Hinge to wall

Getting the deadlift form down is tough! Many times, the new deadlifting athlete will say it is an awkward movement at first. The experienced deadlifter will often have trouble maintaining a locked in thoracic spine or compensate limited hip flexion with low back flexion.  

Who is it for 

The athlete who doesn’t know how to move their hips in isolation. This is a great exercise for experienced lifters and new lifters. It is very simple but really drives home the movement of isolated hip flexion.

The injured athlete with low back pain. Returning to lifting is scary! Keeping the lower part of the spine in a neutral position during the hinging pattern can be a challenging skill to relearn. With this exercise, you can limit the amount of hip flexion initially, and increase as you become more confident.

The athlete with limited hamstring mobility. Let’s face it - hamstring mobility is tough. The majority of athletes that we work with have limitations in hamstring mobility. This is a factor that we commonly see in athletes with knee pain, low back pain, and even calf pain. The hinge to wall exercises encourages hamstring mobility by moving the hips into and out of hip flexion. You should be able to achieve a nice stretch sensation with this exercise.  

Tips to do it well. 

The best cue we can give is to make your spine as long as you can. I know it sounds weird, but thing about elongating the distance between your head and your tailbone as you reach back toward the wall.   

Reps and Sets 

Even though this is a simple movement (only 1 joint is moving), repetition is the best way to improve. 12 reps.

Questions? Let us know! Email us here: [email protected] and one of our doctors will get back to you!