Joshua Naterman, could you explain proper hip movement?

Joshua, I remember some time ago you mentioned something about teaching and programming the hips to move properly. I also think I remember you mentioning that proper straight leg single leg deadlifts are very good for teaching one's hips to move properly.

In short, if you ever get the time, would you be able to write a post, make a video, or educate us on how to teach our hips to move properly? I know this is something that most people would think is completely natural, but I believe many people, including myself, have faulty hip function. What should we do to correct this? What is the proper function and movement of the hips during movements such as single leg squats, shrimps, single leg deadlifts, sprinting, jumping, etc? What should it feel and look like when we perform these or any other movements? Much more I would like to ask but I'll keep it short.

Also, anybody else who wants can voice their opinion as well. I at least wanted to ask Joshua specifically because of the things he has said in the past about this topic, including his own experience correcting hip movement.

Edit: I am going to finally have the books coming in that Cole Dano, Nic Branson, and several others recommended I buy, so I do plan on reading those when I can and implementing corrective work, but I wanted to ask about hip movement anyway because it will give me something to work on even when I don't have a lot of time to read.

Loaded question and you're asking enough to fill a book. Many people do have bad hip function you have that right. Typical problem involved poor flute activation and strength and also poor flexibility. Fixing it can be individualized.

Proper squats and deadlifts are a good start. I prefer goblet style squats with the hip pry at the bottom as a start. As for single leg DL doing them bent leg squared hips will destroy your glutes and force the musculature to engage. Pistol (SLS) do this well also once you have the mobility for them. I really do not want to dig to deep into this here as in the past we have had a bad hair of putting out so much information that people begin to over think it.

Remember your body KNOWS what to do. It is a matter of remembering it, a bit of guidance followed by self discovery does wonders.

@ Nic,

O.K. I see what you mean about this being too much to cover in a post.

I do have a few questions though that I would like some clarification on if you get the time.

1. What do you mean by the hip pry at the bottom of a goblet squat? Does this mean hip hinge?

2. Is there a reason that you prefer bent-leg single leg deadlifts over straight leg single leg deadlifts? It seems to me like the straight leg version would put more emphasis on the hips, but you have much more experience so I will go with your opinion.

3. Should single leg squats ultimately be performed with a rounded spine as is often seen (due to the torso making contact with the thigh) or when mobility and activation is improved is it possible to perform single leg squats with a more neutral spine (arched might not be possible due to leg position in relation to torso)?

I didn't realize that single leg squats would engage and build the hips and glutes to such a degree as you said. It must be that I have mobility issues like you mentioned that keep me from being able to activate the hips properly and make the movement more hip dominant. Because as of right now, single leg squats do work my hips/glutes, but they seem more quad-dominant.

Thanks for any advice. Hope you're doing alright with the storm. I hate it when the power goes out at night in the summer here in East Texas, it makes it very hard to sleep at night with that kind of hot, humid air.

Cody Hahn

Every squatting motion can be more knee or more hip dominant. It literally depends on which muscles you rely on the most, but an easy way to tell is this:

If you do not lean forward any more as you rise out of the bottom than you do at the bottom (if your butt does not rise more quickly than your shoulders) then you are relying on the hip musculature much more and you will feel this immediately. Even a slight initial raising of the butt without the shoulders moving up the same amount (leaning more forward at first instead of maintaining the same lean the whole time or even becoming MORE upright as you stand up) will cause the movement to be much more knee dominant.

If you are weak or inactive in the hips then your body will try to force you to be knee dominant as a compensation pattern to make up for the weak hip musculature. Make sense?

The hip pry is NOT a hinge. It is where your elbows are inside your knees and you gently push your knees apart while bringing your hips towards your ankles and straightening your back.

If your feeling your quads it could mean your quads are weaker or more likely your are not "sitting back into the motion. Easiest way to do these is to have your non working foot on a frisbee and slide it back as you go down and forward when you come up.

Your back should not be rounding, if it needs to that is a form and or flexibility problem.

Josh is right about the squats. Proper technique would in simplified terms is starting your descent with your hips pushing "back" and rising out of the bottom from the crown of your head. Head first! Easy cue to use but also easily forgotten which can lead to the hips rising first which can cause all kinds of issues.

Joshua Naterman said:

Every squatting motion can be more knee or more hip dominant. It literally depends on which muscles you rely on the most, but an easy way to tell is this:

If you do not lean forward any more as you rise out of the bottom than you do at the bottom (if your butt does not rise more quickly than your shoulders) then you are relying on the hip musculature much more and you will feel this immediately. Even a slight initial raising of the butt without the shoulders moving up the same amount (leaning more forward at first instead of maintaining the same lean the whole time or even becoming MORE upright as you stand up) will cause the movement to be much more knee dominant.

If you are weak or inactive in the hips then your body will try to force you to be knee dominant as a compensation pattern to make up for the weak hip musculature. Make sense?

That's a pretty interesting way of looking at it. I use to do a lot of front squatting and some olympic weightlifitng. The goal was always to stay as upright as possible on the way up (for obvious reasons). While my leg size did increase as my front squat shot up, the biggest difference I noticed was the thickness around the hips that developed, always thought I was a weirdo. Oh and to the OP the front squat teaches this like nothing else, too much of a lean forward and the weight gets dropped.

When you use your hips a lot, they get bigger

Proper hip movement? How about some dancing? Heh. I mean you can either watch it or do it. He-heh. I like to do a lot of both of these.

For a fact, some of the better teachers in the martial system I train or also dance teachers or more than adequate at dance. We've made a few jokes about being able to plie. You have to be able to move to feel alive. Moving in fighting keeps you alive, getting stuck means you're dead.

Goblet squat is good. SLS hold is good. Lunge, rear knee to floor is basic. I like side to side lunge, butt to heels. Butterfly stretch.

Front Squat and Overhead Squat are good but OHS is trickier since it's not just hip and requires shoulder mobility and torso strength. If you can Front Squat well, your hips and core are probably strong though.

Front Squat is kind of like Goblet Squat on steroids. Especially when 2-3x BW.