Squats vs. Hip Hinges: The Fitness Move You’re Probably Doing Wrong (and Why We Don’t Care About Sports)
Caleigh (fitness newbie, nap enthusiast, and professional realist) and Sarah (coach, myth-buster, and resident no-BS trainer) are back — and this time, they’re calling out sports fanatics and breaking down one of the most confusing moves in fitness: the hip hinge.
If you’ve ever wondered why your back hurts after deadlifts or why your hamstrings feel like they’re on fire, this one’s for you.
🧠 First, Let’s Get One Thing Straight — We’re Not “That Kind” of Fitness Show
No 5 a.m. affirmations. No green juice in hand. No six-pack abs (unless you count nachos).
We’re just two women trying to make sense of wellness — without losing our minds or our sense of humor.
Oh, and we made something awesome:
Nacho Fitness Coach downloadable guides — like:
- The Crap Fitness Told You (No-BS Myth-Busting Guide)
- Quit Being a Little B**h: The 30-Day Habit Challenge*
- Workouts That Don’t Suck
- Feed Yourself, Damn It (A Simple Meal Plan for Real People)
Get them at nachofitnesscoach.com — print, tape to your fridge, or let them collect digital dust like every other download you’ve ever ignored. We won’t judge.
🏈 Caleigh’s Confession: “I Don’t Care About Sports”
“I just don’t give a sh*t about sports,” Caleigh admits.
And she means it.
While Sarah insists that team sports teach life skills (like teamwork and perseverance), Caleigh’s more into managing the girls’ basketball team in high school — mostly for the free shirts.
She lettered, by the way.
But honestly? The obsession with scores, playoffs, and broken TVs after the Super Bowl just doesn’t compute.
“You’re yelling at millionaires who don’t even know you exist,” she says.
Fair point.
Sarah’s more chill — she likes her sports, but for entertainment only. “It’s fine if you love it,” she says. “Just don’t make it your whole personality.”
🏋️♀️ From Sports Balls to Squats: The Great Hip Hinge Debate
After roasting sports fans, the duo moves into something they do care about: how to move your body correctly.
Sarah drops some coaching truth bombs:
“A squat and a hip hinge are not the same thing — and most people mess this up.”
🔹 The Squat
- Think: bending at the knees.
- Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out.
- Natural movement you do every day — sitting, standing, picking stuff up.
🔹 The Hip Hinge
- Think: pushing your hips back like you’re closing a car door with your butt.
- Feet under hips, not as wide as a squat.
- You should feel it in your hamstrings and glutes, not your lower back.
Caleigh calls it “that weird deadlift thing.”
Sarah calls it essential.
Why?
Because we all sit too much. Our glutes and hamstrings are basically asleep, and learning to hip hinge safely can literally save your back.
🧍♀️ The Secret to a Safe Deadlift: Neutral Spine & Orange Trick
Sarah explains that many people hurt their backs because they squat the bar instead of hinging at the hips.
Her cue for beginners:
“Pretend there’s an orange under your chin. Don’t drop it.”
That trick keeps your spine neutral — three contact points (tailbone, shoulders, head) — and helps you avoid rounding or arching your back.
🦴 Wait, Why Do Our Hips Look Like Butterflies?
In classic Nacho Fitness Coach fashion, things derail into an anatomy tangent.
The duo pulls up a diagram and discovers that the pelvis looks like a butterfly.
Caleigh’s response?
“Cool. Add that to my list of things I don’t give a sh*t about.”
🏁 Final Thoughts: Master the Basics, Skip the BS
You don’t need to be a sports fan to care about movement.
You don’t need to love the gym to get stronger.
You just need to know the difference between a
squat and a
hip hinge — and maybe, stop yelling at your TV.
Because honestly? Your favorite team can’t hear you.
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