Hip Hinges for Deadlifts: How to Prevent Lower Back Pain

Is Your Lower Back Stiff or Sore After Deadlifts? You May Be Missing The Hip Hinge.

Deadlifts are essential to strengthen muscles, making them necessary for everyday movements. Deadlift can help with certain movement patterns, such as picking up objects off the floor, moving furniture, and doing yard work. But if you’re experiencing pain or soreness after deadlifts, it can hurt you more than help.

If you find that your back lights up after doing deadlifts, it’s not because you’re just getting old. Lower back stiffness from deadlifting is a common issue, and typically occurs when you use your back to bend instead of your hips.

Deadlifting is a fundamental movement pattern you will likely use for the entirety of your life! It’s time to fix the mistakes that may lead to your aches and pains. This article reviews how to avoid back pain or soreness after deadlifts and how hip hinges play a big role.

Diagnosing The Issue: How to Avoid Pain After Deadlifts

Deadlifting may look like a simple movement, but there’s a lot to keep in mind to remain safe and pain-free. The foundational movement of the deadlift is a hinge of the hips.

If you are missing the hip hinge, your back works a little (and in many cases, a lot) harder. When the hip range of motion is improved, the muscles of the hips can work better and grow stronger, resulting in decreased back stiffness.

Another important factor in a good hip hinge in abdominal control. If the abs are not working, you are more likely to use your back muscles to create stability in order to perform the movement.

How to Do a Hip Hinge

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to perform a hip hinge for deadlifts.

  1. Plant the feet and pull them apart to allow your feet to bring tension to the hips (split the floor apart beneath you).
  2. Keep the bar or object being lifted close to you. The further away something is from you, the more challenging it is (and may increase injury risk).
  3. As you lower your chest down to the floor, stick your butt back and keep your abdominals engaged. Knees can slightly bend but should not be excessively bent.
  4. Upon returning to standing up straight, think of pushing the ground away from you rather than pulling upwards. Feel the weight of your body shift forward to over the toes to help with this movement.
  5. Once at the top of your stance, make sure you are standing up straight but not leaning backwards!

You can practice the hip hinge on your own, or use some of the exercises listed below to help master this movement.

Exercises to Help Master the Hip Hinge

If you’re missing the hip hinge during your deadlifts, we recommend trying these three exercises to help:

  • Banded hip hinge position
  • PVC pipe hip hinge
  • Hip capsule figure 4 stretch to improve ER

If you’re losing the hip hinge on the return up from the bottom of a deadlift, one possibility is that you aren’t keeping your abdominal muscles engaged for the entirety of the movement.

Let’s learn to engage your abdominal muscles first and then follow up with completing this in a hip-hinging movement pattern. 

  • Forearm plank from knees
  • Dead bug on back

As you progress through the hip hinge and restore normal movement patterns, your muscles will be more likely to turn on properly so you can continue to get stronger and avoid injury!

Closing Out: Hip Hinges for Improved Deadlifts

Lower back pain from deadlifts typically indicates you’re using your back to bend, when instead, you should use your hips.

Practicing hip hinges will help your deadlifts be more effective and avoid pain, aches, and soreness afterward.

Our PTs offer personalized, 1-to-1 instruction to help you build strength and mobility. And, of course, if you have any further questions about deadlifts and hip hinges, our physical therapy clinic is always happy to help.