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The hinge is a move that utilizes the hips, glutes, hamstrings, low back, upper back, and a ton of other muscles. At first the hinge is visually similar to a squat - but upon further inspection is quite different.
The hinge is caused when the movement comes from the hips instead of the knees. A proper hinge requires very little knee bend. A hinge move targets mostly the posterior chain muscles including glutes, hamstrings, and low back, but some variations can hit much more muscle.
Common examples of hinge exercises are deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and good mornings.
Proper hinge technique is essential to help manage and treat low back pain. It's especially useful if you SIT all day - as the posterior chain muscles are the ones that need to wake up after a long day of sitting.
Posture is everything during these exercises. Two common cues:
Think "proud chest" - like showing off your super hero logo.
Unlock your knees and push your hips back until you can touch the weight.
Here are a my favorite hinge variations, and how to do them correctly.
Sumo Deadlift
The sumo deadlift is a hinge variation that targets the glutes and inner thighs. I like this variation because it reduces some of the low-back stress that many new exercisers may experience. The key here is wide stance and proud chest. Don't look down.
Single Leg Hip Hinge
Perfect for mobilizing and stretching the hamstrings and strengthening the glutes and hip joint at the same time. Have your knees unlocked (soft knees) but make the movement come from the hip. You can use something for balance here, like a foam roller. You can also hold a weight to add resistance.
Trap Bar Deadlift
Most gyms have something like this. I prefer a trap bar variation to a straight bar. Especially for athletes. It's closer to a squat motion, but still posterior chain dominant. It's a unique blend of squatting and deadlifting. You can hold a weight in each hand instead of a bar.
Suitcase Pickup
Very similar to the trap bar deadlift - but only holding a weight in one hand. This targets the glutes and hips with a major core addition. Make sure not to tilt too far to the side on this one - imagine you're holding weights in BOTH hands.
Cat and Camel Posture Exercise
If you're having trouble maintaining good posture during the hinge, I recommend first mastering this exercise. The cat and camel mobility drill gives you control over your thoracic and lumbar spine, and lets you practice "setting" your hips into the correct deadlift position. There's a series of progression exercises, but this is a great starting point.
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