Legs · Stick
Stick Hip Hinge
How to do the stick hip hinge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Stick
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a stick vertically against your back so it touches your head, upper back, and tailbone. Keep those three points of contact, soften your knees, and push your hips straight back to hinge forward until you feel your hamstrings load. Drive your hips forward to stand tall again, keeping the stick flat against your spine the whole way.
- 1Push your hips back and feel your hamstrings stretch and load
- 2Keep all three contact points on the stick so your spine stays neutral
- 3Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to finish standing
Common mistakes
- Don't let the stick lose contact with your head or tailbone
- Avoid squatting down; this is a hip hinge, not a knee bend
- Don't round your back to reach lower
Muscles worked
The stick hip hinge mainly works the hamstrings and glutes, with the lower back assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the stick hip hinge for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hamstrings exercises
- How to do the deficit rdl
- How to do the leg curl
- How to do the dumbbell rdl
- How to do the glute ham raise
- How to do the jefferson curl
- How to do the leg swings
Last reviewed June 2026.