How To Set Up For Hip Thrust

There are multiple muscles worked when doing hip thrusts, but the one that takes the cake is the gluteus maximus. This lower body exercise reigns supreme when it comes to edifice a solid backside. This post volition go over how to exercise hip thrusts, benefits, eight variations and how the muscles are worked to execute the best gluteus maximus exercise.

what muscles do hip thrusts work?

WHAT IS A HIP THRUST?

The hip thrust, sometimes called the hip thruster, effectively trains lower body muscles, peculiarly the gluteus maximus. Merely put; the hip thrust is where you'll place your upper back on a apartment bench with your feet on the ground, knees aptitude, and your butt close to the floor, then yous'll contract your glutes and other muscles to elevator your hips upwards until your hips are parallel with the floor. Well-nigh likely, you've seen people doing the hip thrust in your social media feeds every bit this once relatively obscure do has gone mainstream.

Although many people might confuse the hip thrust with a glute bridge, there are differences. The hip thrust ordinarily requires a raised platform to brace the upper back and oft an external resistance of some sort, such as a barbell or resistance band.

HOW TO Practice A HIP THRUST

The hip thrust isn't every bit straightforward as you may think; to get the virtually out of it, y'all should exist mindful of some grade tips and tricks. So here are the step-by-step instructions on how to do the hip thrust properly and most effectively.

Note: If using external loads such as the Smith machine, hip thrust machine, bands, or other weights, the setup will change slightly.

how to do hip thrusts

Footstep One: Setup

Fix up your barbell with weights on it earlier sitting down. You may want to use a towel or pad effectually the bar for added comfort. Try to use weight plates wide enough to give y'all clearance to whorl the bar into place when your legs are flat on the basis. Otherwise, you lot will need to take a partner help you position the weight.

Once seated, you should exist able to gyre the bar up towards the pucker in your hips before you curve your knees. If not using a barbell, you can skip this footstep and become into position.

Find a flat demote that's around your lower leg summit and place it in front of a rack, wall, or another stable base of support just for added safe concerns and so the bench doesn't shift while doing the exercise.

Then sit down perpendicular to the bench in the center, with your feet on the basis and your knees bent with your feet slightly wider than hip-width autonomously. Rotate your toes outward at around x-15 degrees. Start with your upper dorsum (scapula region) confronting the edge of the bench. Grab the bar on the outside of your legs to help proceed the bar stable equally you lot thrust up.

Notation: Do a few practise reps with lightweight to get your body positioning right.

Step Two: Lift Off

After the barbell is in place, push through your feet and lean back onto the demote. Before y'all initiate the thrust, it'due south important to flex the glutes before squeezing them to motility the weight up. Focus on fully extending your hips until your lower legs and upper legs create a ninety-degree bending at the tiptop.

Note: Throughout the movement, you should be looking straight ahead, non upward towards the ceiling, with your chin tucked. Try to squeeze your glutes as much as possible to finish off the motion.

Step Three: Repeat

Lower the bar in the reverse motion until your barrel is a few inches off the ground earlier thrusting up again.

Pro tips:

Try to rotate your pelvis posteriorly at the height by contracting your abs downward slightly. This tweak will help get your glutes into a full hip extension while preventing hyperextension of the lower back.
ane-3 second pause and wrinkle at the superlative
Move anxiety out farther from the bench if y'all're feeling it more in your quads than your glutes
Play around with trunk position until you observe the perfect setup that volition maximize the wrinkle in your glutes. Everyone has unlike trunk proportions, so you may have to make minor tweaks until yous're satisfied with how it feels in your glutes.

COMMON MISTAKES WITH HIP THURSTS

WRONG FOOT PLACEMENT:

The distance your feet are from the bench will make up one's mind what muscles will be more engaged. If your feet are as well shut to the demote, your quads volition take on more than tension. If your anxiety move too far away from the bench, and then you lot shift emphasis to your hamstrings.

How to Fix: You will have to try a few different foot positions to ensure that your glutes become the most activation.

HYPEREXTENDING LOWER BACK:

Overarching the lower back can reduce the effectiveness of the hip thrust. Pay attention to how you finish off the motion towards the tiptop. Your lower back should be kept in a neutral position to get the maximum hip extension.

How to set up: Try to contract your abs downward towards the meridian of the movement to keep your lower dorsum apartment.

FAILURE TO LOCK OUT:

Many people perform hip thrusts without locking out the movement. Your hips should be above your knees at the tiptop of the motion. The common reason for this is people trying to elevator a weight that is too heavy. If yous're not feeling an intense burn in your glutes at the summit, then you're probably not locking out the rep.

How to fix:

Lower the weight y'all're using.
Concur at the elevation for 2-3 seconds.
Brand certain your hips are to a higher place genu level.

LOWERING WEIGHT UNCONTROLLED:

With the hip thrust, in that location'due south a trend to allow the weight drib in an uncontrolled manner. This lack of command leads to less-than-optimal preparation results and possible injury.

How to Fix: Utilize a slower eccentric tempo of 1-2 seconds equally y'all lower your hips.

CHIN NOT TUCKED:

It's essential to keep your chin tucked so that you don't put too much excessive pressure on your spine as you lot thrust the weight up.

How to Set: Keep your optics looking downwards as you lift upwards.

HIP THRUSTS MUSCLES WORKED

Gluteus Maximus: This is the musculus that is the star of the evidence and primary mover when it comes to hip thrusts. The gluteus maximus is the largest of the gluteal muscles. Starting at the summit of the pelvic bone, stretching down, then connecting to the thigh os. The master functions of the gluteus maximus are to assist in hip extension and provide stability to hips and knees in movements similar walking or running. Other deportment of the gluteus maximus are external hip rotation and hip abduction/adduction.

Gluteus Medius: The gluteus medius besides begins at the ilium and inserts into the thigh bone, similarly to the gluteus minimus. Most of the gluteus medius is covered past the gluteus maximus, with the only superficial (visible) area at the forward-upper portion. The master functions of the gluteus medius are to support hip movement and stability. Hip abduction is the central action of the gluteus medius, while it too helps with frontal airplane command along with the gluteus minimus.

Gluteus Minimus: The gluteus minimus is found beneath the other gluteal muscles and the TFL, with the gluteus medius roofing nigh of it. The gluteus minimus begins at the ilium (role of the hip bone) and ends at the thigh os. The chief functions of the gluteus minimus are hip abduction and the stabilization of the hip. The main activity is to help rotate your thighs out to the sides. It also plays a significant role in frontal aeroplane control while walking and so that the hip doesn't lower every time your leg comes off the footing.

Hamstrings: The hamstrings are the grouping of muscles located at the dorsum of the thigh. The hamstring muscles include; both heads of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. The primary functions of the hamstrings are genu extension and hip extension. They also assist with both hip and human knee extension because the muscles cross both the hip and articulatio genus joints. When doing hip thrusts, you shouldn't feel the contraction too much in the hamstrings. If you exercise, your human foot position, range of motion, or genu position needs some adjustments.

Adductor Magnus: This is the largest and strongest hip adductor on the thigh's posterior medial side (inner-back part). The other adductor muscles include the adductor longus, adductor brevis, gracilis, and pectineus. The primary office of these muscles is thigh adduction and helps with thigh extension, internal/external rotation, and pelvic stabilization.

Erector Spinae: This group of muscles runs the length on both sides of the spine from the base of the skull to the hips and sacrum. The primary function of the erector spinae is later extension and flexion and rotation of the trunk.

Quadriceps: The quadriceps are the group of muscles located on the front of the thigh. There are iv quadriceps muscles; the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and the rectus femoris. The vastus muscles are primarily responsible for human knee extension. The rectus femoris functions as a hip flexor and is a direct antagonist to the hamstrings.

hip thrust muscles worked

How The Muscles Work During Hip Thrusts

The hip thrust is one of the best hip extension exercises that you tin can do. The primary movers in the hip thrust are the gluteus maximus, hamstrings and the hamstring portion of the adductor Magnus. The secondary hip extensors include the adductors, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

The erector spinae stabilize the vertebrae, while the rectus femoris and vastus muscles piece of work equally knee extensors.

The hip thrust is an splendid glute activator because the weight is loaded horizontally rather than vertically on the hip extensors. However, this leads to less hamstring activation considering of active insufficiency (when a two-joint musculus is shortened at one end while the other terminate starts musculus wrinkle). In this example, the hamstrings cantankerous both the knee joint and hip joints. Thus, they are shortened during knee flexion, which creates the need for the gluteus maximus to contract at a higher rate.

Note: The placement of your feet dramatically changes how your muscles are stimulated. The all-time foot position for maximum glute activation is with your feet rotated outwards.

HIP THRUSTS VS SQUATS FOR GLUTES

Hip thrusts have been proven to exist one of the most effective exercises to actuate and work the glutes. There have been multiple studies that compare the back squat and hip thrusts. Let's look at what the science says when it comes to the hip thrust and back squat.

Perhaps the most well-known and respected person in this infinite, Bret Contreras, aka The Glute Guy has performed multiple tests centered his doctoral thesis around the hip thrust and squat.One of the most interesting studies Contreras did, used identical female twin sisters. One twin only focused on squats while the other simply did hip thrusts. The results showed that the hip thrust led to more than gluteus maximus musculus thickness and horizontal pushing power.

Overall, most science and studies back up the notion that the hip thrust will result in more gluteus maximus gains than the squat. Yet, the squat nevertheless holds the championship for lower body practise to elicit the most muscle activation. Therefore, it would be best to do both hip thrusters and squats in your workout routine.

Related: Squats - Muscles Worked, Correct Grade, How To, & All-time Variations

BENEFITS OF HIP THRUSTS

The hip thrust works multiple muscles in unison and is an constructive lower body practise. Here are some of the fantastic benefits you'll get by adding hip thrusts into your workout.

Perfect Hypertrophy & Strength Exercise: Hip thrusts are ideal as a muscle-edifice practise for the glutes. With this practise, y'all can piece of work through strength and power rep ranges and hypertrophy rep ranges without needing a sentry. One time you lot're able to find the all-time torso positioning for yourself, then you'll exist able to go as difficult equally you lot can trying to get those gains.

Suitable For All Abilities: Although nosotros more often than not think of the hip thrust as an practise done with the added resistance of a barbell, you lot can likewise do this practice with just your bodyweight. This makes the hip thrust an accessible activity for people of all fitness levels. Beginners can commencement with bodyweight hip thrusts and slowly progress in resistance levels using bands, dumbbells, and more than.

Improved Athletic Functioning: The hip thrust is peradventure the well-nigh effective do to build the glutes and hip extensors. Strengthening these muscles will allow you lot to run faster, jump college, alter management, and accelerate/decelerate meliorate.

Better Posture: Strong glutes can help to stabilize your sacrum (the triangular bone at the lesser of your lumbar vertebrae). If your glutes become besides weak, and so yous might experience lower back pain or posture bug. Performing hip thrusts volition help mitigate the sacrum from being pulled in a tucked position. Another benefit of hip thrusts is to balance out tight hip flexors. The hip thrust is a hip extension exercise. Therefore, the hip flexors are the adversary muscles to the glutes. If the hip flexors become much stronger than the glutes, it can pb to anterior pelvic tilt or hollow back (when your pelvis is pulled out of alignment). Doing hip thrusts can reduce the chances of this happening.

Expect Better & Proceeds Conviction: The flat booty was an aesthetic that was "in" more than than 30 years ago. Times have changed; almost people respect a well developed rear-end. Hip thrusts will help to tighten and build your backside like no other exercise.

Enhanced Mobility: Everyday activities such as walking upstairs or getting/sitting down on a chair requires your hip extensor muscles (primarily your glutes and hamstrings) to go to work. Hip thrusts strengthen the muscles that will aid in performing daily activities like walking or just keeping your residuum.

Improve Bone Density: Weight-bearing practise is one of the only scientifically proven ways to strengthen the bones and improve bone density. Hip thrusts are a slap-up practise to assistance with this considering they are a depression-impact weight-bearing exercise that enables y'all to elevator heavy loads. This can help with improving low bone density in the spine, hips, knees, and legs.

hip thrusts benefits

HIP THRUST TRAINING VARIABLES

Load: The load yous use should be commensurate with your fitness levels. If y'all're a beginner, you should start by mastering the hip thrust with just your bodyweight. One time y'all become the move downward pat and you're able to experience a maximum gluteal contraction, and so it's time to add some resistance. For intermediates or trained people, your goal should exist to elevator a weight that equals your bodyweight. After yous reach this feat, then you lot should try to add weight in 20 lb increments. Advanced lifters volition be able to move hundreds of pounds with the hip thrust.

Equipment: One of the best aspects of hip thrusts is using different equipment to provide added resistance. You can use the following tools for the added resistance:

Barbell Hip Thrust: See in a higher place**
Dumbbell Hip Thrust: Hold the weight in the crease of your hips
Kettlebell Hip Thrust: Concord the weight in the pucker of your hips
Resistance Bands Hip Thrusts: Multiple setups possible depending on body positioning (Run across beneath*)
Hamstring Roll Automobile: Place the leg pad in the crease of your hips with your upper back on the demote
Smith Motorcar Hip Thrust: Fix a demote at the proper altitude so that the bar rests in the crease of your hips.

Note: The setup will change depending on the tool you're using; come across below for hip thrust variations.

HIP THRUST SETS & REPS

The platonic sets and reps for the hip thrust are based mainly on your grooming goals and fettle level. If y'all're a beginner, you might desire to aim for a higher rep range and lower weight, whereas avant-garde lifters might use fewer reps and heavier weights with longer breaks betwixt sets. More often than not speaking; you should follow the protocol below:

Strength & Ability: 3-5 sets of 1-half-dozen reps with more extended rest periods up to effectually ii minutes
Hypertrophy & Strength: 3-four sets of 6-12 reps with rests of 1-2 minutes between sets
Endurance & Hypertrophy: iii-4 sets of 10-20 reps with rests of 1-2 minutes between sets

Note: The glutes are comprised of roughly half fast-twitch and one-half slow-twitch muscles fibers, which ways you should employ a multifariousness of grooming volumes to go the nearly from the practise.

Elevation eight HIP THRUST VARIATIONS

We put together some of the all-time hip thrust exercises beneath. Y'all volition observe that you tin do hip thrusts with a variety of tools or with your bodyweight, utilize these exercises to get your glutes pumped.

ane. Barbell Hip Thrust

The barbell hip thrust is considered to be the standard hip thrust that we covered to a higher place. We believe this is the all-time pick for hip thrusts because of the power to add a heavy load while going through a full range of motion.

2. Barbell One Leg Hip Thrust

This variation of the hip thrust is incredible because it is a unilateral exercise. Doing this exercise with 1 leg on the ground will allow y'all to focus on improving and balancing the strength and ability in 1 leg at a time. In addition, unilateral exercises usually highlight any weak points or areas where one side needs to catch up to the other side. Seeing how the hip thrust is one of the best exercises to isolate and piece of work the gluteus maximus, working i side at a time will heighten this benefit. It's also going to agile the gluteus medius and minimus more due to the demand on hip stability.

How To:

Prepare a barbell, and then sit on the ground with your upper back confronting the edge of a bench.
Whorl the bar into position, resting information technology in the crease of your hips. Hold the bar with both hands using an overhand grip at the outside of your thighs.
Lift one leg and curve your knee at 90 degrees
Flex your glute to lift your butt off the ground, then contract it to elevator your hips until they're slightly above your knees
Hold at the acme for one-3 seconds while squeezing glutes as much as possible.
Slowly lower your hips until your just is a few inches above the ground.
Echo for desired reps, then switch sides.

Note: You can perform this unmarried-leg hip thrust with just your bodyweight, or you tin can add the forms of resistance above.

3. Resistance Ring Hip Thrust

This is the perfect option if you want to exercise hip thrusts at home with some added resistance, but y'all don't have a barbell. In that location are a few ways y'all tin can set up a ring hip thrust, every bit seen beneath:

With this version, you will demand heavy objects or dumbbells to secure the band. You could also loop either end of the band around your foot to use your anxiety as an ballast.

four. Smith Hip Thrust

To do the Smith hip thrust, you'll follow the aforementioned cues equally the barbell hip thrust. Simply make sure you have the proper setup before you commencement adding weights onto the bar.

Note: If information technology'south an angled Smith machine, so you should be thrusting the bar up towards the direction of your head.

Related: How Much Does A Smith Car Bar Weigh?

5. Kneeling Hip Thrust With Band

This version of the hip thrust, which is really a kneeling squat, is highly effective for creating glute contraction. It is essentially a squat without the knee movement (so merely the top part of a squat). However, with the resistance being created by a band, in a horizontal direction, you go a great contraction of the glutes, which you can't with squats.

Note: You can also employ a cable machine with a rope attachment to do this exercise. You lot'll just have to hold onto the ropes when performing the movement.

Buy Resistance Bands

6. Frog Hip Thrust

This bodyweight hip thrust is excellent for targeting the gluteus medius and other hip abductors while working the aforementioned muscles as a standard hip thrust.

7. Bodyweight Hip Thrust

Using only your bodyweight is a regression of the barbell hip thrust. Notwithstanding, beginners tin can start with doing these bodyweight hip thrusts until the technique is perfected. Bodyweight hip thrusts are besides a great alternative that you tin do at home if you don't have any equipment but still want to become some work in.

Related: Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises

viii. Glute Bridge

The glute bridge can be an excellent culling to the hip thrust for beginners or those with limited hip mobility. The significant departure between the hip thrust and the glute bridge is that your shoulders/upper back volition be in contact with the floor. Your shoulders braced on the basis pb to a reduced range of motion. Follow the same cues as the hip thrust for lifting your hips. Make sure you hold and clasp at the pinnacle to get maximum glute contraction.

Notation: Yous tin also make the glute bridge more challenging by adding resistance like a loaded barbell.

FAQS ABOUT HIP THRUSTS

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE Betwixt A HIP THRUST AND GLUTE BRIDGE?

The significant difference between the hip thrust and the glute bridge is that the hip thrust offers a more than fantastic range of motion due to the elevated position of the upper back. The glute bridge is performed with your shoulders on the ground and is unremarkably done with simply bodyweight, although yous could add resistance.

Tin can You lot HIP THRUST EVERY DAY?

Y'all could practice a few sets of bodyweight hip thrusts daily to counteract long hours of sitting. However, if y'all're adding weight, you'll demand to requite your muscles time to recover. If training for hypertrophy, we recommend you do hip thrusts 1-two times per week.

WHY Practise HIP THRUSTS Injure?

If you're experiencing hurting while doing hip thrusts, then you might exist doing the practise wrong. On the other hand, you have some underlying problems, which in that case yous should consult your physician. The most common reasons for experiencing hurting when performing hip thrusts are going also heavy or lousy torso positioning. Refer to the cues from above to ensure you're executing the hip thrust as safely and efficiently every bit possible.

FINAL NOTE

If hip thrusts aren't a component of your workout routine, then you're missing out on the best exercise to build strong glutes. Your glutes are involved in most everyday movements, then information technology'south vital to proceed them in tip-top condition. Pay attending to the initial setup and your torso positioning. Call back, if your glutes aren't called-for after a few sets of hip thrusts, so brand some adjustments and get dorsum to work!

Related: 8 All-time Gluteus Maximus Exercises

what do hip thrusts work

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