The Hinge: Deadlift Mechanics Without the Back Pain

A hinge moves the hips backward and forward while the knees bend only slightly and the spine holds its position. It is the pattern behind deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings and picking anything off the floor. The common failure is bending at the spine because the hips do not travel, which loads tissue that is poorly built for it. Learning to feel the hamstrings lengthen as the hips move back is the whole skill.

Key points

• Set the bar over the middle of the foot before you bend, then bring your shins to the bar rather than the bar to you.
• Take the slack out of the bar before you pull; a hard jerk from a loose start is where positions break down.
• Keep the arms straight and think of pushing the floor away instead of lifting the weight with the back.
• Finish by standing tall with the hips under the ribs, without leaning backward or squeezing extra extension at the top.
• Lower with the same pattern in reverse; dropping every repetition removes half the training effect and half the practice.

Common mistakes

• Starting with the hips too low, which turns the lift into a squat, drags the bar around the knees and stalls.
• Rounding the upper back and letting the bar drift forward, which multiplies the load on the spine at the hardest point.
• Testing a maximum every session instead of building volume, so technique degrades under fatigue and small strains accumulate.

Put it into practice