Exactly Which Muscles You Work When Doing Hip Thrusts

If you are trying to construct a much bigger, stronger butt, barbell hip thrusts are the move your workout routine just could be missing. This exercise is probably the greatest ways to grow your backside and injury-proof your lower body. Below, we share every little thing you’ll want to find out about this exercise, including hip thrust muscles worked, form suggestions, and our favourite variations.

Which muscles are worked in hip thrusts?

The most important muscle worked during hip thrusts is your gluteus maximus—the largest and strongest muscle in your body.

Your hamstrings, other glute muscles (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus), and adductor longus are also targeted to a lesser extent. This makes the barbell hip thrust a great exercise for training the back of your lower body.

How to do hip thrusts with perfect form each time

1. Begin seated along with your back against a bench. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades.
2. Position your feet so that they are only outside your hips and knees.
3. Place a barbell in your hips. You can put a foam pad or towel across the middle of the barbell to guard your hip bones.
4. Initiate the rep by driving through your heels and lifting your hips off the bottom. Squeeze your butt and drive up into the barbell.
5. Look straight ahead and never up on the ceiling.
6. Hold this position with fully prolonged hips for 1 to 2 seconds.
7. Finish the rep by slowly lowering your hips back to the ground.
8. Repeat.

What are the advantages of hip thrusts?

1. They construct glute strength and muscle

One of probably the most notable hip thrust advantages is that the move can show you how to construct a much bigger, rounder behind. Placing load directly in your hips heavily targets your glute muscles. This helps them grow when paired with proper nutrition and a well-rounded lower-body workout program.

Even for those who don’t care about what your butt looks like, everyone can profit from having stronger glutes. Strong glutes help keep your knees and low back healthy. They allow you to lift more weight on other exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges.

2. They improve your athletic performance

If you’re trying to grow to be more resilient and competitive on the track, field, trail, or court, hip thrusts may also help by strengthening your glutes. Strong glutes play a key role in running, cutting, jumping, and other athletic moves. They could make you more powerful and explosive in addition to reduce your risk of knee and lower back injuries.

3. They train your lower body without taxing your knees

Some people can’t goal their glutes through squats and lunges on account of knee injuries. The hip thrust is a more knee-friendly alternative that permits you to lift heavy without compromising your recovery.

How to make hip thrusts easier

1. Mini band hip thrust

Not able to perform hip thrusts with a barbell? Try adding a mini band around your knees. This is an ideal solution to add a little bit of load when you learn the exercise.

1. Begin seated along with your back against a bench. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades.
2. Position your feet so that they are only outside your hips and knees.
3. Place a mini band just above your knees.
4. Initiate the rep by driving through your heels and lifting your hips off the bottom. Squeeze your butt and your hips up.
5. Look straight ahead and never up on the ceiling.
6. Hold this position with fully prolonged hips for 1 to 2 seconds.
7. Finish the rep by slowly lowering your hips back to the ground.
8. Repeat.

2. Dumbbell hip thrust

You can still perform loaded hip thrusts for those who don’t have access to barbells. Place a dumbbell on top of your hips and use your hands to maintain it in place. You could also use a kettlebell, medicine ball, or sandbag.

1. Begin seated along with your back against a bench. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades.
2. Position your feet so that they are only outside your hips and knees.
3. Place dumbbell horizontally on top of your hip joints. Hold all sides of the dumbbell so it stays in place.
4. Initiate the rep by driving through your heels and lifting your hips off the bottom. Squeeze your butt and drive up into the dumbbell.
5. Look straight ahead and never up on the ceiling.
6. Hold this position with fully prolonged hips for 1 to 2 seconds.
7. Finish the rep by slowly lowering your hips back to the ground.
8. Repeat.

3. Glute bridge

The glute bridge is ideal for beginners or anyone who can’t do hip thrusts. These could be performed as a body weight warm-up drill or loaded with a barbell or other weights as a part of a strength workout.

1. Lie down in your back.
2. Bend your knees and place your feet on the bottom. Your feet needs to be hip-distance apart, and your arms needs to be barely diagonal away out of your body along with your palms on the ground.
3. Lift your hips until you could have a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the highest.
5. Release as you lower your hips back down.
6. Repeat.

How to make hip thrusts harder

Looking to boost your hip thrust training? Try these three difficult variations. Warning: These aren’t for the faint of heart!

1. Single-leg hip thrust

Single-leg hip thrusts are a unbelievable exercise for constructing functional lower-body strength. Try it once you feel confident on two legs.

1. Begin seated along with your back against a bench. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades.
2. Position your feet so that they are only outside your hips and knees.
3. Lift one foot off the bottom.
4. Initiate the rep by driving through you the heel that is on the bottom and lifting your hips off the bottom. Squeeze your butt and drive your hips up.
5. Look straight ahead and never up on the ceiling.
6. Hold this position with fully prolonged hips for 1 to 2 seconds.
7. Finish the rep by slowly lowering your hips back to the ground.
8. Repeat.

Tip: You will want to do this move with none added weight first. In time, you possibly can consider adding extra load with a barbell or dumbbell.

2. Hip thrust with mini band hip abduction

You can use a mini band to challenge your gluteus medius and other hip abductors. These muscles are situated on the perimeters of your hips and play a vital role in knee health and athletic performance.

1. Begin seated along with your back against a bench. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades.
2. Position your feet so that they are only outside your hips and knees.
3. Place a mini band just above your knees and place a barbell in your hips. You can put a foam pad or towel across the middle of the barbell to guard your hip bones.
4. Initiate the rep by driving through your heels and lifting your hips off the bottom. Squeeze your butt and drive up into the barbell.
5. Look straight ahead and never up on the ceiling.
6. Hold this position with fully prolonged hips for 1 to 2 seconds.
7. Finish the rep by slowly lowering your hips back to the ground.
8. Perform 8 to fifteen reps.
9. Roll the barbell off your legs.
10. Still sitting up, perform 15 to twenty mini band hip abductions where you drive your knees out hard against the band.

3. Pulse hip thrust

This variation dramatically increases your time under tension, which implies your set goes on quite a bit longer.

1. Begin seated along with your back against a bench. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades.
2. Position your feet so that they are only outside your hips and knees.
3. Place a barbell in your hips. You can put a foam pad or towel across the middle of the barbell to guard your hip bones.
4. Initiate the rep by driving through your heels and lifting your hips off the bottom. Squeeze your butt and drive up into the barbell.
5. Look straight ahead and never up on the ceiling.
6. Perform 5 mini pulses where you lower your hips just a few inches (not all of the solution to the ground) after which drive your hips back up.
7. Finish the rep by slowly lowering your hips back to the ground.
8. Repeat.

Tip: It’s best to do fewer reps of this move. Try 5 to 10 total reps.

Hip thrust vs. glute bridge: What’s the difference?

Hip thrusts and glute bridges are very similar. The biggest difference is that glute bridges are performed lying on the ground, while hip thrusts are performed sitting upright along with your back against a bench.

Hip thrusts use a bigger range of motion and stretch your glutes greater than glute bridges. This means hip thrusts are harder and offer more potential gains than glute bridges.

Common mistakes people make when doing hip thrusts

1. Incorrect foot position

Selecting the fallacious foot position can compromise your hip thrust glute gains.

Putting your feet too near your body turns hip thrusts right into a quad dominant exercise. If you place your feet too distant from you, your hamstrings take over.

Instead, place your feet so your knees form a 90-degree angle while you’re at the highest of your hip thrust. Your feet must also be barely outside your hips.

Everyone’s body is different. Experiment to seek out the foot position that enables you to feel your glutes probably the most.

2. Sitting too low

Sitting too low, with the bar pushed into your upper back or traps, makes it harder to effectively use your glutes. It’s also uncomfortable and could cause you to slip down the bench during your set.

Instead, sit as high as possible. The bench should rest against the underside of your shoulder blades toward the center of your back.

If you’re using a bench that’s really tall, you would possibly must compromise and sit in order that your butt doesn’t fully hit the bottom in the midst of each rep.

3. Not locking out your hips at the highest of the move

It’s crucial to totally lock out your hips the highest of the exercise. That’s where your glutes are most engaged, so that you’re leaving gains on the table for those who fall short.

If you’re fighting lock out, try adding a 2-second pause at the highest of every rep. You may additionally must lower the burden.

4. Hyperextending your lower back

The hip thrust just isn’t a lower back exercise, and also you don’t need to excessively arch your back at the highest.

Two things help with this. First, stop driving the bar up once your hips are prolonged. Second, look straight ahead of you for the complete set. There needs to be a straight line running from the underside of your ribs through your hips and knees.

5. Choosing the fallacious weight

If you’re struggling to lock out, you could be going too heavy. Lower the burden for now and also you’ll actually get more out of the exercise.

On the flip side, some individuals are scared so as to add weight. Your glutes are the largest, strongest muscles in your body, they usually should be challenged with heavy loads as a way to grow. Don’t be afraid to load up your hip thrusts when you’ve got your form down.

FAQ

1. How many sets and reps of hip thrusts must you do?

Hip thrusts are a flexible exercise, and you need to use many various sets and rep schemes.

Here are just a few that work well:

• 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps with a moderate load.
• 3 to 4 sets of 5 to eight reps with a heavy load.
• 4 sets of 15, 10, 5, and 20+ reps. Add weight on each of the primary 3 sets. Lower the burden on the ultimate set and do as many reps as you possibly can.

2. What weight should a beginner use for hip thrusts?

At first, you possibly can start with an unloaded barbell to get your form down. If that feels too easy, load your barbell with 10-pound or 25-pound bumper plates on all sides (65 or 95 kilos total). Bumper plates are round, rubber plates that typically are available in 10-, 25-, and 45-pound increments. Add weight once you possibly can easily do 12 reps with good form.

If your gym doesn’t have bumper plates, you’ll need to make use of regular metal plates. It’s best to attend until you’re strong enough to make use of the 45-pound metal plates since it’s awkward to establish hip thrusts using small plates.

3. How many days per week must you do hip thrusts?

You could make great progress doing hip thrusts once per week, as long as you furthermore mght perform other lower body exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges.

If you desire to perform hip thrusts greater than once every week, it’s necessary to combine up your training methods and loads. You could do at some point with low reps and heavy weight after which at some point with moderate reps and moderate weight.