Let me see your hips HINGE

ATTENTION EVERYONE!

A deadlift is NOT a squat, and a squat is NOT a deadlift! Most everyone acknowledges this verbally. However, I find the hip hinge one of the hardest moves to teach someone that isn't familiar with the difference.

We talked in our deadlift blog about the concept of a hip hinge versus squatting to the bar. Sometimes, we need a little body awareness exercise to make sure we are doing this correctly. It's essentially a reverse squat therapy exercise. Step 1:

Stand away from a wall and push your butt back while keeping your shins vertical (no knee bend or slight knee bend) and back neutral. Look at you! You are HIP HINGING!

What you should NOT look like:

See how in that photo my knees are going forward? This is a SQUAT. Which, is also a great exercise- but not at all what we want to do here. Next, step away from the wall and repeat. Notice, shins are vertical, butt is moving back, knees have NOT changed position.

You should NOT look like this...

This my friends is a........ SQUAT. Knee's are tracking forward to toes, I have to turn my toes out and widen my stance to accomplish it, and my shins are no longer vertical.

Now, repeat! Repeat with a barbell or PVC if needed. Repeat over and over and over if needed so that you can understand a hip hinge when you are cued to do it! Until next time friends, Doc Amy