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The hip hinge exercise is a staple in most strength training programs. It's a great way to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, which can help reduce stress during other exercises like squats and deadlifts. Plus, it's straightforward: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hinge forward at the hips until you're parallel with the ground — then come back up. Easy enough for anyone (especially newbies) to try out at home or in the gym.
Best Hip Hinge Exercises to Add To Your Workout Routine
1) Squat
This is a great exercise because it's a natural movement that can be done without any equipment. It's also good for working out your legs and hips and giving you a nice stretch.
How to do squats:
- Stand up straight, contracting your abdominal muscles.
- Bend your knees and allow your hips to move back slightly as you lower down.
- As you lower down, turn your knees outward so that they face in toward each other.
- Hold the down position for 3 seconds before coming up.
- Lift yourself back up by using your knees as the axis of rotation and bringing your hips forward through the movement.
2) Goblet Squat
Goblet squats are a great way to get the benefit of a squat without actually having to squat. To do this exercise, you need a kettlebell (or dumbbell) and an object that will hold it (like a PVC pipe).
How to do it:
- To start the goblet squat, stand with your feet about hip-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
- Hold the weight in front of your chest at arm's length with both hands on top of each other around the handle.
- Keep it close to your body but not so close that it interferes with your form or causes discomfort as you perform this movement.
- Now bend at the hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor while keeping them perfectly vertical (think 90-degree angle here!).
- After pausing for one second at this position, push yourself back up while squeezing through those glutes!
3) Single Leg Deadlift
The Single Leg Deadlift is a great way to improve balance and flexibility. This hip hinge exercise also engages and strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves.
How to perform:
- Stand on one foot while holding dumbbells in both hands at chest level
- Lower down into a 90-degree angle bend with the knee of your standing leg bent while keeping your torso upright
- Raise back up slowly until you are standing straight up again
4) Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a great hip hinge exercise for developing your posterior chain and has been shown to help improve posture, mobility in the hips and hamstrings, and lower back strength.
How to perform RDL:
- Stand with your feet just outside shoulder width, holding a barbell without weights.
- Rotate your shoulders outward as if breaking the bar, then hinge down from the hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Use your knees and gluteal muscles to push off the floor and stand up with straight legs.
5) Barbell Deadlift
The Barbell Deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily works the lower back, hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps.
To perform this exercise:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the floor in front of you.
- Bend your knees slightly, keeping your back straight and chest high with arms hanging at your sides.
- Hinge at the hips while keeping them parallel to the ground so that they form an L-shape.
- With weight resting on your heels, bend forward until your hands are directly below knee level (or as low as possible).
- Return to a standing position by extending hips first, then knees while maintaining a flat back posture through a full range of motion; repeat for a specified number of repetitions or duration.
Mobile hips are the key to hip hinge exercises and sports
Improving your hip hinge mobility will not only help you achieve more advanced twists and bends, but it will also make you a better athlete. Whether playing basketball or working out at the gym, mobile hips generate more power through your legs and core.
This is because a tight hip flexor means that when you run, jump and land, the force from these movements is transferred into the lower back instead of being absorbed by strong glutes (the muscles that extend your hips).
Conclusion
The hip hinge is an essential exercise for a wide range of sports. It's also one of the best ways to build strength and mobility in your hips and lower back, especially if you're new to strength training. Hopefully, these five exercises have given you some ideas about how to get started with your variation on this classic movement!
