The hip hinge is a foundational movement that has been beneficial with activities such as decreasing low back pain. Activities such as loading a dishwasher or even improving performance of a clean and jerk with a professional weightlifter can benefit from performing the proper hip hinge. Do you ever have pain with deadlifts, squats, cleans and jerk, or snatches? A proper hip hinge may be the key to performing these exercises pain free. Here is a structured hip hinge progression that will be sure to reduce your low back pain and improve your Olympic lifts.
Instructions to perform Hip Hinge include keeping
• Feet in a shoulder width position
• Chest up and out
• Head slightly tilted upward
• Move your buttocks straight back as if touching a wall with your bottom
• Maintain a slightly erect spine, do not round the lower back
• Keeps knees slightly flexed and feet flat on the floor
• Continue downward movement until the lower back starts to round or the torso is parallel to the floor
• Raise the torso up the starting position by extending the hips forward
#1 Standing Hip Hinge with Broom Stick
- The broom stick aids in keeping your spine in a relative neutral position
- Try to keep your knees slightly bent, but focus on bending forward from the hips primarily
- Once good form can be maintained with this exercise progress to the final to put it all together
#2 Standing Hip Hinge with Kettlebell
- After the basics have been achieved and you feel comfortable with the movement/form now it is time to load the movement pattern progressively by increasing the weight without compromising form
- Remember as you bend forward push the hips back and keep your knees slightly bent
