Learn all of the hip thrust muscles worked, focusing on glute activation and strengthening your lower body.
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Which muscles are worked in hip thrusts?
The main muscle worked during hip thrusts is your gluteus maximusthe biggest and strongest muscle in your body.
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This makes thebarbell hip thrustan ideal exercise for training the back of your lower body.
Placing load directly on your hips heavily targets your glute muscles.
This helps them grow when paired with proper nutrition and a well-roundedlower-body workoutprogram.
Even if you dont care about what your butt looks like, everyone can benefit from having stronger glutes.
Strong glutes help keep your knees and low back healthy.
They let you lift more weight on other exercises likesquats,deadlifts, andlunges.
Strong glutes play a key role in running, cutting, jumping, and other athletic moves.
The hip thrust is a more knee-friendlyhip thrust alternativethat allows you to lift heavy without compromising your recovery.
How to make hip thrusts easier
1.
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Mini band hip thrust
Not ready to perform hip thrusts with a barbell?
Try adding a mini band around your knees.
This is a great way to add a bit of load while you learn the exercise.
Dumbbell hip thrust
you could still perform loaded hip thrusts if you dont have access to barbells.
Place adumbbellon top of your hips and use your hands to keep it in place.
You could also use a kettlebell, medicine ball, or sandbag.
Glute bridge
The glute bridge is perfect for beginners or anyone who cant do hip thrusts.
How to make hip thrusts harder
Looking to spice up your hip thrust training?
Try these three challenging variations.
Warning: These arent for the faint of heart!
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Single-leg hip thrust
Single-leg hip thrusts are a fantastic exercise for building functional lower-body strength.
Try it once youre feeling confident on two legs.
Tip:You may want to try this move without any added weight first.
In time, you’ve got the option to consider adding extra load with a barbell or dumbbell.
Tip:Its best to do fewer reps of this move.
Try 5 to 10 total reps.
Hip thrust vs. glute bridge: Whats the difference?
Hip thrusts andglute bridgesare very similar.
Hip thrusts use a larger range of motion and stretch your glutes more than glute bridges.
This means hip thrusts are harder and offer more potential gains than glute bridges.
(Read bridges versus hip thrustshere!)
Common mistakes people make when doing hip thrusts
1.
Incorrect foot position
Selecting the wrong foot position can compromise your hip thrust glute gains.
Putting your feet too close to your body turns hip thrusts into a quad dominant exercise.
If you place your feet too far away from you, your hamstrings take over.
Your feet should also be slightly outside your hips.
Everyones body is different.
Experiment to find the foot position that lets you feel your glutes the most.
Its also uncomfortable and can cause you to slide down the bench during your set.
Instead, sit as high as possible.
The bench should rest against the bottom of your shoulder blades toward the middle of your back.
Thats where your glutes are most engaged, so youre leaving gains on the table if you fall short.
Two things help with this.
First, stop driving the bar up once your hips are extended.
Second, look straight ahead of you for the entire set.
There should be a straight line running from the bottom of your ribs through your hips and knees.
Choosing the wrong weight
If youre struggling to lock out, you might be going too heavy.
Lower the weight for now and youll actually get more out of the exercise.
On the flip side, some people are scared to add weight.
Dont be afraid to load up your hip thrusts once youve got your form down.
FAQ
1.
How many sets and reps of hip thrusts should you do?
Hip thrusts are a versatile exercise, and you could use many different sets and rep schemes.
Here are a few that work well:
2.
What weight should a beginner use for hip thrusts?
Bumper plates are round, rubber plates that usually come in 10-, 25-, and 45-pound increments.
Add weight once you could easily do 12 reps with good form.
If your gym doesnt have bumper plates, youll have to use regular metal plates.
How many days per week should you do hip thrusts?
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