How one can Do the Barbell Hip Thrust: Type, Frequent Errors & Alternate options

Relating to constructing robust, highly effective glutes, few workout routines 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 simple to study and carry out, however to get essentially the most out of this train, it’s important to keep away from a number of frequent hip thrust kind errors.

On this article you’ll study all the pieces it is advisable learn about easy methods to do a hip thrust, together with what the hip thrust train is, which muscular tissues are labored by the hip thrust, easy methods to arrange the hip thrust and use correct hip thrust kind, the very best hip thrust 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 a number of hip thrust machines that let you comfortably and successfully practice your glutes, too.

There are numerous variations of weighted hip thrusts, however the commonest (and the one we’ll concentrate on on this article) is the barbell hip thrust.

As you’ll see in a second, the barbell hip thrust additionally lets you use the heaviest weights, doesn’t require any particular gear, and is usually 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 mainly interchangeable.

Whereas these two workout routines 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 simple to carry out anyplace but in addition troublesome so as to add resistance to. In consequence, it’s normally 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 tissue Labored

The primary muscular tissues labored within the hip thrust are the . . .

Right here’s how these muscular tissues look in your physique:

Hip Thrust: Type

One of the simplest ways to study easy methods to hip thrust is to interrupt the train up into three components: arrange, thrust, and descend.

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 study easy 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 embrace putting your ft too shut or too far-off 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 reducing its effectiveness), or throws you off steadiness and makes it troublesome 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. Assume “quick however managed.”

3. Not totally extending the hips.

The issue: On the high of every rep you don’t totally lengthen your hips, which suggests you don’t practice your glutes by a full vary of movement, reducing 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 be sure to totally lengthen your hips, pause on the high of every rep and take a second to make sure the bar is at about the identical top as your knees, then descend.

The Greatest 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 employ a dumbbell as an alternative of a barbell. Doing the hip thrust with a dumbbell is an efficient possibility in the event you’re understanding in a lodge or dwelling health club and don’t have a barbell obtainable, or in the event 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 lets you place nearly all of the load to at least one leg at a time, which suggests you possibly can practice all sides of your physique independently. This makes the B-stance hip thrust helpful for figuring out and night out any dimension or energy imbalances you may need.

To carry out the B-stance hip thrust, arrange as you’d for the barbell hip thrust, then transfer your proper foot ahead till your proper heel strains up with the toes in your left foot. When you’ve executed 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 executed one set if 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 energy imbalances you’ll have between your left and proper facet.

The draw back is that performing the hip thrust on one leg requires plenty 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 creating your glutes because the barbell hip thrust, but it surely’s a workable hip thrust various in the event 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 efficient various to the barbell hip thrust in the event you’re touring or understanding at dwelling and don’t have entry to a health club. To arrange the banded hip thrust, sit on the ground together with your again resting in opposition to 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 manner you’d with a barbell.

The Greatest Hip Thrust Exercise

If you wish to maximize muscle progress, analysis exhibits that it’s greatest to coach your muscular tissues in several methods, from completely different instructions, and at completely different angles.

Thus, a correct “hip thrust exercise” also needs to embrace different workout routines that practice 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 primary 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 dwelling?

Supplied you will have a sturdy piece of furnishings which you can relaxation your shoulders on, corresponding to a bench, footstool, or ottoman, you possibly can carry out the hip thrust at dwelling utilizing a dumbbell, kettlebell, or resistance band.

FAQ #3: Are hip thrust earlier than and after footage you see on-line reasonable?

A few of them is likely to be, however most likely aren’t.

Most of the those who publish 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 truly is. (Merely pushing the glutes out and tilting the hips ahead could make them look a lot greater).

Oh, and given the seismic rise in beauty surgical procedure over the previous few many years, there’s additionally an excellent probability that lots of the butts you see in essentially the most placing “after” images owe extra to the plastic surgeon’s handiwork than the “influencer’s” #dedication within the health club.

FAQ #4: Hip Thrust vs. Squat: which is a greater glute train?

Analysis exhibits that the squat might be simpler for coaching your glutes than the hip thrust, particularly in the event you use the low-bar place and squat to parallel or deeper (the purpose the place your knees are roughly on the top of your hip crease).

That stated, the hip thrust continues to be a extremely efficient glute train that trains your glutes in a barely completely different manner than most different glute workout routines (together with the squat), which is why you’ll get the very best outcomes in the event you embrace each workout routines in your program.

FAQ #5: Hip thrust vs. Glute bridge: which is best?

It relies upon.

The primary advantages of the hip thrust are that it lets you raise heavy weights safely and it’s simple to progressively overload (add weight and reps to), each of which make it a superb train for constructing muscle and gaining energy.

However, the principle advantages of the glute bridge are that it’s simple to study and requires no gear, which suggests it’s a viable hip thrust various in the event you’re new to weightlifting, working round an harm, or in the event you don’t have entry to a health club.

FAQ #6: What’s the distinction between the hip thrust and the “Bret Contreras hip thrust?”

Bret Contreras is a energy 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 together with your mid again resting on a bench, quite than your shoulders, and “tucking” your tailbone towards the ceiling on the high of every rep.

Analysis performed by Contreras himself exhibits that for most individuals, the usual barbell hip thrust is simpler at coaching the glutes than the Bret Contreras hip thrust, however that the Bret Contreras hip thrust is best at coaching the hamstrings whereas minimizing quad involvement.

Thus, if you wish to concentrate on creating your glutes, the usual barbell hip thrust might be the best choice. And in the event you solely really feel your quads working throughout the barbell hip thrust, it is likely to be value making an attempt the Bret Contreras hip thrust. (Then once more, you can additionally argue that there are higher workout routines for coaching your quads than the common or Bret Contreras hip thrust, just like the squat, leg press, and so forth.).