Overview
This is the lower body compound movement of hinging.
You’re probably coming at this from one of two places.
If you’re still starting out in your first two or three years of intentional lifting, the major movement patterns should be your bread and butter. The standout exercises listed here should be the core part of your programming, rotating every so often (we’re talking months, not weeks). At a certain point we will likely get diminishing returns with specialising in one or two exercises, but if it’s your first few years in of serious lifting, you are assuredly far, far away from that point.
If you’re an experienced intermediate to advanced lifter, chances are you’re viewing your through a 12 muscle groups lens or multiple movement slots within each muscle group. Even so, it’s still worth periodically checking your programs aren’t going so far as to neglect all the compounds, and occasionally cycling some of these exercises back in.
For everyone in between, take the middle point between those two parameters.
Description
We’re looking for a compound exercise that targets the hamstrings and glutes, as well as working the spinal erectors, hips and traps.
Think of this as maximal hip extension with minimal knee extension, as opposed to a squat with (near) maximal hip extension and maximal knee extension.
Either with the exercise selection or exercise form, we generally want all the key muscle groups to get as close to failure as possible.
In this sense we have the opposite aim when dissecting things from a ‘muscle group’ perspective, where we generally want to isolate a certain muscle.
There are many specific exercises that can work here; there are potentially dozens (depending on how nitpicky you want to be with classifying a different exercise) of exercises that is a hinging motion.
There’s not going to much value add in just listing endless options, instead we’ll stick to key foundational recommendations that are time-tested and categorically work, hence the two options below.
Again, to repeat – if you’re around your second or third year into intentional lifting, your focus should be precisely here. If you’re advanced, you’ll be well aware there are endless variations and these may simply serve as a checkpoint to ensure you don’t have a gap in your training.
Standout exercises
Barbell Deadlift
This is our all-rounder hinge. We’re looking to spread the load across the traps, spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps.
The goal is to generate full body tension.
Externally, there may not seem to be a huge difference between this and the hamstring dominant hinge, but internally there should be a very different sensation. This will generally increase with training experience.
The big question again is whether there is a difference between a powerlifting style deadlift and a general training deadlift. Powerlifting fans will be pleased to note that, unlike a squat and a bench, this is pretty much one and the same.
As long as you’re controlling the bar on the way down, on the eccentric portion of the lift, the typical powerlifting form and cues apply with the deadlift. The aim also isn’t to peak the deadlift, so the majority of the reps should stay within the 5-10 rep range, perhaps occasionally dipping down to triples.
This is still solidly within the realm of powerlifting offseason training, so it’s fair to say there’s the deadlift has the closest resemblance among the big 3 for general training vs powerlifting.
Form cues:
- Start with the toes slightly pointed out (at 11 and 1, or a 11:30 and 12:30 angle)
- Hinge down, grip the bar, then hinge back up
Focus on creating tension everywhere. That means:
- Squeeze the bar maximally
- squeeze your lats maximally (imagine a tennis ball between your armpit)
- Brace your core maximally
- Drive down with your feet maximally
Trap Bar Romanian Deadlift
This is our hamstring-dominant hinge, though the glutes and back will still be worked. We’re slightly breaking our rules here, in that we’re not looking to fully distribute the load across the body. This is still very much a compound exercise; the lower body can simply take a hefty stimulus hence why it’s necessary.
If you don’t have easy access to a trap bar, a barbell is of course still a great option. If possible though the different grip width probably has some fractional benefits long-term, especially when you alternate between this and the barbell deadlift over the months and years.
Form is particularly important here:
- Toes pointed directly forward
- Hinge back with no (or minimal) knee travel forward
- As you descend, maintain and increase the pressure on the inner parts of your feet (the ball of the big toe, the inner heel)
Hinge back to however deep your hamstrings allow you to go. As this is a hamstring-dominant movement, the aim is to feel a deep stretch in the hamstrings.
You’ll find that you will reach an end point with your hamstrings; and from here you could lower the bar further by rounding your back. Don’t do this.
Keep a neutral spine the entire way and purely focus on the hamstring movement.