Hip hinging exercises strengthen the posterior chain muscles. Here are 5 awesome hip hinging/deadlifting variations that don’t involve starting from the floor.
#1) Single Leg Rear Foot Elevated RDL’s
Your front leg should be doing most of the work. Use the back leg as a ‘’kickstand’’ of support.
Coaching Tips:
- Adopt a staggered stance, and place your back foot on a box/bench.
- On your front foot, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Be on the forefoot of your back foot.
- Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits. For the duration of the exercise, your hands and the weights should not travel ahead of your body.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body down and back with your posterior chain muscles.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
#2) Landmine Suitcase RDL’s
This exercise is very anti-lateral flexion and anti-rotational in nature.
Coaching Tips:
- Set up a barbell so it is lengthwise, and is in line with your armpit. You may use a landmine attachment but this isn’t mandatory.
- Hold the end of the barbell in one hand.
- Adopt your preferred stance.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your feet should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your feet to the floor.
- Keep your arm rigid, lat engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpit.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body down and back with your posterior chain muscles.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knees.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
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#3) Staggered Stance Barbell RDL’s + Posterior Band Resistance
Your front leg should be doing most of the work. Use the back leg as a ‘’kickstand’’ of support.
The band resistance, which is coming posteriorly, helps reinforce the hip hinging movement and really forces you to use the posterior chain muscles during the lockout. If you lose focus for even a second the band will hold you accountable and you’ll get pulled backwards.
Coaching Tips:
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface, and loop the band around your hip crease. There should be a significant amount of resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise, and the resistance should be coming posteriorly.
- Adopt a staggered stance.
- On the front foot, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Be on the forefoot of your back foot.
- Hold onto a barbell, and adopt your preferred hand width. Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- For the duration of the exercise, the barbell should not travel ahead of your body. Pretend you are painting your leg with the barbell.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body down and back with your posterior chain muscles.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
#4) Band Resisted Landmine RDL’s
Coaching Tips:
- Set up a barbell so it is lengthwise, and is in the centre of your body. You may use a landmine attachment but this isn’t mandatory.
- Loop a long band around the end of the barbell, and place the band under the middle of your feet. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise, and the resistance should be even on both sides.
- Hold the end of the barbell in both hands.
- Adopt your preferred stance.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your feet should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your feet to the floor.
- Keep your arms rigid, lat engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits. For the duration of the exercise, the barbell should not travel ahead of your body.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body down and back with your posterior chain muscles.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knees.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
#5) Staggered Stance RDL’s + Posterior Band Resistance
This exercise, which requires minimal equipment, can be used as part of your warm-up or part of your main workout.
Your front leg should be doing most of the work. Use the back leg as a ‘’kickstand’’ of support.
The band resistance, which is coming posteriorly, helps reinforce the hip hinging movement and really forces you to use the posterior chain muscles during the lockout. If you lose focus for even a second the band will hold you accountable and you’ll get pulled backwards.
Coaching Tips:
- Fasten a resistance band around a secure surface, and loop the band around your hip crease. There should be a significant amount of resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise, and the resistance should be coming posteriorly.
- Adopt a staggered stance.
- On your front foot, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Be on the forefoot of your back foot.
- Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.
- When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body down and back with your posterior chain muscles.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Use a range where you can maintain proper form.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee.
- Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
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