Hip Thrusts (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

The Hip Thrust is one of the most effective exercises for building glute strength, size, and power. By driving your hips upward against resistance with your upper back supported on a bench, you train the glutes through their full range of motion while minimizing stress on the lower back.

It’s a key movement for improving sprinting, jumping, and overall lower-body performance.

Primary Muscles Worked: Gluteus Maximus
Secondary Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, Core (stabilization), Quadriceps
Equipment Needed: Barbell (or Dumbbell), Bench, and Padding (bar pad or towel)

How To Do Hip Thrusts

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up:
- Sit on the floor with your upper back resting against the edge of a bench.
- Roll a barbell over your hips (use a pad or towel for comfort).
- Bend your knees to about 90 degrees with feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
Execution:
- Brace your core and drive your hips upward by pressing through your heels.
- At the top, your shoulders should be on the bench, knees bent at 90 degrees, and hips fully extended.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top for 1–2 seconds.
- Lower the bar under control until your hips are just above the floor, then repeat.
Tips for Proper Form:
- Keep your chin tucked and ribs down throughout to avoid arching your back.
- Drive through your heels, not your toes.
- Focus on glute contraction, not just lifting the bar higher.

Key Benefits

Builds powerful, well-developed glutes.
Improves hip extension strength for running and jumping.
Enhances lower-body balance and reduces injury risk.
Provides a strong carryover to squats and deadlifts.

Modifications and Variations

Easier Option:
- Perform with bodyweight only or use a single dumbbell across the hips.
- Try Glute Bridges from the floor (shorter range of motion).
Harder Option:
- Use a heavier barbell or add bands for extra tension at the top.
- Try Single-Leg Hip Thrusts for unilateral strength.
- Perform paused or tempo reps to increase time under tension.

Common Mistakes

Overextending the Back: Stop when hips and torso form a straight line.
Feet Too Far or Too Close: Adjust foot position until you feel maximum glute engagement at the top.
Driving Through Toes: Keep pressure through the heels.
Dropping the Head Back: Keep chin slightly tucked to maintain alignment.

Reps and Sets Recommendations

For Strength: 4–5 sets of 5–8 reps with heavy load.
For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps.
For Activation/Accessory Work: 2–3 sets of 12–15 light, controlled reps.

Hip Thrust Alternatives

Need an alternative for Hip Thrusts? Here are a couple of exercises that you may be able to use as a substitute.

Want more options? Here are 12 quality Hip Thrusts alternatives to choose from.

Glute Bridges

Glute Bridges are essentially the bodyweight version of Hip Thrusts. They can be done with the shoulders up on a bench, or with them on the floor.

The movement itself is exactly the same. Focus on driving the hips up and squeezing the glutes at the top.

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Swings are another exercise that emphasizes hip extension but from a standing position. Brace the core, hinge at the hips and drive the kettlebell by explosively extending the hips.

If you want an alternative that is a bit more explosive or you simply find Hip Thrusts uncomfortable to do, Kettlebell Swings are a very close substitution that can take its place. For more info, check out my direct comparison of Kettlebell Swings vs Hip Thrusts.