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Hip Thrust

Draftstrength50%intermediate⬤ moderate evidence
View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Positions & Range of Motion

Start
seated on the floor with the upper back against a bench, knees bent ~90°, feet flat hip-width apart, chin tucked and ribs down
End
hips driven up until the trunk and thighs are parallel to the floor (tabletop), shins vertical, hips fully extended with a strong glute squeeze and slight posterior pelvic tilt
Range of Motion
hip extension from a flexed bottom position (~70° flexion) up to neutral/0° at the tabletop

How to Perform

Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench, knees bent and feet flat about hip-width apart. Drive through the heels to lift the hips until the trunk and thighs are parallel to the floor, finishing with a strong glute squeeze and a slight posterior pelvic tilt, then lower under control. Keep the chin tucked and ribs down so the movement comes from the hips rather than the lumbar spine.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Hip Thrust”

Equipment:bench or elevated surfacebarbell (optional)barbell pad (optional)resistance band (optional variation)
Starting position: supine

Coaching Cues

  1. 1

    Drive the floor away through your heels.

    (external)
  2. 2

    Squeeze your glutes hard at the top and tuck your pelvis slightly under.

    (internal)
  3. 3

    Finish with shins vertical and your body flat like a tabletop from knees to shoulders.

    (external)
  4. 4

    Keep your chin tucked and ribs down — look toward your knees, not the ceiling.

    (postural)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

For strength/hypertrophy: 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps, 2-3 times per week, with progressive loading — consistent with general resistance-training guidelines; no hip-thrust-specific dosing standard exists.

EMG Activation Data

Surface EMG studies (notably work by Contreras and colleagues) consistently show very high gluteus maximus activation during the barbell hip thrust, with peak activity at terminal hip extension — often exceeding that measured in the back squat at comparable relative loads, since the horizontal loading vector keeps the hip-extension moment high at lockout. Biceps femoris and vastus lateralis show moderate activity, with hamstring contribution increasing as feet move further from the hips and quadriceps contribution increasing as feet move closer. Longitudinal training studies suggest the hip thrust and squat produce broadly comparable gluteal hypertrophy, so its main distinction is the activation profile and end-range emphasis rather than proven superior growth.

Muscles Involved (10)

Primary Movers

Gluteus Maximus— Main hip extensor; activation peaks at terminal hip extension at the top of the movement.

Secondary Movers

Hamstrings (Group)— Assist hip extension; contribution rises if feet are placed further from the hips.
Adductor Magnus— Posterior (ischiocondylar) fibers act as a powerful hip extensor, especially in the deeper hip-flexed portion of the range.

Stabilizers

Quadriceps Femoris— Work largely isometrically to hold the vertical shin and control knee position (knee angle stays roughly constant, so they stabilize rather than drive the movement); more involved with feet closer to the hips.
Gluteus Medius— Controls frontal-plane pelvis position and resists knee valgus/hip drop.
Erector Spinae Group— Maintain a neutral trunk on the bench; should not substitute lumbar extension for hip extension.
Rectus Abdominis— With the obliques, maintains rib-down position and the posterior pelvic tilt at lockout.
External Oblique— Assists in holding posterior pelvic tilt and preventing rib flare/lumbar hyperextension.

Lengthened / Stretched

Iliopsoas— Hip flexor lengthened at terminal hip extension at the top of the rep.
Rectus Femoris— Biarticular hip flexor lengthened across the hip at lockout while the knee remains flexed.

Easier Variations ↓

1

Glute Bridge

Perform the same hip-extension pattern from the floor with a shorter range of motion and no bench, reducing load and setup demand.

2

Bodyweight Hip Thrust with Pause

Perform the bench-supported hip thrust without external load, holding 2-3 seconds at the top to groove terminal hip extension and glute activation.

Harder Variations ↑

1

Barbell Hip Thrust

Add a padded barbell across the hip crease and progressively load; allows heavy progressive overload of hip extension.

2

Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Perform on one leg (or B-stance as an intermediate step) to increase load per limb and add frontal-plane pelvic stability demand.

Target Movements (2)

Hip ExtensionHip Joint (Coxofemoral)
Posterior Pelvic TiltLumbopelvic

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

Squat to StandessentialPushing Up from ChairessentialBending & Lifting from the FloorWalking

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Improve Posterior-Chain StrengthperformanceImprove Sprint AccelerationperformanceImprove Your Deadlift / HingeperformanceImprove Vertical Jumpperformance

Research Notes

claude-researched 2026-07; muscle/movement links validated against the roster. Adversarial clinical verification pending — do not promote past needs_review without human review.