Hip Thrust Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your hip thrust reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench, the edge just below your shoulder blades.
2. Roll a padded bar over your legs until it sits in the crease of your hips.
3. Plant your feet about hip width apart, close enough that your shins will be vertical at the top.
4. Tuck your chin and look forward, keeping your ribs down.
5. Drive through your heels to lift your hips until your thighs and torso are in a straight line, then squeeze your glutes for a second.
6. Lower under control until your bum is just above the floor and repeat.

Coaching cues

Chin tucked, eyes forward

Keeping the head and ribs down makes your torso pivot on the bench rather than arching.

Shins vertical at the top

This foot position spreads the work best between glutes and hamstrings.

Tuck the pelvis at lockout

A slight tuck finishes the rep with the glutes rather than the lower back.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Arching the lower back at the top

Over-extending makes the lift look higher while the glutes do less. Fix: Keep your chin tucked and ribs down, and stop when your body forms a straight line.

Feet too close to the bum

The knees bend sharply and the quads take over. Fix: Move your feet forward until your shins are vertical at the top.

Feet too far away

Straighter legs shift the effort onto the hamstrings and may cause cramps. Fix: Bring the feet back towards the bench a little.

Pushing through the toes

Weight on the toes brings in the quads and lifts the heels. Fix: Drive through your heels and mid-foot; lift your toes slightly if it helps.

Rushing the top

Bouncing through lockout skips the position where the glutes work hardest. Fix: Pause and squeeze for one to two seconds at the top.

Muscles worked

Main: Glutes. Also: Hamstrings, Quads, Inner thighs, Abs.

Who should take care

Use a bar pad or folded mat across your hips, as the bar can bruise. If you have lower back issues, master the glute bridge first and keep the lockout honest.

Variations

• Butt Lift (Bridge): Easier: a floor glute bridge with no bench or bar.
• Single Leg Glute Bridge: Home option: one leg at a time for more challenge without weight.
• Barbell Glute Bridge: Alternative: a loaded bridge from the floor with a shorter range.
• Pull Through: Alternative: a standing cable hinge that also trains the glutes.

Filming your hip thrust

Place the phone on the floor side-on, about two metres away, so it sees your hips, knees and the bench. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

Why do I feel hip thrusts in my quads?

Usually your feet are too close to your bum or you push through your toes. Move your feet forward and drive through the heels.

Why do I feel it in my lower back?

You are probably arching at the top. Tuck your chin, keep your ribs down and finish with a slight pelvic tuck.

Hip thrust or glute bridge?

The hip thrust has a longer range and is easier to load heavily. The bridge is simpler to set up and great for beginners or home.

See the Barbell Hip Thrust exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Squat form
• Deadlift form
• Lunge form
• Romanian Deadlift form
• Bulgarian Split Squat form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.