September 10, 2026
Once you understand why the hip hinge matters, the next question is how to train it.
The hip hinge is a movement pattern that can be developed through a variety of exercises, and the best place to begin depends on your current strength, mobility, coordination, and training experience. Someone who is new to resistance training may need to spend more time learning the movement with little or no external resistance, while someone with years of experience may be ready for progressively heavier or more dynamic variations.
The objective is not simply to perform a particular exercise correctly. The larger goal is to develop strength and control that can contribute to the physical demands of everyday life.
The glutes and hamstrings are two of the primary muscles involved in hip extension. The muscles surrounding the trunk also play an important role by helping control the torso while the hips move.
During a hip hinge, the hips move backward as the torso inclines forward. The muscles of the posterior chain help control the descent and then contribute to returning the body to an upright position.
This is one reason the hip hinge is so useful as a training concept. Rather than isolating a single muscle, it teaches the body to coordinate several muscle groups to produce and control movement.
We recently shared five hip-hinge exercises in the comments of our social post. Because comments can easily be missed, here they are again with a little more explanation about what each exercise is intended to accomplish.
The wall butt tap is a simple way to learn the basic hip-hinge motion.
Stand a short distance in front of a wall with your back facing it. From a standing position, push your hips backward until your glutes gently contact the wall. Then drive through your feet and return to standing.
The purpose is not to squat deeply. Instead, focus on learning how to move the hips backward while keeping control of the torso.
The wall gives you a physical target, which can make the concept easier to understand for someone who has difficulty distinguishing a hip hinge from simply bending forward.
Once the movement becomes familiar, you can gradually progress to exercises that provide greater resistance.
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift adds external resistance to the hip hinge while keeping the movement relatively slow and controlled.
Begin standing with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep the weights relatively close to your body as you push your hips backward. Allow the knees to bend slightly as your torso inclines forward.
Lower the dumbbells only as far as you can maintain control and an appropriate position. You do not need to reach the floor.
From the bottom of the movement, drive through the feet and extend the hips to return to standing.
The Romanian deadlift can be particularly useful for developing strength in the glutes and hamstrings while practicing the ability to control a loaded hip hinge.
The hip thrust emphasizes hip extension from a supported position.
Set up with your upper back supported on a bench or another stable surface and position the Jacked Ass Belt across your lap. Attach your dumbbells using the G-hooks, then drive your hips upward while keeping your feet firmly planted.
At the top of the movement, contract the glutes and then lower your hips under control.
The hip thrust is not identical to a standing hip hinge because the body position and movement mechanics are different. However, it provides a way to progressively train the muscles responsible for hip extension.
Research has found substantial glute activation during hip thrusts, making them a useful option for training the hip extensors. [1]
The Jacked Ass Belt provides an alternative to placing a barbell across the hips when loading the exercise. After completing the set, the belt’s quick-release mechanism allows the load to be removed without having to maneuver a heavily loaded barbell.
The single-leg kickstand deadlift introduces a unilateral component without requiring you to balance entirely on one leg.
Place the majority of your weight on one leg while positioning the opposite foot slightly behind you. The rear foot remains in contact with the floor and provides some assistance with balance.
Push the hips backward and lower the weight while maintaining control. Then drive through the working leg and extend the hips to return to standing.
Unilateral training can be useful because it allows you to challenge one side of the body at a time. Research comparing unilateral and bilateral resistance training suggests that both approaches can produce useful adaptations, with some differences depending on the specific strength outcome being measured. [2]
The kettlebell or dumbbell swing takes the hip hinge and adds speed.
Rather than slowly lowering and raising the weight, you use a rapid hip-extension movement to accelerate the weight forward or upward.
The arms help guide the weight, but the primary source of power should come from the hips.
Because the movement is dynamic, technique becomes especially important. Someone who has not yet learned to control a basic hip hinge may benefit from mastering slower variations before attempting swings.
Research has demonstrated improvements in maximal and explosive strength following kettlebell swing training. [3]
At the same time, fatigue can affect mechanics during repeated swings, which is one reason it is important to use an appropriate load and stop a set when technique begins to deteriorate. [4]
There is no requirement to perform all five exercises in the same workout.
A beginner might spend several weeks learning the wall butt tap before progressing to a loaded Romanian deadlift. Someone who already has experience with resistance training may be able to begin with a loaded variation.
Progression can occur in several ways.
You can increase resistance, perform more repetitions, improve your range of motion, increase control, or move toward a more challenging variation. You can also progress from a bilateral exercise to a unilateral movement or eventually introduce more dynamic exercises.
The important point is that progression should be appropriate to your current ability.
Adding weight simply for the sake of lifting heavier is not necessarily productive if the additional load causes you to lose control of the movement.
A strong hip hinge requires more than muscular strength.
You need enough mobility to reach the positions required by the movement, but you also need enough strength and control to manage those positions.
For example, someone might have enough hamstring flexibility to bend forward significantly but lack the strength or control to perform a loaded hip hinge safely and efficiently.
Another person may have good strength but be restricted by limited hip or ankle mobility.
This is why mobility and strength should generally be developed together rather than treating them as completely separate qualities.
Resistance training does not require maximal weights to be effective.
For many adults, particularly those who are new to strength training or returning after a period of inactivity, moderate resistance combined with consistent training can provide an effective stimulus.
The appropriate load should allow you to perform the intended movement with control while still making the muscles work hard enough to create an adaptation.
As your strength improves, the resistance can gradually increase.
This concept of progressive overload is more important than any particular number on the dumbbell.
The single-leg kickstand deadlift is an example of how you can alter an exercise without completely changing its fundamental movement pattern.
Unilateral exercises can challenge balance and coordination while requiring one side of the body to contribute more of the total force.
They also provide a different training stimulus than bilateral exercises.
Research comparing unilateral and bilateral resistance training has found that both approaches can improve strength and muscle development, although the adaptations can be somewhat specific to the type of movement being trained. [2]
This is one reason a well-rounded training program can benefit from including both bilateral and unilateral exercises.
Although the hip thrust is not a traditional standing hip hinge, it belongs in the same broader conversation because it trains hip extension.
The exercise allows you to focus on producing force through the hips while the upper back remains supported.
For people who have difficulty with loaded standing hinge movements, hip thrusts can provide another way to strengthen the hip extensors.
The Jacked Ass Belt can be used to add external resistance to the exercise, making it possible to progressively increase the training challenge without having to balance a barbell across the lap.
It can be combined with other exercises rather than used as the sole lower-body movement in a program.
Kettlebell swings are a good example of why exercise selection should consider both movement skill and training experience.
A swing requires you to produce force rapidly. That means you have less time to make corrections than you would during a slow Romanian deadlift.
For someone who already understands the hip hinge, this can provide a valuable way to train power and explosive strength. Research has demonstrated improvements in explosive strength following kettlebell swing training. [3]
For someone who is still learning the movement, however, starting with slower exercises can make more sense.
Learning to control the movement first provides a foundation for adding speed later.
One of the most common problems when learning the hip hinge is turning the movement into a squat.
During a squat, the knees and hips both bend substantially as the body moves downward. During a hip hinge, the hips move backward and the torso inclines forward to a greater degree.
Neither movement is inherently better.
They simply train different patterns.
In real life, people often combine these patterns. When you pick something up from the floor, for example, the exact amount of hip and knee movement will depend on the object, your body proportions, the available space, and the task you are performing.
The purpose of training the hip hinge is not to eliminate other movement patterns. It is to give you another movement strategy that your body can use effectively.
Fatigue is an important consideration with resistance training.
As a set becomes difficult, it can become harder to maintain the movement pattern you intended to perform. This is particularly important with dynamic exercises such as swings, where fatigue can influence movement mechanics and loading.
A randomized controlled trial examining kettlebell swing fatigue found changes in lumbar paraspinal muscle function following a standardized swing protocol. [4]
This does not mean that swings are inherently unsafe. It means that exercise selection, load, volume, and fatigue management matter.
The same principle applies to every resistance exercise. When you can no longer perform the movement with appropriate control, the set may be finished even if you technically have the ability to force out another repetition.
The hip hinge should be one component of a larger training program.
A complete program should address the major muscle groups and movement patterns of the body. That includes pushing and pulling movements for the upper body, squatting and hinging movements for the lower body, core stability, carrying, balance, and cardiovascular conditioning.
This becomes particularly important as you get older because physical independence depends on multiple physical qualities.
Being able to perform a Romanian deadlift does not automatically mean you will have good balance. Having strong glutes does not automatically mean you have good cardiovascular fitness. Being able to walk several miles does not necessarily mean you can lift something heavy from the floor.
A comprehensive program addresses these different qualities rather than assuming one exercise can do everything.
That is the approach behind Badonka Boost. The app is designed as a full-body training system and includes 185 exercises organized across six stages of progressive development: Base, Endurance, Strength, Agility, Interval, and Peak.
Strength training becomes much more meaningful when you connect it to what you want your body to be able to do outside the gym.
You may want to travel without worrying about your physical limitations. You may want to carry your own luggage. You may want to work around your house, garden, hike, cycle, play recreational sports, or continue participating in activities with family and friends.
Those goals require more than isolated muscle strength.
They require a body capable of producing force, controlling movement, maintaining balance, and recovering from physical demands.
The hip hinge contributes to that overall capacity by developing strength and coordination around one of the body’s most important movement regions.
Which of the five exercises should I start with?
If you are new to the hip hinge, the wall butt tap is a logical place to begin because it provides a simple external target for learning to move the hips backward. If you already have resistance-training experience, a loaded variation may be appropriate.
Is the Romanian deadlift better than the hip thrust?
Neither exercise is universally better. They train hip extension through different movement patterns and body positions. Including both can provide different training stimuli.
Can I use resistance bands instead of weights?
Yes. Resistance bands can provide a useful form of progressive resistance, and elastic-resistance training has been shown to improve measures of functional capacity in older adults. [5]
Are kettlebell swings necessary?
No. Swings are one option for training explosive hip extension, but they are not required to build strength. Slower exercises such as Romanian deadlifts and hip thrusts can provide substantial resistance-training benefits.
How many of these exercises should I perform?
The answer depends on your overall program, training experience, goals, and recovery. More exercises are not automatically better. A few well-selected movements performed consistently can be more productive than trying to fit every possible variation into one workout.
Related Posts
The hip hinge is one of the most important movement patterns to understand if your goal is to remain strong, mobile, and physically capable as you get older. It is commonly associated with exercises such as deadlifts and kettlebell movements, but the underlying movement pattern has applications far beyond the gym. A hip hinge involves
Read MoreIf you work at a computer, there is a good chance that a significant portion of your day is spent sitting. You sit down at your desk in the morning, spend hours answering emails, working on projects, attending virtual meetings, and staring at a screen, then perhaps sit in your car during your commute and
Read MoreStrong Muscles. Strong Mind. When most people think about strength training, they picture stronger muscles, healthier bones, a faster metabolism, or improved athletic performance. While those benefits are well established, researchers have uncovered another remarkable advantage of resistance training, particularly its ability to improve brain health. Over the past two decades, scientists have found that
Read MoreFor decades, people have been searching for the one nutrient responsible for weight gain. In the 1980s and 1990s, dietary fat was blamed for the growing obesity epidemic. Grocery stores filled their shelves with low-fat cookies, low-fat yogurt, and fat-free snacks. Then the conversation shifted, and carbohydrates became the new villain. More recently, protein has
Read More