Smart Workout Diary

Hip Hinge

The hip hinge is a fundamental bodyweight movement in which the hips move back and forward while the spine stays neutral. It teaches efficient loading of the glutes and hamstrings and is the foundation for exercises such as deadlifts. Practicing it improves posterior-chain strength, body awareness, and safe bending mechanics.

Demonstration

Hip Hinge — demonstration 1
Hip Hinge — demonstration 2

Instructions

  1. Set up: Stand tall with feet about hip-width apart, knees soft, and arms relaxed at your sides or crossed over your chest.
  2. Brace: Gently tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your head, rib cage, and pelvis aligned in a neutral position.
  3. Hinge back: Push your hips straight back as if reaching for a wall behind you. Let your torso tip forward from the hips while keeping the spine long and the shins nearly vertical.
  4. Feel the position: Stop when you feel a comfortable stretch in the hamstrings or when your torso is roughly parallel to the floor, without rounding the lower back.
  5. Return: Press your feet into the floor and drive the hips forward by squeezing the glutes until you are standing tall. Do not lean backward at the top.
  6. Repeat with control: Use a slow, comfortable range of motion. Stop if you cannot maintain a neutral spine or feel sharp pain.
Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups
Glutes
Type
Strength
Mechanics
Compound
Equipment
Body Only
Difficulty
Beginner

Technique tips

  1. Move from the hips: Think of closing a car door behind you with your hips rather than bending down with your knees.
  2. Keep the load close: Even without weight, keep your body weight balanced over the mid-foot and avoid shifting onto the toes.
  3. Maintain spinal position: Avoid rounding the back or lifting the chest so high that the lower back arches excessively.
  4. Use a short range first: Practice a smaller hinge and gradually increase depth only while hamstring tension and spinal control remain comfortable.
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