Phase 01
Assessment & Breathing Foundation
Weeks 1-2 · Daily (5-6x/week minimum) · 20 min
Measure your hip rotation baseline, restore relaxed breathing, begin gentle hip rotation work.
AKMI Human Performance
Free Up Your Hips
An 8-Week Plan to Build Usable Hip Range
A progressive 8-week protocol that works on hip rotation in both directions, control at the end of your range, glute strength at depth and squat depth. Assessment-first: you measure your starting point, re-measure at every phase and compare against your own baseline.
Is This for You?
The program is written for people who recognise themselves in these lines.
This Is for You If
- You cannot squat below parallel without your heels lifting or knees caving
- Your hips feel 'stuck' or pinchy at the bottom of a squat or lunge
- You have limited ability to sit cross-legged comfortably
- One hip turns in or out noticeably less than the other, or less than it turns the other way
- You compensate for hip stiffness by arching or rounding your lower back
- You want to improve squat depth for weightlifting, martial arts, or general movement
Before You Start
- No acute hip injury (no symptomatic labral tear, no sharp pain at the front of the hip)
- If you have had hip surgery: clearance from your surgeon or physiotherapist for unsupervised training
- Able to kneel on both knees without sharp knee pain
- No diagnosed hip avascular necrosis or active arthritis flare
The 8-Week Protocol
4 phases. Each builds on the last, and each ends with checkpoints you measure yourself before you move on.
Phase 02
Active Rotation & Glute Activation
Weeks 3-4 · 5x/week · 25 min
Expand active hip rotation, control the ends of your range, use your glutes at the bottom of a squat.
Phase 03
Loaded Mobility & Squat Pattern
Weeks 5-6 · 4x/week · 30 min
Strengthen the new hip range under load, rebuild the squat pattern with full depth.
Phase 04
Sport-Specific Integration & Maintenance
Weeks 7-8 · 3x/week · 20 min
Carry your hip range into your sport or training, set up a maintenance routine.
Everything Included
Branded PDF Program
Every exercise with its dose, cues, target muscles, common mistakes, regression and progression, plus what each phase corrects and how you measure it. Yours to keep.
Exercise Library
One year of platform access to every exercise with its demonstration and target muscles, linked from the PDF.
Self-Assessment Checkpoints
A progress tracker for your baseline and every checkpoint, so you compare against your own numbers.
Your Checkpoints
- Seated Hip Rotation, Check 1
- 90/90 Sit Test
- Deep Squat Hold Test
- Seated Hip Rotation, Check 2
- Squat Depth Check
- Seated Hip Rotation, Check 3
- Seated Hip Rotation, Check 4
- Squat Depth Under Load
- Hip Flow Completion
Equipment
- Yoga mat or soft floor surface
- Foam roller (medium density)
- Light resistance band (loop style)
- Lacrosse ball or firm massage ball
- Kettlebell or dumbbell (8-16 kg)
- Low box or step (box squat option)
- A table, high bench or counter you can sit on with your feet off the floor
- Smartphone with a level (inclinometer) app, for the measurement and recordings
When to Stop and See a Professional
The program lists these stop signs on its first pages. If one appears, pause and get checked.
- Sharp, catching pain in the groin during any hip movement
- Clicking or locking of the hip joint with pain
- Pain at night that wakes you from sleep
- Sudden inability to bear weight on one leg
- Swelling or warmth around the hip joint
- Pain that progressively worsens despite rest
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get access?
Right after payment you receive an email with your PDF and the link to your platform access. The PDF is yours to keep. Platform access, with the exercise library and the progress tracker, lasts one year from purchase.
What equipment do I need?
Yoga mat or soft floor surface; Foam roller (medium density); Light resistance band (loop style); Lacrosse ball or firm massage ball; Kettlebell or dumbbell (8-16 kg); Low box or step (box squat option); A table, high bench or counter you can sit on with your feet off the floor; Smartphone with a level (inclinometer) app, for the measurement and recordings.
Who should not start this program on their own?
Read the prerequisites before you buy: No acute hip injury (no symptomatic labral tear, no sharp pain at the front of the hip); If you have had hip surgery: clearance from your surgeon or physiotherapist for unsupervised training; Able to kneel on both knees without sharp knee pain; No diagnosed hip avascular necrosis or active arthritis flare. If any of the stop signs below appears, pause the program and see a healthcare professional.
Does it include a coach?
No. It is a self-guided program: you measure your baseline, follow the phases and re-measure at every checkpoint. If you want a plan written around your own body by a coach, that is the full AKMI assessment.
Is this a substitute for medical care?
No. It is an exercise program. It does not diagnose or treat any disease. If your pain is severe, recent or getting worse, see a healthcare professional before you start.
Start the Hip Mobility Program
One-time purchase. The PDF is yours to keep. One year of exercise library access and progress tracking.
$47
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