Why Your Hips Might Be the Weak Link in Your Lifts (and What to Do About It)
Ever feel like you’re doing everything right… but your lifts just don’t feel powerful?
You warm up, you hit your cues, you brace hard — yet something still feels off. Maybe your back tightens up before your legs do, or you feel like your knees cave every time you drive out of the hole.
Nine times out of ten, the issue isn’t your back or your knees.
It’s your hips — the most powerful, yet most undertrained joint complex in the body.
1. Your hips are your “engine,” not just a hinge
Your hips drive almost every major lift you do — from squats and deadlifts to Olympic lifts and kettlebell swings. When they’re strong and mobile, they transfer power efficiently from the ground up.
But when they’re not doing their job, your body finds a workaround — usually by overloading your lower back or knees. That’s when tightness, fatigue, or those nagging aches start to show up.
2. The hidden signs of weak or tight hips
You don’t have to be in pain to have hip dysfunction. It often shows up in subtle ways, like:
Feeling your back instead of your glutes during deadlifts
Knees collapsing inward during squats or lunges
Trouble getting depth without your heels lifting
Low back fatigue after long training sessions
Explosiveness missing in your jumps or cleans
Sound familiar? That’s your hips waving the red flag.
3. The mobility-strength mismatch
Here’s the catch: most lifters stretch their hips but never actually train them properly.
Mobility without strength means your body can get into good positions, but not stay there under load.
At Kinetix, we often see athletes who can hit perfect squat depth with a PVC pipe — but as soon as the bar’s loaded, they lose control and compensate elsewhere. The goal isn’t just “loosen up,” it’s to stabilize through range.
4. How to rebuild hip power and control
You don’t need to overhaul your training. Start with intent and consistency:
✔️ Glute-dominant strength work
Hip thrusts, step-ups, single-leg RDLs, and lateral lunges. Focus on full range and control, not just weight.
✔️ Rotational and lateral stability
Add movements that challenge your hips to resist rotation — like banded walks, Copenhagen planks, or single-leg bridges.
✔️ Smart mobility work
Target internal rotation, hip flexor length, and adductor control. Think 90/90 transitions, couch stretch, and deep squat holds with breath work.
✔️ Integrate it into your lifts
Don’t separate “mobility day” from “lifting day.” Prime your hips before your big lifts and reinforce the same patterns under load.
5. Small hip tweaks, big performance gains
When your hips move and stabilize properly, everything above and below them performs better.
Your knees track better
Your core engages naturally
Your back finally gets to relax
Strong hips don’t just prevent injury — they help you lift heavier, recover faster, and feel more athletic doing it.
The bottom line
Your hips are the link between your strength and your stability.
If they’re not moving well, your performance will always have a ceiling — no matter how strong your back or quads are.
Start training your hips like the engine they are, and the rest of your lifts will finally start to feel the way they should: strong, smooth, and powerful.
Not sure where to start? Click Here to book a Free Discovery Call with Dr. Connor to discuss next steps to crushing your goals.
