The Goblet Squat & Hip Hinge

I prepared these two videos to cover the most important movements anyone who exercises should know. They are the Squat and the Hip Hinge. If you’ve trained with me, you know these movements well (right?).

The Squat and the Hip Hinge

The Squat is a total body movement great for hip mobility, fat loss, strength, and so much more. Actually, the Squat is so important, I’d be ok if this were the only exercise you did. Squats are easy to learn and have tremendous benefits, short-term and long-term.

The Hip Hinge is what I spend a lot of my career teaching as it’s the most important position to know for back health, lifting safely, and getting the best overall results. The Hip Hinge is the foundation of big payoff exercises such as the deadlift, kettlebell swing, and bent row. You see, I just gave you a great training plan; squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and bent rows 😉 No really, I mean it.

The Hip Hinge can be a difficult movement to perform without proper coaching. It requires you keep the spine neutral in positions that your body wants to curl up in. It’s a fine line between the perfect hip hinge and one that is more on the side of dangerous.

The Hip Hinge is something almost universally lacking in people’s training and the number one movement I see performed incorrectly in the gym, even among professionals. I’m renaming that version, the Hip Cringe…pause for laughter (comedy is not my specialty). With that said, the Hip Hinge is easy to learn.

Here’s a video to teach you how to Hip Hinge and keep a neutral spine during exercise. Ok, I think I’ve said Hip Hinge enough times that you’ll remember it forever (right?).

Don’t Forget About Squats

As I said before, Squats are great and easy to learn. One of my favorite exercises for the Squat is the Goblet Squat using a Kettlebell or Dumbbell. Unlike the Hip Hinge (oops, I said it again), the Goblet Squat needs no further explanation, watch this video instead.

What’s Next

Master these movements and you’ll be ready to learn more advanced progressions of the Squat, Deadlift, Kettlebell Swing, Row, and more. Send me videos of you doing these exercises and I can coach you on some tips for improvement.

Until next time, keep getting stronger, move often, do what you know is right and you’ll feel good every day.

Dustin Hassard