Becoming Unhinged

Your hip hinge is a key element of rowing technique for establishing swing and drive suspension, and the indoor-rowing season is the perfect time for determining whether you’re executing this element of the stroke correctly.

Perfecting this functional movement requires flexibility and muscular strength. It’s a prerequisite for exercises such as the deadlift, squat, or kettlebell swing as well as setting body angle on the recovery phase of the stroke so you can achieve a strong drive.

It’s best to learn the hinge while standing, ideally under the eyes of a coach.

Begin by standing with a dowel gripped at shoulder width, your feet a hip-width apart, and your knees over your ankles. Screw your feet into the floor and drive your knees out; this will engage your glutes from start to finish. With your shoulder blades packed and your head and thoracic spine in a neutral position, engage your core muscles and bend from the hip joint to push your glutes back, while keeping your shins vertical.

Keep your hips high and avoid squatting or curving your spine. If you’re struggling to maintain a neutral spine, hold a dowel rod behind your neck with one hand and below your glutes with the other. You should hold the rod against your spine and maintain contact with the back of your head and your tailbone throughout the range of motion.

A rowing-specific version on an indoor rower is to sit at the finish position with your hands clasped behind your neck and focus on pushing back your hips gently as your body pivots forward.

Your hip hinge can be impaired by poor posture, muscle imbalances, and tight hip flexors, glutes, or hamstrings. A functional-mobility assessment can detect limitations that are preventing your from achieving sufficient range of motion to advance to strength and power work.