Whether you have hip concerns or not, there will always be a great benefit to performing a hip exercise. The hips help you perform various movements. Not only are they responsible for upper and lower body mobility, but they are also important stabilizers. You can think of them as central muscles that link to other muscle groups all around the body. Therefore, you must incorporate different hip mobility drills into your workout.
Activate Your Glutes!
It is incredibly important that you work your hip muscles, also commonly known as the “Glutes.” The hip muscles are three-dimensional in functionality. This means that they work on three planes and support different parts of your body. Thus, your hip muscles should be the strongest part of your body, but ironically, most people do not train them effectively. Instead, the hip muscles are incredibly weak in most people, causing them to have bad posture and making them unable to perform exercises.
The modern world’s sedentary lifestyle has made us weak and feeble. Most of the people who work jobs tend to spend most of their hours in a day sitting down in front of a screen. Even the youth of today’s world spend loads of time sitting in front of computer screens. Due to prolonged inactivity, the glutes or hip muscles can become dysfunctional. Hence, to regain the functionality of your hip muscles, you must activate your glutes with the help of training.
The Problems with Training Hip Muscles
It is difficult to train the hip muscles since they are supporting muscles and not mobile. The hip muscles also consist of many separate muscle groups; therefore, it is tough to single out a muscle group for training. The following is a list of exercises that you can incorporate to work the hips.
- Jump Squats
- Squats
- Leg raises
- Lunges
- Step-ups
- Fire Hydrants
- Wall sits
The exercises mentioned above are great for training the hip. However, the single best hip exercise is the deadlift. The deadlift encompasses a compound movement that works your whole body. However, when done correctly, it can train all the muscles in your hip incredibly effectively.
Another substitute for the deadlift that can also work the hip muscles well is the squat. These exercises mobilize the hip flexors and allow you to perform a full extension of the hips. Despite all the alternative exercises, professional trainers rate the deadlift as the best exercise for hip muscles.
The Effectiveness of the Deadlift
If you want to perform an exercise that works your hips to the core, then you should train deadlifts. A deadlift is not just a great exercise for your hips, but it can also help you develop muscles in other parts of your body because of its compound nature. A deadlift replicates the most foundational human movement, which is to lift something from the ground. Additionally, it can also improve your muscular stability throughout your body. Ultimately, deadlifts give you the core strength and balance to perform other exercises without having to worry about injuries.
Deadlifts Increase Strength
Keep in mind that the posterior muscles in the hip region generate the strength in your body. For athletes, muscles in the lower body, such as the hip and legs, is most important. Athletes need to perform highly explosive and physically demanding exercises. The hip region is the foundational area where they generate explosive strength. Whether you are a sprinter or a boxer, good hip strength can elevate your performance to a higher level. If you look at the body mechanics of the deadlift, you find that it focuses entirely on explosive and functional strength.
Why is Functional Strength Important?
Functional strength refers to having enough strength to lift your body weight. In a way, training the hips allows you to have functional strength. You may not notice, but you rest your whole body weight on your hip muscles, especially when you are sitting down. Therefore, you must train to acquire sufficient functional strength by training the hips.
With proper functional strength, you can execute the functional and daily movements in life without discomfort or unease. Furthermore, developing muscles in the core regions such as the hips and legs also rids you from previous pain. What better way to gain functional strength than performing a functional movement, such as the deadlift?
Form is Foremost Important
If you do not perform the deadlift with proper form, the repetition count does not matter. Without proper form, you just cannot meet all the benefits of the deadlift. However, for a first-timer, performing the deadlift with the perfect form is difficult. Do not be afraid if you cannot pull off a perfect deadlift form.
Every person has different muscular structures and frames. Therefore, you do not have to replicate a deadlift form. Instead, execute it according to your natural symmetry keeping a few important pointers in mind.
- Make sure Your Core is Engaged
This is the most important consideration when executing a deadlift. If you do not engage your core when performing a deadlift, it can lead to serious complications. Tightening the core or abdominal muscles gives the spinal cord protection. Without core engagement, a deadlift can potentially cause damage to the spine, which leads to paralysis.
- Do not raise the Weights with Your Arms
Think of your arms as ropes, and only use them to hold the weight. Focus on your hips and legs to raise the weight and lower down your shoulder blades to minimize weight distribution to your arms. Furthermore, lowering your shoulder blades will also actively engage your back muscles or Lats.
- Keep Weight Close to Body
The concentric standing motion of the movement is most important. When performing it, you need to keep the bar as close to you as possible. Holding it even slightly away from your body can potentially put harmful stress on your spine. Therefore, think of the weight of the barbell and your body as one.
- Stand Tall and Upright
It is ideal if you put some explosion into your standing up motion. Make sure that you tighten your hips and give them a thrust for ultimate activation and strength. Focus on standing very tall and very fast to get the most out of a deadlift.
To Conclude
Integrate the deadlift into your workout routine as a primary hip exercise to get the best results. Make sure that you do not overdo this exercise since it is very physically demanding. It is best to perform the deadlift at least once a week and move on to twice in a week once you start building strength.
