Weighted Hip Hinge Exercise | Glute Strength and Lower Back Protection
The Weighted Hip Hinge is a fundamental movement pattern that builds strength in the glutes, hamstrings, and core while protecting the lower back. Mastering this exercise is essential for athletes, patients recovering from injury, and anyone seeking to improve their functional movement patterns, such as bending, lifting, and standing up safely. For more background on back health, see the Mayo Clinic’s back pain prevention guide.
In this video, Dr. Travis Dockery from Life in Motion Chiropractic demonstrates the proper technique for performing the weighted hip hinge. This movement can be done with a kettlebell, dumbbell, or even a household object like a milk jug. By hinging at the hips and maintaining a neutral spine, patients can effectively and safely train the posterior chain.
How to Perform
Step 1: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out. Root your feet into the ground.
Step 2: Hold the weight in both hands between your legs with arms straight and relaxed.
Step 3: Engage your core by creating intra-abdominal pressure to protect the spine.
Step 4: Push your hips backward (as if closing a door behind you), keeping your chest tall and your back flat.
Step 5: Lower until you feel a stretch through the hamstrings and glutes, then return to standing by squeezing the glutes.
Step 6: Perform 10–15 repetitions, gradually increasing the weight as your form improves.
This exercise should be felt in the glutes and hamstrings, not the lower back. It is a perfect warm-up or accessory movement for deadlifts, squats, and other strength training lifts. For more on the hip hinge technique, visit Physiopedia’s hip hinge article.
Benefits of the Weighted Hip Hinge
- Strengthens glutes and hamstrings
- Improves hip mobility and spinal stability
- Helps prevent lower back injuries
- Builds a foundation for athletic performance
- Can be progressed gradually with more weight
Life in Motion Chiropractic is located at 27620 Five Mile Road, Livonia, MI 48154, near Five Mile and Inkster Road. We provide chiropractic adjustments, DNS rehabilitation, and corrective exercise programs for patients in Livonia, Redford, Farmington Hills, and surrounding communities. The weighted hip hinge is one of our go-to exercises for teaching patients safe lifting techniques and building a strong, pain-free back.
Schedule your appointment today to learn how to integrate the weighted hip hinge into your care plan and improve your strength and mobility.