Hip Thrust: The Best Exercise for Growing Your Butt?
Hip thrust has in recent years sailed up as one of the foremost exercises to train the butt, on good grounds. The exercise is stable and easy to load heavily, and it trains the hip extension of the buttocks in a good range of motion.
In addition, you can add an elastic band around the knees to simultaneously train the abductive parts of the buttocks.
In case of hip thrust, you have the upper body on a bench or the corresponding lift. This elevation results in a greater possible length of movement for the hip, and that more of a given load falls on the buttocks resulting in better glute building.
Hip thrust can be performed with several different forms and implements, for example with a dumbbell placed on top of the hip. But the most common is to use a barbell. If you do the exercise with only one leg in the floor, you can probably get a good training effect without any extra weight at all.
Hip thrust primarily trains the gluteus maximus, but several synergists around the hip are used, such as adductors, hamstrings, gluteus medius and other small muscles in the seat (especially in one-leg variants), and front thighs to some extent.
The Execution of Hip Thrust
Starting position
- To perform the exercise, you need a bench, drawer or similar that stands firm and does not risk overturning even if you push yourself hard against it. See if you can set the bench against a wall or other heavy equipment. A couple of sturdy step-up boxes can fit well, as they can also be adjusted in height.
- Sit with your butt on the floor and lean back against the bench. The bench should not be higher than the lower edge of the shoulder blades. Choose a slightly too low bench rather than one too high.
- Roll a loaded barbell over your legs until it is placed directly above your hip, just above the pubic bone. Use large (45 cm) weight plates to allow that extra room for extension.
- If you still do not get under the thighs under the bar, raise the bar in some way, for example, by placing it on top of the weight plates lying on the floor.
- Use a barbell, a folded yoga mat or similar as protective padding between yourself and the barbell – it can hurt to have a heavily loaded bar lying directly against your hip.
- When the bar is over your hip, pull your legs up and place your feet in the floor about 1-2 inches away from your buttocks. The goal is that when you are straightened in the top position of the exercise you should have a 90 degree angle in the knee joint, and the lower legs should be vertical. Place your feet about hip-wide apart or slightly wider.
- Grasp the rod with your hands just outside the body to hold it in place.
- Keep your chin slightly pressed against your chest so that you look down the body. This helps counteract excessive lethargy. Do not do this if it gives you discomfort in the neck.
Additional variations
Hip thrust can be varied in several ways. You can place your feet on an elevation, such as a step board, which can increase the length of movement a little further. One disadvantage is that it can make it harder to get a heavy load on the hip, and you may be forced to stick to heavy dumbbells instead of a barbell.
Another variation, which can also be used in regular hip thrusts with a bar, is to place an elastic band over your knees so that you have to hold on so your legs are not pulled against each other. It further increases the requirement for hip abduction and becomes a time-efficient way to train the abducting muscles (including the gluteus medius) while exercising hip extension.
A third way to vary the exercise is to perform hip thrusts on one leg. It is also a way of exercising the control and stability of the pelvis, at the same time as hip extension.
