The hip hinge is an important exercise that everyone should make sure that they master.

Besides being able to help build lower body strength, the hip hinge exercise also has the ability to help reduce the chances of back injuries, as well as the ability to add more muscle.

Regardless of whether you’ve got a new fitness goal that you would like to achieve, or you simply want to push yourself to achieve new heights while working out in the gym – this guide is going to help you discover all of the best hip hinge exercises for muscle gain or fat loss.

You know what to do – just keep on scrolling down to discover!

What Is The Hip Hinge Movement?

Before we jump any further, we first want to take a moment to provide you with a brief explanation of what the hip hinge movement actually is. Essentially, the hip hinge exercise is a movement that is otherwise known as the deadlift!

If you are someone that often does strength training exercises or you would like to get into lifting weights, it’s extremely important that you always ensure to use the deadlift movement when picking up a heavy object from the ground.

The hip hinge, which can also go by the name of the deadlift, is a type of movement that can often get confused with the squat.

Unlike the squat, the deadlift is a type of movement pattern that places a lot more emphasis on the hip areas, whereas the squat is a movement that places more weight on the knees.

There are many different benefits that the hip hinge exercise can offer, including the ability to help strengthen the posterior chain and core muscles in order to reduce the chances of back pain.

Along with this, the hip hinge exercise can also help to improve balance, offer an increase in flexibility as well as help strengthen the lower body and back.

Hip Hinge Correct Form

Even though it’s important to make sure that you know exactly what the hip hinge is, it’s also just as important to understand how you can do it correctly. Here is a breakdown of how you can do the hip hinge movement correctly:

• To begin, you are going to want to make sure that you are in a standing position, with your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and your chest is up.
• When you are ready, carefully push the hips backward.
• Keep your back straight and make sure that the weight is in the back of your heels. By doing this, the weight will be centered toward the back which will allow you to strengthen your hamstrings.
• Take a deep breath and proceed to go ahead and gently swing your hips backward.
• All the while, you should engage your abs in order to make sure that your spine is maintained in a neutral position. If you don’t, you could get a back injury.
• Drive the hips forward and make sure that you are standing strong and tall.
• Once you are back standing tall, squeeze your glutes firmly before then resetting and repeating.

Top Tip: While you are performing the hip hinge, be careful not to slouch or lean too far backwards, as this could lead to a back injury. If you’re unsure, then we recommend that you speak with a personal trainer who will be able to assist you with the correct posture form.

The Best Hip Hinge Exercises For Muscle Gain Or Fat Loss

Now that you know exactly what the hip hinge exercise is, as well as how to ensure correct form while performing one, we are now going to be sharing with you some of the best hip hinge exercises that you can do to enjoy targeted muscle gain and fat loss.

These exercises can be done either alone or as part of a wider workout. Let’s check them out:

1. The Squat

First up, we have the classic squat. This is a great way to strengthen your lower body while also enjoying all-over fat loss when combined with a larger workout. In order to do this movement correctly, take a look at the following instructions:

• Begin by standing up straight and firmly brace your core in preparation for the movement.
• To begin the movement, initiate it by moving your hips backward while gently bending your knees as if you were about to sit down.
• Whale doing this, allows your torso to tilt forward gently, as this will help to balance out your hips and prevent you from falling over or losing your balance.
• When you’re ready, gently lower your body downward to around a 90-degree angle to your knees. Alternatively, if you have an injury or you aren’t ready to go that far down, simply go as far down as comfortable.
• Once you have lowered yourself down to the position that you are comfortable in, you can then begin to externally rotate your knees in order to achieve optimum stability.
• Then, hold the position for around 10 seconds, before rising back up into the starting position.
• In order to come back into the starting position correctly, gently initiate the upward movement via your knees, making sure that you are bringing your hips forward so they settle in the starting position.

For the best results, we recommend that you opt for 10 reps across 3 sets. Remember, while you are squatting, you should make sure that you are always keeping your spine neutral in order to prevent any unwanted injuries.

Along with this, you should also make sure that you are keeping your chin tucked in, as this will help to ensure that you achieve the proper form.

2. The Goblet Squat

Next up, we have the goblet squat. This is a great hip hinge movement that incorporates a kettlebell or dumbbell. Let’s take a look at the instructions on how to perform it correctly below:

• To begin, take your chosen kettlebell or dumbbell in both of your hands and make sure that you are gripping it firmly. After you have done this, gently relax your body and lock your shoulders, ready to begin the movement.
• Making sure that your legs are shoulder width apart, brace your core and initiate the movement. To do this, move through your hips, in the same way that you would while doing a classic squat.
• While you are moving your hips backward, allow your torso to gently fall forward, as this will be able to stabilize the movement and prevent you from losing your balance.
• Carefully lower yourself down to a 90 degree angle to your knees. Alternatively, if this isn’t available, just go as far down as is comfortable to you.
• Once you have lowered yourself down to the optimum angle, you can then proceed to hold the position for around 10 seconds before gently returning to the starting position.
• In order to do this safely, move through your knees and gently bring your hips forward and your torso back to return to the starting position.

In order to get the most out of this movement, we recommend that you pair it with additional exercises.

As well as this, you should also make sure that you are keeping your chin tucked in during the movement, as this will help to keep you balanced and in the proper position, while also ensuring that you are maintaining a neutral spine to prevent any unwanted strains or injury.

Top Tip: If you find that the dumbbell or kettlebell is a little too heavy for you, why don’t you consider swapping them out for smaller weights to begin? From there, you will then be able to build up the weight as you go.

3. The Single Leg Deadlift

Last but certainly not least, the final hip hinge exercise that we have to share with you is the single-leg deadlift. This is a super effective exercise to try if you want to target both weight loss and muscle gain. Let’s take a look at the instructions below:

• To start the single leg deadlift, begin by standing with weight on one leg and then brace your core.
• To begin the movement, move your standing leg hip backward, and you should find that your torso gently brings itself into a forward position.
• While doing this, gently lift up your back leg and move yourself to the optimum depth you can achieve.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds and then gently return to the starting position by using the standing leg.

For the best results, we also recommend pairing this movement with a wider workout. Additionally, consider repeating this exercise in 10 reps across 3 sets.

Wrapping Up

The hip hinge is a classic movement that forms the basis of many workouts. Now that you have read through this guide, we hope that we have been able to share with you some of the best that you can try for weight loss and muscle gain. Bye for now!