Barbell Hip Thrust

Muscles worked

Glutes

Primary muscle

Gluteus maximus

Equipment

Barbell

Movement pattern

Lower body

Difficulty

Intermediate

What it is for

StrengthHypertrophyCore strength

Watch the full tutorial

• Arching the lower back to get higher. The extra range does not come from the hips but from the lower back, and the glute stops being what carries the load. Keep the ribs down and the chin tucked, and stop the rise when the torso and thighs form a straight line.
• Placing the feet too far from or too close to the bench. Too far, the work goes to the hamstrings; too close, to the quadriceps. Set them so that at the top the shin is vertical and the knee is at 90 degrees.
• Going up and down with no pause at the top. The glute works hardest at full extension, and bouncing at the bottom removes exactly that portion. Squeeze for one or two seconds at the top and lower under control.
• Pushing through the toes. That hands the movement to the calves and quadriceps and the hips never reach full extension. Drive through the heels and keep the whole foot planted for the entire set.

Which muscles does the barbell hip thrust work?

The gluteus maximus is the primary muscle, and it works hardest at the top of the movement, when the hips are fully extended with the weight sitting over them. The hamstrings assist hip extension and the quadriceps stabilise the knee. The core keeps the ribs down so the arch does not move into the lower back.

What bench height and bar pad should I use for the hip thrust?

The edge of the bench should sit just below the shoulder blades, with the bench at knee height or slightly lower, so that at the top the torso and thighs form a straight line. A tall bench forces an arched back and a low one shortens the range. A thick pad goes on the bar: without it the set stops early from discomfort, not from glute fatigue.

Barbell, machine, Smith machine or dumbbell hip thrust: what changes?

The barbell allows the most load and demands stabilising the weight over the pelvis, which is why it is the reference version. The machine fixes the support and the path, so it is easier to learn and to load without a spotter. The Smith machine removes the balance but forces a vertical line that does not always match the hips. The dumbbell works at home or as a warm-up. The glute bridge, from the floor, has half the range.

How much weight and how many reps should I do on the barbell hip thrust?

The glutes handle heavy loads in this exercise, and it is common for the bar to exceed squat weight once the technique is learned. A frequent range is 8 to 12 reps with a one or two second pause at the top, chin tucked and ribs down. The load goes up when the hips reach full extension on every rep without the lower back arching.