Hip Hinge

Muscles worked: Back & Core, Legs, Glutes & Hips · Also: Calves

Hip Hinge is the fundamental bending pattern for deadlifts and good mornings: standing, you push your hips back with a flat back and soft knees, then drive your hips forward to stand.

The hinge is all in the hips: your back stays flat, your knees bend only slightly, and you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings at the bottom. Practise it slowly with no weight until the pattern feels natural — it protects your back in every other lift.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your knees soft.
2. Push your hips back with a flat back, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings at the bottom.
3. Keep your back flat and your knees bending only slightly.
4. Drive your hips forward to stand.
5. Practise it slowly with no weight until the pattern feels natural — it protects your back in every other lift.

Try it in the app →

Programs that include it

All exercises

General fitness information only, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain, and talk to a doctor before starting a new workout routine if you have a health condition.