The Power of the Hip Hinge

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At Modig Fitness we constantly emphasize the importance of form. The right form enables you to master a skill, to become faster and to increase your ability to add more weight. The ‘hip hinge’ is a big part of many CrossFit exercises…yet it tends to be the hardest for CrossFitters to master. How often have you been doing a kettlebell swing, a power clean or a deadlift and you’ve heard “explode through those hips!” But despite being one of the more basic body movements, in the land of office jobs and couch surfing, it has been forgotten. The video above, demonstrated by Modig Fitness’s own Ryan Goodenberger, walks through the basics of a Power Clean. In addition to other key elements of the exercise, exploding through the hips is hugely important. Below are four common issues we often encounter while trying to perform a correct hinge movement.

1. Over extension – as with most movements, you need to maintain a neutral spine. When the hips move back with a neutral spine, the chest must dip forward.

2. The “drinking bird” – to hinge correctly, imagine two fingers on the sides of your hips drawing them backwards, keeping your weight more centered over your feet. Do not hinge forward and push your center of gravity over your toes or in front of you. You are not a toy drinking bird (you know, the one that sits on the side of the glass and repeatedly “sips”…).

3. The slow-motion hinge– if you want to maximize your hip extension, make it dynamic. Whip ’em.

4. The squat – “A squat is maximal knee bend and maximal hip bend, whereas a hinge movement is minimal knee bend and maximal hip bend.” The more you squat (bend your knees) the less you are able to wind the hip up for extension.

Think about these next time you’re doing a WOD…