Dumbbell hip thrust
Full guide coming soon
Hip Thrust (Barbell)
The barbell hip thrust trains your glutes through a full hip extension with your upper back on a bench. It lets you load the glutes heavily with little stress on the knees and no load on the spine from above.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Barbell + Weight plates + Flat bench
- glutes
- hamstrings
Left: start position. Right: end position. Orange: the muscles that work.
How to do the hip thrust
- Sit on the floor with the lower edge of your shoulder blades against a flat bench. Roll a padded barbell over your legs until it sits in the crease of your hips.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat, about hip-width apart, so that your shins will be close to vertical at the top.
- Hold the bar with both hands just outside your hips. Tuck your chin slightly and brace your abs.Breathe
- Drive through your heels and the middle of your feet to lift your hips until your torso and thighs form a straight line.
- Squeeze your glutes and hold the top for a moment. Keep your ribs down so that the movement comes from your hips, not from an arch in your lower back.
- Lower your hips under control until the bar is a few inches above the floor, then start the next rep.
Breathing. Take a breath and brace before each rep, keep it while you drive up, and breathe out at the top or on the way down.
Tips
- Set up the bench against a wall or a heavy object so that it cannot slide away.
- Start with the empty bar or a light load to learn the top position before you add weight.
Muscles worked
The hip thrust works mainly the glutes and hamstrings.
- Glutes (main muscle)
- Hamstrings (main muscle)
- Quads (also works)
- Abs (core) (also works)
| Muscle | Role |
|---|---|
| Glutes | Main mover. The gluteus maximus extends the hip and works hardest at the top, where the hips are fully extended. |
| Hamstrings | Help to extend the hip. They work less when your feet are close to the bench and the knees are bent more. |
| Quads (also works) | Hold the knee angle and help a little to push the hips up. |
| Abs (core) (also works) | Keeps your ribs and pelvis in line, so your lower back does not arch at the top. |
Sets, reps and rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (first weeks) | 3 | 10-12 reps | 75 s |
| Build muscle | 3 | 8-12 reps | 90 s |
| Get stronger | 3 | 6-8 reps | 2 min |
| General fitness | 3 | 10-12 reps | 75 s |
| Fat loss (with more daily activity) | 3 | 12-15 reps | 60 s |
These numbers come from the same rules as the Oh My Coach app. Use a load that leaves 1 to 3 reps in reserve. When you reach the top of the range in every set, add a little load or move to the harder version (double progression). What is double progression?
Common mistakes
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Arching the lower back at the top
Why it matters: The movement moves from the hips to the spine, so the glutes do less work and the lower back takes the load.
Fix: Keep your ribs down and your chin tucked. Stop when your hips are in line with your torso.
-
Feet too far from the bench
Why it matters: With straight legs at the top, the hamstrings take over more of the work and the hamstrings can cramp.
Fix: Move your feet in until your shins are close to vertical at the top of the rep.
-
Bouncing the bar off the floor
Why it matters: The bounce takes tension off the glutes at the bottom and makes it hard to control a heavy bar.
Fix: Lower under control and pause just above the floor before you drive up again.
-
Bar without a pad
Why it matters: A bare bar on the hip bones hurts and makes many people stop the set early.
Fix: Use a thick bar pad, a folded mat or a towel under the bar.
Make it easier or harder
This exercise gets harder with load. When every set reaches the top of the rep range with good form, add the smallest weight step you have. To make it easier, use less load or a shorter range of motion while you learn the movement.
Versions of this exercise
Bodyweight hip thrust
Full guide coming soon
Alternatives
Same main muscle and the same movement pattern first, from the same rules as the app's swap list.
Kettlebell deadlift
Same movement pattern
Full guide coming soon
Kettlebell swing
Same movement pattern
Dumbbell hip thrust
Same movement pattern
Full guide coming soon
What you need
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Take care if
This exercise loads the hip. If your hip hurts, stop. Options that do not load the hip in the same way: Kettlebell deadlift, Kettlebell swing. For pain that does not go away, see a doctor or a physiotherapist.
If your hip or lower back hurts during the set, stop. Try a glute bridge on the floor with no load.
Compared with
Questions
What muscles does the hip thrust work?
The hip thrust works mainly the glutes. The hamstrings help to extend the hip, the quads hold the knee angle, and the abs keep the pelvis in line. In an EMG study, the hip thrust gave higher glute and hamstring activity than the back squat.
Is the hip thrust better than the squat for glutes?
Not clearly. The hip thrust gives higher glute activity, but a 9-week training study in untrained adults found similar glute growth from hip thrusts and back squats. The squat group also gained more quad size. Many programs use both.
How do I make the hip thrust easier?
Do the glute bridge on the floor, or the bodyweight hip thrust with your back on the bench and no bar. Add a dumbbell on your hips when the bodyweight version is easy.
Where should the bar sit?
In the crease of your hips, below the hip bones, with a pad under it. If the bar rolls toward your stomach, move it back down before you start the set.