If you want to master the deadlift you first need to master the HIP HINGE. This is the cornerstone of what we teach at Sportif when it comes to programming not only in our Personal Training sessions but also in our Group Classes.
Learning to differentiate between the hinge and deadlift, or more importantly how to bridge the two ensures that you safely and effectively program for optimising proper motor control in an variation you choose.
Below are some quick snippets of how to test for spine and hip proficiency and quality movement.
1 – Top Down Approach: The hinge is a hip dominant movement pattern and ensuring a proper spinal position is the first step in a successful hinge. Using a dowel helps offer biofeedback and a tactile cue to position the spine effectively. An easy point of entry for a beginner when moving to load the hinge, is a top down approach with a Romanian Deadlift (RDL) variation, in this video you can see with a shoulder position at 45 degrees to reinforce my lat activation to help connect me to my hips.
2 – Bottoms Up Approach: To bridge into a loaded deadlift, you have to first know where you should be pulling from. At Sportif we measure this with the high hinge pull position test to ensure lumbar stability. Remember the deadlift if a hip and knee dominant movement pattern as there needs to be more articulation at the knee joint to reach the load and pick it up. Not everyone needs to pull from the floor, as you can see in this video I am pulling from a block to grease the groove working back into large lifts. This pick up and drop off 2 handed kettlebell variation is a great way to prime the set up position, execution and to ensure optimal tension and bracing throughout each rep.
