Sure, you spend tons of time stretching and doing mobility drills. But if you climb, bike, or run, there’s an essential movement you’re likely missing: the hip hinge. Here’s the crux of it: When you bend forward from the hips (while maintaining a neutral spine), you’re able to engage your glutes and hamstrings, while minimizing stress on your low back.
You can target this movement through exercises such as deadlifts, hip thrusts, jumps, and squats, strengthening those posterior chain muscles. And the hinge’s benefits go beyond performance. In fact, by working on those critical muscles you’ll improve your posture, power, and stability, helping reduce the risk of low back pain and other injuries.
In the workout below, we’ll incorporate the hip hinge into your strength training exercises. These exercises require one barbell, which you can typically find at a gym. However, you can also swap out the barbell for a set of dumbbells or practice these movements with just your bodyweight. Even without weight, you’ll still build your mobility and functional range of motion.
