NIFS Healthy Living Blog

The fourth and final movement pattern of this blog series is the hip hinge. If you have not read it already, head to the original blog post, Optimal Movement Patterns for Building Muscle, which gives an overview of the four-movement patterns that everyone should be training. In this post, I go over the hip hinge movement pattern.

The Hip Hinge Pattern

The hip hinge movement pattern is a compound movement that works the muscles of the low back, glutes, and hamstrings. These muscles are also known as the “go” muscles. The hinge pattern is an essential movement for your activities of daily living such as bending over, getting up from the floor, and walking. It is also essential to train this pattern to strengthen the muscles of the lower back around the spine. These muscles, as well as the glutes and hamstrings, can become very weak if you work a desk job or are sedentary for most of your day.

Training the hip hinge movement pattern to a full range of motion can also improve the flexibility in your hips and hamstrings. Learning how to hinge properly should be an essential aspect of your training from the beginning. Within your training plan, you can break this movement down into bilateral and unilateral patterns, just like the squat pattern. Bilateral means both legs working at the same time, and unilateral means one leg at a time. Utilizing both bilateral and unilateral will ensure you are not creating any imbalances between your legs. You can also isolate the muscles utilized in the hip hinge pattern, the hamstrings, and the glutes.

Hip Hinge Variations

Bilateral

• Barbell Deadlift
• Kettlebell Deadlift
• Hex Bar Deadlift
• Barbell Romanian Deadlift
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
• Barbell Goodmornings
• Seated Goodmornings
• Hip Thrusts
• Glute Bridges
• Kettlebell Swings

Unilateral

• Kickstand Deadlift
• Single-leg Romanian Deadlift

Hamstring Isolation Movements

• Prone Leg Curl
• Seated Leg Curl
• Banded Leg Curl

Glute Isolation Movements

• Glute Kick Backs
• Hip Abduction (band or machine)
• Glute Ham Raises
• Glute Focus Back Extensions

Get Help with Your Training Program

For more information on how to properly progress and structure a training program, visit our staff at the track desk to schedule a private session. We are more than happy to help at any time, and as part of your membership here at NIFS, you receive complimentary workout programs. Our Health Fitness professionals tailor all programs to your fitness goals.

This blog was written by Evan James, NIFS Exercise Physiologist EP-C, Health Fitness Instructor, and Personal Trainer. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

In this blog series, I have discussed four movement patterns that training should fit into. I then went on to talk about scheduling a training plan using the four movement patterns, as well as going over the pushing movement pattern. In this blog I will discuss the next upper-body movement pattern on the list, the pulling movement pattern.

Pulling Movement Pattern

This movement pattern works the muscles of the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, posterior deltoid, and biceps. These muscles are all responsible for pulling objects toward our upper body. These muscle groups are essential for those of you who sit at a desk for the majority of your day job. Strengthening the muscles of your back will aid in maintaining an upright posture. 

Similar to the push pattern, the pulling movement pattern can be broken up further into a horizontal and vertical pull. A horizontal pull is one in which you are pulling the weight toward your torso (for example, rows); whereas a vertical pull is one in which you are pulling the weight down from overhead (for example, pulldowns).

Pulling Movements

Lats—Horizontal

• Seated Cable Row
• One-arm Cable Row
• Bent-over Barbell Row
• One-arm DB Bent-over Row
• Chest-supported Row
• TRX or Ring Rows
• Upright Rows

Lats—Vertical

• Pullup
• Chin-up
• Lat Pulldown
• One-arm Kneeling Lat Pulldown

Trap/Posterior Deltoid

• Facepulls
• Pullaparts
• Rear Deltoid Flys

Biceps

• Barbell Curl
• DB Curl
• Cable Curl
• Preacher Curl
• Overhand Curl

Structure Your Training Program

For more information on how to properly progress and structure a training program, visit our staff at the track desk to schedule a private session. We are more than happy to help at any time, and as part of your membership here at NIFS, you receive complimentary workout programs. Our health fitness professionals tailor all programs to your fitness goals.

This blog was written by Evan James, NIFS Exercise Physiologist EP-C, Health Fitness Instructor, and Personal Trainer. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

We’ve all heard that using the same workout program for a long duration is not the most effective way to train. At some point in everyone’s training life, they get into a program or workout routine that just seems to be perfect. It may be time-efficient and enjoyable, and you may see all of the improvements you set out to achieve when you started. These workout programs may last 4, 8, or 12 weeks, but they are always the hardest to switch up even if your improvements (or “gainz”) have stalled.

Balancing the Need for Variety with Favorite Exercises

Exercise variety is great. I recommend switching up different variations of exercises from training cycle to training cycle; I do realize, however, that some of those foundational exercises that you like to perform might always be present.

Most of us have our favorite exercises that are staples in any program that we use. Those favorite exercises also tend to be coupled with rep schemes (sets, reps, rest periods) that we feel like help us get the most out of our time in the gym. It’s almost like we have our default setting on what we are going to do and run with it. But what if you didn’t want to switch up any of the exercises? How could you build an entirely new workout with the exercises you have been doing from the previous block or training cycle?

A Sample Workout with Variations

The answer is actually pretty simple. You can alter the variables of the program to drastically change the look, feel, and performance of any workout. How do you do it? Take a look at the sample full-body workout below and the following two blocks with the same exercises.

Weeks 1–4

• Front Squat 4x6 (2-minute rest between sets)
• TRX Row 4x15 (1-minute rest)
• Dumbbell Bench Press 4x12 (2-minute rest)
• Kettlebell Lateral Lunge 3x8/leg (1-minute rest)
• Lat Pulldown 3x15 (1-minute rest)

Weeks 4–8

• Front Squat 3x12 (30-second rest between sets)
• TRX Row 3x25 (30-second rest)
• Dumbbell Bench Press 3x20 (30-second rest)
• Kettlebell Lateral Lunge 3x15/leg (30-second rest)
• Lat Pulldown 3x15 (30-second rest)

Weeks 9–12

• Front Squat 5x3 (3-minute rest between sets)
• TRX Row 5x8 (1.5-minute rest)
• Dumbbell Bench Press 4x6 (2-minute rest)
• Kettlebell Lateral Lunge 4x3/leg (1.5-minute rest)
• Lat Pulldown 4x10 (1.5-minute rest)

For each four-week block, I made small adjustments to each of the exercise “variables.” Each of these blocks will give you an entirely different feel than the preceding block. By changing sets, reps, and rest periods, you are altering the stressors on the body. You are also changing what the goal for your cycle may be. Want to work on pure strength? Use low reps, lots of sets, and big rest periods. Muscular endurance? Try lots of reps and little rest.

Small Changes Equal Big Progress

Little adjustments can make big changes in your progress in the gym. The same “old” can now be the same “new.”

This blog was written by Alex Soller, Athletic Performance Coach, and NIFS trainer. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.