The hip thrust is the movement itself: upper back on a bench, feet planted, hips driven up to a hard lockout. Logged on its own it usually means the bodyweight or lightly loaded version you do anywhere with a bench — the same pattern as a barbell hip thrust without the setup, and the one people actually keep doing.
How to do it
- Shoulder blades on a bench, feet planted so the shins are vertical at the top.
- Drive through the heels and finish with the hips fully extended, ribs down.
Common mistakes
- Hyperextending the lower back at the top instead of squeezing the glutes.
What it trains
- Glutes
- extend the hips against gravity — the prime mover, hardest worked at the top of the rep
- Hamstrings
- assist the hip extension, with a bigger share the further out your feet are
- Abs
- stop the lockout turning into a lower back arch
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
How do I progress hip thrusts without a barbell?
Single leg, then a dumbbell across the hips, then pause reps at lockout. A one-leg thrust at bodyweight is harder than a two-leg one with a plate, and it needs nothing. Beyond that you want a bar, because a dumbbell you can balance on your hips runs out well before your glutes do.
How many reps should I do on hip thrusts?
Eight to fifteen suits it well — the range is short and the glutes tolerate volume, so very heavy triples give you mostly a sore hip crease. Set your range in StackUp and it will suggest more weight the session after you top it out.
Should my chin be tucked?
Yes, keep your eyes on your knees through the rep. Looking up at the ceiling throws your rib cage back and turns the lockout into a spinal arch — the tucked chin is the simplest way to keep the movement in the hips.
Do hip thrusts replace squats?
No. They load the hip at the top of the range where a squat is at its easiest, so they cover what a squat misses rather than the other way round. Most people do best with one of each in the week.
In StackUp. Logged as weight and reps per set, and your heaviest working set decides whether the weight goes up next time. Get the app.
Glutes
