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Hip hinge pattern

26 hip hinge exercises

Every movement in Handler's library classified as a hip hinge pattern. 10 are tagged beginner. Use the equipment and difficulty groups below to compare options, not as a guarantee that one exercise can replace another.

Page updated Handler exercise library
Exercises
26
With video demo
26
Bodyweight
6
Timed holds/intervals
0

Where to start

How to pick a hip hinge

A hip hinge bends at the hips while your back stays long: the hips push back, the torso tips forward, and the glutes and hamstrings bring you back up. Deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, swings and hip thrusts all belong here.

There are two families. Deadlift-style hinges hold the load in your hands and stretch the hamstrings more. Bridge-style hinges (hip thrusts and glute bridges) put your back on a bench or the floor and focus on the glutes. New to hinging? Learn the pattern with no load or light dumbbells before you load a barbell.

  1. 01
    Hip Hinge DrillBodyweight · Beginner

    Hips back, no load. Learn the shape before anything else on this list.

  2. 02
    Dumbbell Romanian DeadliftDumbbell · Beginner

    The easiest loaded hinge to learn: soft knees, hips back, dumbbells slide down your thighs.

  3. 03
    Kettlebell DeadliftKettlebell · Beginner

    A kettlebell between your feet. The simplest way to practise lifting from the floor.

  4. 04
    Romanian DeadliftBarbell · Intermediate

    The barbell RDL, for when the dumbbell version is solid and heavier dumbbells get awkward to hold.

  5. 05
    Hip ThrustBarbell + Bench · Beginner

    Upper back on a bench, bar across your hips. The most glute-focused option here.

  6. 06
    Kettlebell SwingKettlebell · Intermediate

    A fast hinge: the hips snap the bell forward. Learn the slow deadlift first; the arms don't lift it.

  7. 07
    Barbell DeadliftBarbell · Advanced

    The heaviest hinge most people train. Build up to it once the lighter versions feel consistent.

Muscles trained by this pattern

Equipment used

Other movement patterns

Beginner (10)

Intermediate (9)

Advanced (7)

Questions about this list

What counts as a hip hinge movement?
Handler's library groups 26 exercises under the hip hinge pattern; the primary muscles are mostly glutes, hamstrings, adductors. A shared category does not make exercises equivalent replacements. Compare each exercise's equipment, difficulty and form cues before choosing an option for your training goal.
Are hip hinge exercises measured in reps or time?
All 26 are measured in reps.
How many beginner hip hinge exercises are there?
10 of the 26 are tagged beginner. Each exercise page shows its position in a progression chain so you can move up or down in difficulty.

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