How to Hip Hinge (FIX THIS!), by ATHLEAN-X™ on YouTube. 5 min 50 s.
- Video length
- 5 min 50 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Stand tall with feet about shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly out. Keep your arms relaxed and your chest up.
Place the pinky side of each hand on the crease at the front of your hips. Angle your hands down along the line where your lower stomach meets your upper thigh.
Push your hips back as if you are sitting into a chair behind you. Let your knees bend slightly and keep your chest lifted.
Lower until the crease closes over your hands. Aim to make your hands disappear between your lower stomach and upper thigh.
Stop when your hands are hidden and you feel them squeezed between your leg and abdomen. Check that your knees are in line with or slightly in front of your toes.
Keep your spine neutral. Do not let your lower back round or your chest collapse forward at the bottom.
Stand back up by pushing through your feet and squeezing your glutes. Repeat for 5 to 10 slow reps to groove the pattern.
If your knees cave in, loop a mini band or the elastic of your pants just above your knees. Push gently outward against the band as you hinge down.
Tips and common mistakes
Do the drill with no weight first; the goal is to feel the hip crease close, not to load the movement.
Do not start the descent by bending your knees first; that turns it into a knee-dominant squat.
Keep your chest up and your spine long; rounding your lower back puts strain on it.
Stop if you feel sharp knee or back pain, and film yourself from the side to check your form.
Questions
How do I know I am hinging at the hips and not the knees?
Your hips should move back first while your knees bend only slightly. If your knees shoot forward and your torso stays upright, you are dropping through the knees instead of hinging.
How many reps should I do?
Start with 5 to 10 slow bodyweight reps. Do a few sets before squats or as a warm-up until the pattern feels natural.
Can I use this cue with a barbell?
Yes. Learn it with bodyweight first, then use the same hip-back motion when you squat or deadlift. Keep the chest up and the spine neutral under load.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
