What is the hinge movement pattern? 

The hinge movement pattern includes all lower body movements with the hips traveling straight back and forth, parallel to the ground. The most common hinge movements are deadlift variations, but there are so many more examples. From simple movements like banded hinges and kettlebell swings to single leg Romanian deadlifts, much like with the squat, the ways to load yourself in a hinge are nearly endless. Let’s learn why and how to use a hinge exercise progression.

What role does training the hinge play in overall health and daily life? 

Every muscle in the body is required just for moving around your house, job, and errands. However, if we start to look at the role of the hinge muscles in running, we see that they are also vital and that under-training them can lead to injury.   

The hinge muscles, particularly the hamstrings, are active throughout running. While they are less involved in the physical propulsion of us forward, they are extremely important in controlling our hip and knee position in late swing and early stance during a stride. Controlling these joints requires that they work eccentrically (controlled lengthening of the muscle fibers). This the opposite of how we typically think of our muscles working (shortening of the muscle fibers). Especially when we are running fast, controlled lengthening can require significant force generation, which can lead to injury in the absence of strength. Staying strong in our hinge muscles protects against injury with running! 

How do I hinge smart? 

Hinging with poor form is particularly risky. We frequently over-utilize our low back where we should be using our hips. Prior to progressing to complex compound movements, we want to make sure that we are building the appropriate strength and stability in the correct muscle groups. A smart hinge flexes and extends from the hips, not the spine. We recommend starting in easy-to-control positions like kneeling or supine and progress to standing prior to even adding light load. 

The graphic below will outline how to get to our ultimate goal, which is the barbell deadlift. This list is not exhaustive, but it provides a nice, safe way to progress from novice to power lifter. Remember to note the supplemental movements. These can be used as warm up for your workout, or to isolate target muscles that need help activating. 

How do I know I’m ready for the next step?

Even if you have been deadlifting for years, your form may be limiting the effectiveness of the exercise. Take a few steps back and try a simpler movement. Really focus on the pattern of your hips traveling back and forward as your spine stays in neutral. Feel the muscle activation and make sure that is translating to your more complex movements. Pay attention to this as you progress movements AND as you progress resistance. If you added 50 pounds to the bar and lost your form, then it’s too heavy! If you’re doing it wrong, doing it harder won’t help! 

As always, we are here to help! These are the basic principles that guide how we program for our patients and clients. If you’d like to explore working with one of our providers, call us! We would be honored to help guide your training for maximum effectiveness and health!