HINGE Movements

The hinge, or more accurately the hip hinge, is the foundational movement pattern of all kettlebell ballistics (swings, cleans, snatches, etc.).  It is a hinge, NOT a squat.

To initiate the hinge, actively pull your hips back to load your glutes and hamstrings.  Fold at the hip crease and put the majority of the weight on your heels.

This removes the stress placed on the lumbar spine and gives you a safer, stronger and more powerful hip drive.

Here is how to hip hinge from the ground up:

  • Stand with your feet about hip width
  • Think "long spine" throughout the movement regardless of what position you're in
  • If needed, put your fingers in your hip crease as a guide on where you'll be breaking
  • Shoulders "packed", meaning lats are on, when holding a kettlebell, barbell, etc.
  • Keep a neutral neck position (don't look up/down/sideways)
  • Imagine a rope tied to your tail bone and it pulling your hips back and down behind you (think 45 degree angle). This will allow you to effectively stretch your hamstrings, keep a slight knee bend, and avoid taking your upper body below parallel.
  • Pull your hips back to the end range and stay there. Focus on pulling your shoulders back and keeping your trunk engaged. 
  • Your hips will be back below the height of your shoulders and above the height of your knees.
  • Now Stand up by driving your hips forward by pushing through the floor with your heels. No forward knee movement.
  • When you reach your vertical finish of the movement, think tall posture with with a posterior pelvic tilt (think like your bringing your tailbone up to your sternum). Hence my cue: "Squeeze your glutes, quads and abs." This activates your trunk effectively and will help deliver that "pop" you see at the top of swings as well as keep your spine safe. 
  • Have a biomechanical breathing match

Watch the follow videos (in sequence) to see this in action and learn:

  1. Hinge vs Squat
  2. Deadlift
  3. Single Leg Deadlift
  4. Kettlebell Swing (2-Handed)
  5. Kettlebell Swing (1-Handed)
  6. Clean (Dead stop)
  7. Clean (Ballistic)
  8. Half Snatch
  9. Snatch
  10. Double Kettlebells (swing, clean, snatch)

Professor Stuart McGill, the #1 spine biomechanist in the world, concluded that while lower back strength surprisingly does not appear to reduce the odds of back problems, muscular endurance does. 

Enter the kettlebell swing and snatch...
11 Lessons