Squats and hip hinges are the two primary lower body exercises I teach. I do this because they are fundamental to human movement and are precisely where we want to build strength.

Think about your day. Do you need to get out of a chair? Pick up a child? Those are squats. Do you need to pick up the basket of laundry from the floor? Pick up the big bag of dog food from the bottom shelf at the store? Those are hip hinges. Maybe you do or don't want to master the barbell back squat or a heavy barbell deadlift (a type of hip hinge). But even if you don't want to do those specific lifts, you do need to do the squat and hip hinge patterns in order to build and maintain the strength and muscle mass that you need to live life.

Muscles Used in Squats and Hip Hinges

The squat and hip hinge are both compound movements. This means they involve multiple joints and muscle groups all at once, just like we move in real life. Both the squat and hip hinge use the knee and the hip, and both use the muscles of the upper thigh and buttocks.

The major muscles used in the squat are the quadriceps. These are the muscles on the front of your thigh. If you sit on a chair and extend your leg in front of you, these are the muscles that straighten your leg. The second set of major muscles used in the squat are the gluteus maximus and medius. These are your primary butt muscles and they pull you up to standing.

The hip hinge uses the muscles of the posterior chain: the hamstrings, the gluteals, and the erector spinae. The hamstrings are the muscles on the back of the thigh that pull your heel up to your butt if you try to kick yourself while standing. And they extend (straighten) the hip joint. The gluteals are the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus—all in your butt. And the erector spinae are a series of little muscles along your spine.

Variations of the squat and hip hinge will bias slightly different muscles. However, the purpose of this article is to highlight the differences between squats as a category and hip hinge as a category, so we won’t go into those details.

Basic Squat Instructions

Stand tall and step your feet so they end up under your hip joints or slightly wider. Keep your knees soft, and wiggle your hips into level. Roll your shoulders back and down, and let the crown of your head rise to the ceiling. Let your arms hang at your sides, cross your hands on your chest, or reach out in front.

Imagine an invisible chair behind you, or place a sturdy chair there.

Send your butt back and down, bending your knees. Keep your torso long and neutral and keep your chest proud. Keep your eyes on the wall in front of you.

Stop lowering at your limit. Press your feet into the floor, and push yourself up to standing.

Basic Hip Hinge Instructions

Stand tall and step your feet so they end up under your hip joints or slightly wider. Keep your knees soft, and wiggle your hips into level. Roll your shoulders back and down, and let the crown of your head rise to the ceiling. Let your arms hang at your sides, or cross your hands on your chest.

Send your hips straight back. Keep your torso long and neutral as it tips forward. Your gaze should fall on the floor out in front of you. Keep your knees soft, but not truly bent.

Stop hinging when your hips stop going back. Use your butt and hamstrings to pull you back up to standing.

Squat Variations

Perhaps when you think "squat" you think of the barbell back squat. That is just one variation.

Box Squat

If you are new to doing squats purposefully, I recommend you start with a variation called the box squat or chair squat. In this variation you squat down to a surface (box, chair) at a height that stops you from going deeper than you can get back up from.

Grab a sturdy chair and use the Basic Squat Instructions from above. If you can (or once you are able to) do ten repetitions, progress the exercise by holding something heavy or using a lower box/chair. Keep adding to the challenge: more reps, lower height, heavier weight.

Goblet Squat

In the goblet squat variation, you hold a dumbbell, kettlebell, or cast iron pan against your chest.

Follow the Basic Squat Instructions.

Suitcase Dumbbell Squat

With the suitcase dumbbell squat, you need a pair of dumbbells, kettlebells, or jugs of laundry soap.

Hold one in each hand like you are carrying suitcases. Keep your shoulders back and down as you follow the Basic Squat Instructions.

Resistance Band Squat

Bands are great, especially when you are traveling, because they take almost no room and weigh almost nothing. They come in different styles and levels of stretchiness. Choose a band that works for you.

Place the center of the band on the floor. Step your feet on the band so they end up under your hip joints or slightly wider and they hold the band securely to the floor. Send your butt back and down and "gobble up" the band with your hands so there is little to no slack left. Leave your arms hanging straight. Press your feet into the floor, and push yourself to standing.

Single-Leg Squat Variations

Training single-leg variations of the squat pattern gives you additional benefits, including improved balance and core strength.

Split Squat

Stand tall and step your feet so they end up under your hip joints or slightly wider. Imagine parallel lines extend out of your toe out to the horizon like railroad tracks. Step one foot forward on its track and lift your back heel. Keep your torso long, neutral, and mostly upright as you bend both knees. Push with both legs to come back up, leaving your feet in place. Complete several repetitions and repeat on the other side.

Consider placing a pad or yoga block on the floor as a target for your rear knee. To make the exercise easier, take a shorter step or use a chair back or hiking pole for balance. To progress the exercise, take a larger step or add weight.

Lunge

Stand tall and step your feet so they end up under your hip joints or slightly wider. Imagine parallel lines extend out of your toe out to the horizon like railroad tracks. For each repetition, step forward on the invisible line, bend both knees, and push yourself all the way back up to standing. You can do several repetitions and repeat on the other side, or you can alternate from side to side.

Variations of the lunge include forward lunge, backward lunge, side lunge, and transverse lunge.

Step-Up

To perform a step-up you will need a sturdy step stool, an aerobic step, or the bottom step of your staircase.

Begin with your feet in position for a squat. Plant one foot on your step and lift the second one up. Lower the second foot back to the floor. Step the first foot down. You can do several repetitions and repeat on the other side, or you can alternate from side to side.

Play with different tempos. Push slowly up, or explode up and lower yourself as slowly as you can.

Hip Hinge Variations

Powerlifters perform a hip hinge when they deadlift a barbell from the floor. This isn’t the only way to do it.

Broomstick Good Morning

The broomstick good morning is a good way to develop or check your form.

Grab a broomstick, walking stick, or old wooden yardstick. Hold it in one hand behind your head with the stick and your thumb pointing down your back. With your other hand, reach around to the bottom of the stick. The stick should touch the back of your head, the spot between your shoulder blades, and your tailbone. Maintain those three touch points while you follow the Basic Hip Hinge Instructions.

Dumbbell Good Morning

Grab a dumbbell or bag of rice and hold it against your upper chest.

Follow the Basic Hip Hinge Instructions.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

For the dumbbell Romanian deadlift, you need a pair of dumbbells.

Hold one dumbbell in each hand close to the sides or fronts of your thighs. Follow the Basic Hip Hinge Instructions, and do not allow the weights to swing forward away from your legs.

Resistance Band Deadlift

Bands are great, especially when you are traveling, because they take almost no room and weigh almost nothing. They come in different styles and levels of stretchiness. Choose a band that works for you.

Place the center of the band on the floor. Step your feet on the band so they end up under your hip joints or slightly wider and they hold the band securely to the floor. Send your hips back. As your torso tips forward, use your hands to "gobble up" the band so there is little slack left. Leave your arms hanging straight, and use your butt and hamstrings to pull yourself back up to standing.

Single-Leg Hip Hinge Variations

Training single-leg variations of the hip hinge pattern gives you additional benefits, including improved balance and core strength.

Kickstand Romanian Deadlift

Begin with your feet in position for a hip hinge. Hold a weight in one hand. Shift most of your bodyweight into the opposite leg—your standing leg—keeping the knee just slightly bent. Slide the toe of your non-standing leg back to form a kickstand behind you. Then follow the Basic Hip Hinge Instructions. Complete several repetitions and repeat on the other side.

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Begin with your feet in position for a hip hinge. Put all your bodyweight into one leg—your standing leg—keeping the knee just slightly bent. Raise your other leg behind you as you tip your torso forward. Push your heel back and hips back. Allow your arms to dangle toward the floor. Hinge until your torso and back leg are parallel to the floor. Then drive your hips forward to return to standing.

Squat and Hip Hinge Similarities and Differences

Squats and hip hinges are both lower body compound exercises that train movements we use in daily life. Both exercises start in the same standing position described in the basic instructions above. For both exercises you want to keep your torso long and neutral throughout both the lowering and standing phases.

These are the key things to remember for the squat:

Butt goes back and down.
Chest stays proud.
Keep your eyes on the wall in front of you.
It is knee dominant.
It is quadricep dominant.

These are the key things to remember for the hip hinge:

Butt goes back.
Torso tips forward.
Your eyes land on the floor out in front of you.
It is hip dominant.
It is hamstring dominant.

This article covers the squat and hip hinge variations I typically use with my clients and provides a good set of examples for making clear the general differences between the two exercises. There are some variations of squat that start to look pretty hip-hingey, and there are variations of hip hinge that start to look sort of squatty. We are not going to look at those here.

I hope you find this helpful.

If you would like a custom program and personal guidance for building strength and muscle mass using squats and hip hinges, please contact me.

Note: If you are healthy and make only gradual increases to your activity level, you do not need to consult a health care professional before you begin. However, if you have one or more chronic conditions or plan to make a big change, see your doctor first. Always work within your ability. With any activity/exercise program, if you feel faint or dizzy or experience pain or loss of balance, you should stop immediately.

Squats and Hip Hinges, the Two Best Lower Body Exercises