a deep lunge with your hands down lengthens the adductors of your back leg while your front hip works through a full range under bodyweight load. Because you're moving through the position instead of holding it, the muscle gets stretched and lightly loaded at the same time, which primes it for work better than a static hold does before you go lift or sprint. The plank-like arm position also asks your shoulders and trunk to stay braced, so the drill doubles as a light full-body wake-up.
Set up
- Start in a plank or push-up position, hands under your shoulders.
- Pick a firm, non-slip surface with enough room to step wide.
- Brace your core so your hips don't sag as you move.
- Warm your hips lightly beforehand if you're stiff, a few bodyweight squats or hip circles works.
How to do it
- From plank, step your right foot up outside your right hand.
- Sink your hips down and forward, keeping your back leg straight behind you.
- Hold the low position for a breath, feeling the stretch through your left inner thigh.
- Push off and step your right foot back to plank.
- Repeat immediately on the left side, stepping your left foot outside your left hand.
- Continue alternating sides for the full set, keeping each rep controlled rather than rushed.
Form cues
- Plant the foot fully outside the hand, not between your hands.
- Keep the back leg straight and the back heel reaching away.
- Drop the hips down and forward, not just the chest.
- Move with control on the way in and out of each lunge.
Breathing: Exhale as you step your foot forward and sink into the lunge, then inhale as you push back to plank before switching sides.
Common mistakes
Placing the stepping foot next to the hand instead of outside it, which pinches the hip instead of opening it.
Fix: Aim your foot wide of your hand so your knee can track outward and your hips can sink straight down.
Letting the hips sag toward the floor instead of pressing forward into the stretch.
Fix: Brace your core and drive your hips forward and down, not just let gravity pull your chest toward the ground.
Rushing through each rep so the stretch never has a moment to register.
Fix: Pause for a full breath in the low position before stepping back, even if that means fewer total reps.
How to program it
- This is bodyweight mobility work, so 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 total reps (alternating sides) fits comfortably before a lower-body session, and you can repeat it most days without added fatigue.
- Use it as part of a dynamic warmup rather than at the end of a workout, since the point is to prime the hips for what comes next, not to fatigue them.
- Pair it with a few bodyweight squats or lunges afterward to carry the opened hip range into your working sets.
Safety notes
- Keep the front knee tracking over your foot rather than caving inward as you sink into each lunge.
- If you feel a sharp pinch in the front hip rather than a stretch through the back leg's inner thigh, shorten your range and step less wide.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Stretching
Frequently asked questions
How many groiners should I do as a warmup?
Two to three sets of 6 to 10 total reps, alternating sides, is plenty to open the hips before a lower-body session or a run.
Can I do groiners without any equipment?
Yes, groiners only need bodyweight and enough floor space to step wide, so they work anywhere you can plank.
Why do I feel this more in one hip than the other?
Most people have some side-to-side difference in hip mobility. Move a little slower and shallower on your tighter side rather than forcing it to match the other.