Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Barbell Hip Thrust
The barbell hip thrust trains your glutes by lifting a barbell across your hips while your upper back rests on a bench. It emphasizes hip extension, the motion of straightening your hips.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 2 min
How to do it
- Sit on the floor with the bench edge against your upper back, just below your shoulder blades.
- Roll the padded barbell over your legs into your hip crease.
- Hold the bar with both hands to keep it from rolling.
- Plant your feet hip-width apart with your knees bent.
- Lift your hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor.
- Lower your hips under control to the starting position.
Form cues
- Keep your chin gently tucked
- Push through your whole foot
- Keep your knees tracking over your toes
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower backBrace your abdomen to prevent your ribs from flaring as you finish the lift.
- Feet too close or too farAdjust your foot position so your shins are nearly vertical at the top.
- Bouncing out of the bottomReverse direction smoothly without using a rebound to start the next rep.
Safety
Excessive load or lifting beyond hip extension can strain your lower back. A sliding bench or shifting bar can cause a fall or painful pressure across your pelvis.
- Brace the bench against a fixed support on a nonslip surface before starting.
- Secure loaded plates with collars.
- Start light enough to complete every rep without losing your trunk position.
- Finish with the plates supported on the floor before rolling the bar away; get help if there is not enough clearance.
If you have ongoing hip, pelvic, or lower-back pain, use a lighter variation and seek advice from a physiotherapist before adding load.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell
- Barbell Collar (optional)
- Barbell Pad (optional)
- Flat Bench
- Weight Plate (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 8–12 reps
- Rest
- 2 min
Choose a weight that leaves you able to perform about two more controlled reps at the end of each set.