Jessica's hip hinge position

[donnamp]

I prefer Jessica's newer strength workouts to her older strength workouts. Even though the "hip hinge" features prominently in all of them, I find that her newer stuff is done at a slower and more controlled pace so the hip hinge position works much better for me. I am more able to focus on my form in these newer slower paced workouts and I don't really experience any back issues from doing them, whereas her older stuff would sometimes strain my back (probably the faster pace and trying to do too much at once). I am also a somewhat "wiser" exerciser these days and if I feel that something is not suiting me I modify - whereas in the past I probably tended to push through too much. So if I'm in a hip hinge and it feels too much, I have no qualms about standing up, shaking it off, etc.

This is hard to explain but I also concentrate on almost arching my back to ensure it stays in a neutral alignment during the hip hinge exercises. I'm not arching, but that is the cue I'm giving myself, if that makes sense. We all have different curves in our backs and my back tends to be "flatter" so it is easy for me to round if I don't focus on extension I guess "extension" rather than arching is what I'm trying to get to here! I focus on extending my spine in those positions.

Some things work for some people and some things don't - fortunately there are lots of options out there!

I am partial to fusion workouts and cardio workouts, so strength is always my least favorite, but I have enjoyed the newer strength workouts Jessica has put out recently when I make time to do them!

Donna

[prettyinpink]

Originally Posted by donnamp

This is hard to explain but I also concentrate on almost arching my back to ensure it stays in a neutral alignment during the hip hinge exercises. I'm not arching, but that is the cue I'm giving myself, if that makes sense. We all have different curves in our backs and my back tends to be "flatter" so it is easy for me to round if I don't focus on extension I guess "extension" rather than arching is what I'm trying to get to here! I focus on extending my spine in those positions.

That’s good point, form is important. I do something similar. I learned through a lot of exercising with a mirror that when I would think I had a neutral back, I didn’t— it was flexed/curved over. In order for my spine to be properly extended/“flat” in a hip hinge, I have to think to myself to arch it. It feels like I am sticking out my butt and exaggerating my lumbar curve to get there, even though when I look in the mirror, I can see that I’m not. I still have to regularly check myself in these positions.