We have found that the hip hinge is one of the hardest movements for a client to perform. Having control of your pelvis has proven to be extremely important while working out or even sitting on your bum!
If you don’t know what a hinging motion is, let’s break it down just a bit.
- This movement starts with a slight bend of the knees while maintaining a small arch in the lower back and then executing a bend at the waist. Keeping a straight spine throughout this movement is very important. Yes, you are going to get a huge hamstring stretch!
When we mention pelvic control we are referring to that little arch you create in the lower back, resulting in an anterior (forward) tilt of the pelvis. You can practice this motion even when you are seated to prevent your lower back from rounding.
You can see how this is important during exercise, right? Lets go through the cues of the straight leg dead lift (SLDL) exercise (also known as an RDL (Romanian dead lift) and progress it to the single leg version.