In the case of constructing robust, highly effective glutes, few workouts are as efficient because the hip thrust.
It’s a easy train, too, solely requiring a bench, a barbell, and (ideally) a bar pad. It’s additionally straightforward to be taught and carry out, however to get probably the most out of this train, it’s a must to keep away from just a few frequent hip thrust kind errors.
On this article you’ll be taught the whole lot it’s worthwhile to learn about methods to do a hip thrust, together with what the hip thrust train is, which muscular tissues are labored by the hip thrust, methods to arrange the hip thrust and use correct hip thrust kind, the perfect hip thrust alternate options, and extra!
What Is the Hip Thrust Train?
The hip thrust is a lower-body train that primarily trains the glutes.
You are able to do the hip thrust utilizing your physique weight, however most individuals want so as to add exterior resistance utilizing a barbell, dumbbell, or resistance bands to considerably develop their glutes. There are additionally just a few hip thrust machines that let you comfortably and successfully prepare your glutes, too.
There are a lot of variations of weighted hip thrusts, however the most typical (and the one we’ll give attention to on this article) is the barbell hip thrust.
As you’ll see in a second, the barbell hip thrust additionally means that you can use the heaviest weights, doesn’t require any particular tools, and is mostly the best of the entire hip thrust variations.
Glute Bridge vs. Hip Thrust
Many individuals confuse the glute bridge and the hip thrust or suppose they’re principally interchangeable.
Whereas these two workouts are alike in that they each contain extending your hips (growing the gap between your thighs and stomach), there are some vital variations.
The glute bridge is carried out whereas mendacity on the ground, which makes it straightforward to carry out anyplace but additionally tough so as to add resistance to. In consequence, it’s often carried out with physique weight alone, which suggests it’s tougher to realize progressive overload with this train than the barbell hip thrust.
Thus, assuming you will have entry to a bench and barbell, you’ll construct your glutes quicker with barbell hip thrusts than with body weight glute bridges.
Hip Thrust: Muscle groups Labored
The principle muscular tissues labored within the hip thrust are the . . .
Right here’s how these muscular tissues look in your physique:
Hip Thrust: Type
The easiest way to be taught methods to hip thrust is to interrupt the train up into three elements: arrange, thrust, and descend.
Step 1: Set Up
Sit on the ground along with your again resting towards a bench. The bench must be perpendicular to your physique and your shoulders must be resting on the center of the bench.
Roll a loaded barbell over your thighs in order that it sits in your hip crease—the purpose the place your thighs meet your torso. Place a hip thrust pad, barbell pad, or folded yoga mat between the bar and your hip bones to forestall bruising and make the train extra snug.
Plant your ft on the ground about shoulder-width aside and 12-to-18 inches out of your butt along with your toes pointing barely outward in order that your knees are bent to about 90 levels.
Seize the bar along with your palms going through towards the ground and some inches out of your sides (you possibly can experiment with totally different hand positions to search out what’s most snug for you).
Step 2: Thrust
Whereas preserving your shoulders pressed towards the bench and your fingers gripped across the bar, push the bar upward along with your hips by urgent via your heels.
As you thrust upward, tuck your chin to your chest. This prevents you from overarching your again and straining your neck.
Proceed thrusting your hips into the bar till your torso and thighs kind a straight line that’s parallel to the ground and your shins are vertical.
Step 3: Descend
Reverse the motion to return the bar to its beginning place on the ground. This can be a mirror picture of what you probably did throughout the thrust. Decrease the bar shortly however below management, and as soon as it touches the ground, start the following rep.
Hip Thrust: Frequent Errors
1. Incorrect set-up.
The issue: You don’t arrange appropriately which makes the train awkward and reduces how a lot you possibly can raise.
The repair: It’s vital that you just be taught methods to arrange the hip thrust appropriately utilizing the information above after which use the identical set-up each time you carry out the train. The most typical set-up errors embody putting your ft too shut or too distant out of your butt, not guaranteeing your shoulders are mendacity securely on the bench, and forgetting to make use of a hip thrust pad (or folded yoga mat).
2. Bouncing the weights off the ground.
The issue: You don’t management the descent and the weights bounce off the ground, which both makes the train simpler (thus lowering its effectiveness), or throws you off steadiness and makes it tough to regulate the barbell.
The repair: Don’t attempt to decrease the weights slowly or quietly however do it with management. The descent ought to take lower than a second, however you shouldn’t drop your butt to the bottom, both. Suppose “quick however managed.”
3. Not absolutely extending the hips.
The issue: On the prime of every rep you don’t absolutely lengthen your hips, which suggests you don’t prepare your glutes via a full vary of movement, lowering the effectiveness of the train.
The repair: Throughout every rep, don’t cease thrusting the bar towards the ceiling till your torso and thighs kind a straight line that’s parallel to the ground and your shins are vertical. To ensure you absolutely lengthen your hips, pause on the prime of every rep and take a second to make sure the bar is at about the identical peak as your knees, then descend.
The Finest Barbell Hip Thrust Alternate options
1. Dumbbell Hip Thrust
The one distinction between the barbell hip thrust and the dumbbell hip thrust is that within the dumbbell hip thrust you utilize a dumbbell as an alternative of a barbell. Doing the hip thrust with a dumbbell is an effective possibility should you’re figuring out in a lodge or residence gymnasium and don’t have a barbell out there, or should you’re new to weightlifting and need to begin out with a weight that’s lighter than a barbell.
2. B-Stance Hip Thrust
The B-stance hip thrust means that you can place the vast majority of the load to at least one leg at a time, which suggests you possibly can prepare all sides of your physique independently. This makes the B-stance hip thrust helpful for figuring out and night out any dimension or power imbalances you may need.
To carry out the B-stance hip thrust, arrange as you’ll for the barbell hip thrust, then transfer your proper foot ahead till your proper heel traces up with the toes in your left foot. When you’ve completed the specified variety of reps like this, repeat the method, however this time transfer your left foot ahead till your left heel is lined up with the toes in your proper foot. You’ve completed one set while you’ve accomplished the specified variety of reps utilizing every stance.
3. Single-Leg Hip Thrust
The single-leg hip thrust is a extra superior model of the B-stance hip thrust that requires you to raise the load and stabilize your physique utilizing just one leg at a time. Just like the B-stance hip thrust, the single-leg hip thrust is beneficial for figuring out and night out any dimension and power imbalances you could have between your left and proper facet.
The draw back is that performing the hip thrust on one leg requires loads of steadiness and coordination, which limits the quantity of weight you possibly can raise, and reduces the strength- and muscle-building potential of the train.
4. Smith Machine Hip Thrust
The Smith machine hip thrust most likely isn’t fairly as efficient at growing your glutes because the barbell hip thrust, nevertheless it’s a workable hip thrust various should you don’t have entry to a barbell, you’re working round an harm, otherwise you merely don’t need to do the barbell model.
5. Banded Hip Thrust
The banded hip thrust is an effective various to the barbell hip thrust should you’re touring or figuring out at residence and don’t have entry to a gymnasium. To arrange the banded hip thrust, sit on the ground along with your again resting towards a bench such as you would for the barbell hip thrust, then lay a resistance band throughout your lap and pin every finish of the band to the ground on both facet of your physique utilizing one thing heavy (like weight plates or dumbbells). Then, carry out the train the identical approach you’ll with a barbell.
The Finest Hip Thrust Exercise
If you wish to maximize muscle development, analysis exhibits that it’s finest to coach your muscular tissues in numerous methods, from totally different instructions, and at totally different angles.
Thus, a correct “hip thrust exercise” must also embody different workouts that prepare your glutes and different decrease physique muscular tissues, like this
- Barbell Again Squat: 3 units of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation
- Barbell Hip Thrust: 3 units of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation
- Leg Press: 3 units of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation
- Romanian Deadlift: 3 units of 8-to-10 reps with 2-to-3 min relaxation
FAQ #1: What does the hip thrust work?
The principle muscular tissues labored within the hip thrust are the . . .
- Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
- Hip adductors
- Erector spinae
FAQ #2: How can I do the hip thrust at residence?
Offered you will have a sturdy piece of furnishings which you could relaxation your shoulders on, akin to a bench, footstool, or ottoman, you possibly can carry out the hip thrust at residence utilizing a dumbbell, kettlebell, or resistance band.
FAQ #3: Are hip thrust earlier than and after footage you see on-line sensible?
A few of them may be, however likely aren’t.
Most of the folks that submit hip thrust earlier than and after footage on social media and web blogs use flattering poses, lighting legerdemain, and digital retouching to make their progress look extra spectacular than it really is. (Merely pushing the glutes out and tilting the hips ahead could make them look a lot larger).
Oh, and given the seismic rise in beauty surgical procedure over the previous few a long time, there’s additionally a very good likelihood that lots of the butts you see in probably the most hanging “after” images owe extra to the plastic surgeon’s handiwork than the “influencer’s” #dedication within the gymnasium.
FAQ #4: Hip Thrust vs. Squat: which is a greater glute train?
Analysis exhibits that the squat might be more practical for coaching your glutes than the hip thrust, particularly should you use the low-bar place and squat to parallel or deeper (the purpose the place your knees are roughly on the peak of your hip crease).
That stated, the hip thrust remains to be a extremely efficient glute train that trains your glutes in a barely totally different approach than most different glute workouts (together with the squat), which is why you’ll get the perfect outcomes should you embody each workouts in your program.
FAQ #5: Hip thrust vs. Glute bridge: which is healthier?
It relies upon.
The principle advantages of the hip thrust are that it means that you can raise heavy weights safely and it’s straightforward to progressively overload (add weight and reps to), each of which make it a superb train for constructing muscle and gaining power.
Then again, the primary advantages of the glute bridge are that it’s straightforward to be taught and requires no tools, which suggests it’s a viable hip thrust various should you’re new to weightlifting, working round an harm, or should you don’t have entry to a gymnasium.
FAQ #6: What’s the distinction between the hip thrust and the “Bret Contreras hip thrust?”
Bret Contreras is a power and conditioning coach that’s extensively related to glute coaching.
He typically teaches a model of the hip thrust (known as the “Bret Contreras hip thrust” or “American hip thrust”) which entails doing a barbell hip thrust along with your mid again resting on a bench, reasonably than your shoulders, and “tucking” your tailbone towards the ceiling on the prime of every rep.
Analysis performed by Contreras himself exhibits that for most individuals, the usual barbell hip thrust is more practical at coaching the glutes than the Bret Contreras hip thrust, however that the Bret Contreras hip thrust is healthier at coaching the hamstrings whereas minimizing quad involvement.
Thus, if you wish to give attention to growing your glutes, the usual barbell hip thrust might be the best choice. And should you solely really feel your quads working throughout the barbell hip thrust, it may be value attempting the Bret Contreras hip thrust. (Then once more, you can additionally argue that there are higher workouts for coaching your quads than the common or Bret Contreras hip thrust, just like the squat, leg press, and many others.).
FAQ #7: Do I want a hip thrust machine or hip thrust bench to do hip thrusts appropriately?
No.
You possibly can carry out the hip thrust completely effectively utilizing a barbell, dumbbell, or resistance band and a normal adjustable bench.
+ Scientific References
- Schwanbeck, S., Chilibeck, P. D., & Binsted, G. (2009). A comparability of free weight squat to Smith machine squat utilizing electromyography. Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis, 23(9), 2588–2591. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0B013E3181B1B181
- Barakat, C., Barroso, R., Alvarez, M., Rauch, J., Miller, N., Bou-Sliman, A., & De Souza, E. O. (2019). The Results of Various Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Quantity Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Depth on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Educated People. Sports activities (Basel, Switzerland), 7(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/SPORTS7090204
- Barbalho, M., Coswig, V., Souza, D., Serrão, J. C., Hebling Campos, M., & Gentil, P. (2020). Again Squat vs. Hip Thrust Resistance-training Applications in Effectively-trained Girls. Worldwide Journal of Sports activities Medication, 41(5), 306–310. https://doi.org/10.1055/A-1082-1126
- Glassbrook, D. J., Helms, E. R., Brown, S. R., & Storey, A. G. (2017). A Overview of the Biomechanical Variations Between the Excessive-Bar and Low-Bar Again-Squat. Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis, 31(9), 2618–2634. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002007
- Paoli, A., Marcolin, G., & Petrone, N. (2009). The impact of stance width on the electromyographical exercise of eight superficial thigh muscular tissues throughout again squat with totally different bar hundreds. Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis, 23(1), 246–250. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181876811
- Delgado, J., Drinkwater, E. J., Banyard, H. G., Haff, G. G., & Nosaka, Okay. (2019). Comparability Between Again Squat, Romanian Deadlift, and Barbell Hip Thrust for Leg and Hip Muscle Actions Throughout Hip Extension. Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis, 33(10), 2595–2601. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003290
- Contreras, B., Cronin, J., & Schoenfeld, B. (2011). Barbell hip thrust. Energy and Conditioning Journal, 33(5), 58–61. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0B013E31822FA09D
- Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., Schoenfeld, B. J., Beardsley, C., & Cronin, J. (2016). A Comparability of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyography Amplitude for the Barbell, Band, and American Hip Thrust Variations. Journal of Utilized Biomechanics, 32(3), 254–260. https://doi.org/10.1123/JAB.2015-0091
