Tip Master This Before You Deadlift Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Master This Before You Deadlift The deadlift is awesome but make sure you progress up to it correctly You' ll lift more and do it safely Here' s how by Dr John Rusin July 31, 2017July 6, 2022 Tags Deadlift, Tips, Training The Lost Hinge The hinge is one of the most important movement patterns when it comes to protecting your lower back from injury, but many people have lost the ability do it. The hip hinge is often confused with the deadlift, which is a specific exercise that falls under the hip hinge umbrella. While not every hip hinge is a deadlift, every deadlift is a hip hinge pattern. Many people don't deadlift because they think it's too risky. And since the deadlift is the only hip hinge exercise they know, they skip training the entire movement pattern. The result? More low back pain, more injuries. We must learn to reintroduce and reactivate this pattern. The problem is, most lifters jump right to the barbell deadlift from the floor, or jump right into the kettlebell swing, before mastering the hip hinge. How many times do you bend over a day? The correct answer is: a lot. That's why honing this pattern is so important. Master the hip hinge and you'll avoid chronic flare-ups, lower back tightness, and generalized "neural-lock" of your mobility and flexibility. Hinge Pattern Progressions This pattern needs to be slowly implemented at lower levels to allow motor relearning to take place. Here are the main progressions used to reactivate the hip hinge from the ground up: Bodyweight RDL (Romanian Deadlift) Dumbbell RDL Barbell RDL Dumbbell Deadlift Trap Bar Deadlift Barbell Rack Pull (or lifting from blocks/plates) Barbell Deadlift Based on their body type, not every lifter will have the ability to pull a barbell off the floor with good neutral spine mechanics. And that's totally fine. If that's you, then you'll just stop somewhere else on the progression list. Remember, based on your God-given body structure, no matter how much you foam roll and stretch, you can never change your bony anatomy. Don't try to force it. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Training for the Tactical Athlete Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and military personnel are tactical athletes and need to train like it. Here's how. Athletic Performance, Metcon, Powerlifting & Strength Pete Loeschner September 26 Training The Best Damn Cardio Article - Period A small amount of cardio is okay if you enjoy it, but it's really not necessary for fat loss. Here’s a better way. Fat Loss Training, Metcon, Training Nate Miyaki October 14 Training Tip 70-Degree Smith Machine Row Great exercise for the mid-back and traps. The machine allows you to get a harder upper-back contraction. Back, Bodybuilding, Exercise Coaching, Tips, Traps Paul Carter April 3 Training Tip Try the Kettlebell Kickback Kickbacks are known as a wimpy triceps exercise, but perform them like this and they'll turn into real muscle builders. Tips, Training Joel Seedman, PhD March 5