When it involves sculpting a stronger, rounder bottom, the hip thrust is the gold customary of glute workout routines. This train uniquely targets your gluteus maximus muscle, which makes up the majority of the form of your butt and hips.
Your gluteus maximus is the most important and strongest muscle in your whole physique, and strengthening it helps preserve good posture, improves your explosive athletic efficiency, and helps with joint stability, per a 2019 Worldwide Journal of Sports activities Bodily Remedy report.
Including hip thrusts to your health routine is assured to work your muscle tissues to offer you a agency, shapely behind and enhance your general power. However if you wish to combine issues up, there are variations of the basic hip thrust you are able to do to nonetheless work the identical muscle tissues.
“Glutes are often referred to as the powerhouse of the core,” says Ash Wilking, CPT, a licensed private coach and Tonal power coach. “Strengthening our glutes through these hip thrust variations can enhance lower body power, increase hip mobility and stability, increase core strength, and help reduce lower back pain.”
Right here, Wilking shares eight completely different variations so as to add to your leg day routine for a critical booty burn, no matter your health stage. (PSA: These hip thrust options additionally are available clutch while you wish to boost your lower-body exercises.)
First, let’s go over the fundamentals of the way to do a hip thrust
Earlier than working your method as much as completely different variations, you will wish to nail down the way to do a hip thrust with correct kind. You are able to do a hip thrust with simply your body weight or up the depth through the use of weight (seize a dumbbell or barbell).
- Seize a bench, field, or any secure elevated floor that is about knee top.
- Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench. Think about that your shoulder blades act as hooks on the fringe of the bench. Your knees needs to be bent together with your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside.
- Together with your shoulder blades resting on the sting of the bench, your physique ought to kind a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
- Place your fingers on the again of your head.
- Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone.
- Push by way of your heels and elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your knees to your shoulders, and your legs needs to be at a 90-degree angle on the high of the motion.
- Decrease with management.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.
“Glutes are often referred to as the powerhouse of the core. Strengthening our glutes through these hip thrust variations can enhance lower body power, increase hip mobility and stability, increase core strength, and help reduce lower back pain.” —Ash Wilking, CPT
Newbie hip thrust variations
Our newbie variations have you ever mendacity in your again on the ground in a motion referred to as a glute bridge. A glute bridge follows the identical motion sample as a hip thrust, besides the hip thrust has you in an elevated place together with your again up on a floor.
“These beginner variations are a fantastic way to train the body in the hinge pattern, focusing on extension through the hips without the need for additional equipment, aside from a resistance band,” Wilking says.
For those who’re not new to this train, you possibly can nonetheless give these strikes a go—attempt incorporating them into your leg day warm-up to activate your glutes.
1. Mendacity glute bridge
- Lie in your again together with your knees bent and your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside. Your arms needs to be comfortably at your sides with palms dealing with down.
- Place the heels of your ft beneath your knees, in order that they’re shut sufficient to your hips you can simply contact your heels together with your fingertips.
- Have interaction your core by tightening your belly muscle tissues to stabilize your backbone. It will assist stop any arching in your decrease again.
- By driving by way of your heels, elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion. Your shoulders and ft ought to stay involved with the ground.
- Pause for a second on the high of the elevate, persevering with to squeeze your glutes and holding your core engaged.
- Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place, holding management of the motion and sustaining the engagement of your core and glutes.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.
2. Banded mendacity glute bridge
- Place a resistance band round your legs and place the band an inch or two above your knees.
- Lie in your again together with your knees bent and your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside. Your arms needs to be comfortably at your sides with palms dealing with down.
- Place the heels of your ft beneath your knees, in order that they’re shut sufficient to your hips you can simply contact your heels together with your fingertips.
- Have interaction your core by tightening your belly muscle tissues to stabilize your backbone. It will assist stop any arching in your decrease again.
- By driving by way of your heels, elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion. Your shoulders and ft ought to stay involved with the ground.
- Pause for a second on the high of the elevate, persevering with to squeeze your glutes and holding your core engaged.
- Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place, holding management of the motion and sustaining the engagement of your core and glutes.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.
3. Single-leg glute bridge
- Lie in your again together with your knees bent and your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside. Your arms needs to be comfortably at your sides with palms dealing with down.
- Place the heels of your ft beneath your knees, in order that they’re shut sufficient to your hips you can simply contact your heels together with your fingertips.
- Carry your left leg off the ground, bringing your left knee immediately over your left hip.
- Have interaction your core by tightening your belly muscle tissues to stabilize your backbone (it will assist stop any arching in your decrease again).
- Drive by way of your proper heel and elevate your hips towards the ceiling, holding your left leg in a hover place. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion.
- Pause for a second on the high of the elevate, persevering with to squeeze your glutes whereas holding your core engaged.
- Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place, holding management of the motion and sustaining the engagement.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.
Intermediate hip thrust variations
To take issues up a notch, you will wish to elevate your shoulders on a bench to deepen your vary of movement all through your hip. Extra vary equals extra muscle engagement, in line with Wilking.
“These elevated hip thrust variations are highly effective at strengthening the glutes,” she says.
4. Banded elevated glute bridge
- Seize a bench, field, or any secure elevated floor that is about knee top.
- Place a resistance band round your legs.
- Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench (think about that your shoulder blades act as hooks on the fringe of the bench). Your knees needs to be bent together with your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside.
- Together with your shoulder blades resting on the sting of the bench, your physique ought to kind a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
- Place your fingers on the again of your head.
- Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone.
- Push by way of your heels and elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your knees to your shoulders, and your legs needs to be at a 90-degree angle on the high of the motion.
- Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion.
- Decrease again down with management.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.
5. Single-leg elevated glute bridge
- Seize a bench, field, or any secure elevated floor that is about knee top.
- Together with your shoulder blades resting on the sting of the bench, your physique ought to kind a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
- Carry your left leg off the ground and hover it comfortably above your left hip. Preserve this place all the train.
- Your shoulder blades needs to be resting on the sting of the bench and your physique ought to kind a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
- Place your fingers on the again of your head.
- Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone.
- Push by way of the heel of your proper foot and elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your knees to your shoulders, and your legs needs to be at a 90-degree angle on the high of the motion.
- Decrease again down with management.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.
Superior hip thrust variations
As soon as you’re feeling snug sufficient performing the newbie and intermediate hip thrust variations, it is time to add a barbell to up the burden and depth. Wilking calls the barbell hip thrust the holy grail of glute workout routines.
“Adding the barbell to the elevated hip thrust position allows you to increase load, promoting muscle hypertrophy and power development,” Wilking says.
6. Barbell hip thrust
- Place a barbell on the ground and cargo it together with your desired quantity of weight (or none in any respect!).
- Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench. Roll the barbell over your legs and place it immediately over your hips. You possibly can place a barbell pad or folded map beneath the barbell to cushion your hips.
- Place your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside, and knees bent at a couple of 90-degree angle.
- Maintain the barbell with each fingers to maintain it regular. Your fingers needs to be barely wider than shoulder-width aside.
- Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone and shield the decrease again.
- Push by way of your heels and elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees on the high of the motion, and also you need your shins to be vertical on the high of the motion (checking a mirror can assist with correct placement).
- Pause for a second on the high, sustaining the squeeze in your glutes and the engagement of your core.
- Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place. R
- epeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.
Hold your ribs down and preserve a impartial backbone, specializing in driving the hips up, however not overarching by way of your decrease again. To keep away from neck pressure, preserve your eyes in your knees and do not throw your head backward.
7. Single-leg dumbbell hip thrust
- Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench.
- Place a dumbbell over your proper hip, holding it with one or each fingers. The dumbbell will be positioned vertically on the high of your thigh or horizontally with the deal with throughout the crease of your hip.
- Place your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside, and knees bent at a couple of 90-degree angle.
- Carry your left leg to hover it simply off the ground.
- Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone and shield the decrease again.
- Push by way of your proper heel and elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees on the high of the motion.
- Pause for a second on the high, sustaining the squeeze in your glutes and the engagement of your core.
- Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.
If hovering your nonworking leg feels a bit too difficult, flippantly set the heel on the ground to create a kickstand for some stabilization, whereas nonetheless holding nearly all of the work within the loaded leg.
8. Single-leg barbell hip thrust
- Place the barbell on the ground and cargo it together with your desired quantity of weight (or none in any respect!).
- Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench. Roll the barbell over your legs and place it immediately over your hips. Use a barbell pad or folded map beneath the bar to cushion your hips.
- Place your ft flat on the ground, hip-width aside, and knees bent at a couple of 90-degree angle.
- Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone and shield the decrease again.
- Maintain the barbell with each fingers to maintain it regular. Your fingers needs to be barely wider than shoulder-width aside.
- Carry your left leg off the ground.
- Push by way of your heel and elevate your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to kind a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees on the high of the motion.
- Pause for a second on the high, sustaining the squeeze in your glutes and the engagement of your core. Hold your ribs down and preserve a impartial backbone, specializing in driving the hips up with out overarching the decrease again.
- Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.
For those who discover that hovering your leg off the ground is just too superior, you possibly can place the nonworking leg barely on the ground like a kickstand so as to add stability.
Nicely+Good articles reference scientific, dependable, latest, strong research to again up the knowledge we share. You possibly can belief us alongside your wellness journey.
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Buckthorpe M, Stride M, Villa FD. ASSESSING AND TREATING GLUTEUS MAXIMUS WEAKNESS – A CLINICAL COMMENTARY. Int J Sports activities Phys Ther. 2019 Jul;14(4):655-669. PMID: 31440415; PMCID: PMC6670060.