In elite football, injury rehabilitation is about far more than recovery—it’s about ensuring an athlete returns to competition stronger, more resilient, and more physically capable than before.
At Metrics, we develop cutting-edge sports technology that bridges the gap between gym-based physical capability and on-field performance. One of our most impactful innovations, the Metrics Hip Extension Bench, played a critical role in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s rehabilitation following his hamstring injury in late 2023.
Under the leadership of Dr. Tom King, Metrics and King Performance Ideology (KPI) founder, Alex’s rehabilitation process was meticulously planned using scientific insights, real-time data, and targeted strength interventions. The Hip Extension Bench was a key component in rebuilding his posterior chain strength, addressing asymmetries, and enhancing rapid force production, ensuring he returned to play at peak performance.
Addressing the Key Challenge: Hamstring Rehabilitation
Hamstring injuries are among the most complex and high-risk injuries for footballers, with reinjury rates notoriously high. Successful rehabilitation requires targeted strengthening of the hamstrings as knee flexors and hip extensors, both in short- and long-length muscle positions, to restore function and mitigate future risk.
A major focus during Alex’s rehab was improving hip extension strength—a crucial factor in sprinting, change of direction, and high-speed play. Traditional methods often lack precision in isolating hip extension and fail to measure progress objectively. This is where the Metrics’ Hip Extension Bench offered a distinct advantage.
The Role of the Metrics Hip Extension Bench
The Metrics Hip Extension Bench is designed to precisely load and measure hip extension strength, providing quantifiable data on an athlete’s force output, rate of force development, and limb asymmetry.
In Alex’s case, the bench was instrumental in the following ways:
- Early-Stage Strength Development
- Isometric hip extension testing and training was implemented from the early stages of rehab, working at progressive % 's of Alex’s maximum force producing capabilities. Live-data feedback allowed Alex to develop the muscles' strength safely and effectively during this carefully monitored time.
- Precise multi-joint angle capabilities enabled a short to long muscle length focus to ensure loading of the muscle at suitable lengths across the healing and muscle strengthening period.
- Objective data collected on the force production of each leg enabled targeted interventions to correct any imbalances and optimise physical symmetry.
- Progressive Loading for Maximum Adaptation
- As Alex advanced through rehabilitation, progressive rate of force development and isometric training intensity overload strategies were alongside dynamic eccentric and concentric movements, reinforcing hamstring resilience at longer muscle lengths.
- This mirrored the demands of high-intensity sprinting, ensuring he was prepared for full match play.
- Reducing Risk of Reinjury
- The Hip Extension Bench’s unique ability to measure force across a series of hip joint angles allowed the rehab team to develop strength in specific positions - a key strategy for reducing injury risk during mechanisms for hamstring injury such as late swing and mid stance of sprinting.
- Real-time feedback helped calibrate intensity and volume, ensuring optimal neuromuscular adaptation without overloading the recovering muscle.
Data-Driven Results
Throughout the rehabilitation process, Alex achieved significant improvements in hip extension strength, with measurable increases in force output and reduced asymmetry. By the final phase of rehab:
- Hip extension force at 60° improved by 33% in the injured limb.
- Asymmetry between limbs reduced, ensuring a more balanced, efficient sprinting pattern.
- Alex achieved a season-best maximum sprint speed post-rehab—demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted hip extension training in optimizing high-speed performance.
These data-driven outcomes alongside a series of holistic improvements elsewhere across his physical profile reinforced the importance of precise, measurable strength interventions in elite athlete rehabilitation.
Redefining Rehabilitation with Metrics
At Metrics, we are committed to bridging the gap between the gym and on-field performance. The Hip Extension Bench exemplifies our scientific, data-driven approach to rehabilitation, providing practitioners with actionable insights that drive real performance improvements.
By integrating innovative technology with evidence-based methodology, we ensure athletes like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain return to competition not just fully recovered, but better than before.
