Hip Thrust: How to Do It, Muscles Worked and Mistakes to Avoid
How to do a hip thrust with a bench and barbell or just your body weight, which muscles it works, the mistakes that move it into your lower back, and an honest look at hip thrusts vs squats.
A hip thrust is a glute exercise where you rest your upper back on a bench and drive your hips up, usually with a weight across them, until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. It works the glutes harder than most lower-body moves, asks little of your knees and is quick to learn, so it suits beginners and experienced lifters alike.
| Primary muscles | Gluteus maximus |
| Secondary muscles | Hamstrings, quadriceps, gluteus medius, lower back muscles and deep abdominals |
| Equipment | A sturdy bench or sofa; a padded barbell, a dumbbell or a loop band to add load |
| Difficulty | Beginner (body weight) to intermediate (barbell) |
| Movement pattern | Hip extension (hinge) |
| Good for | Glute strength and size, knee-friendly leg work, training at home or in the gym |
| Starting sets and reps | 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 bodyweight reps, 2 to 3 days a week |
How to do a hip thrust
These steps use a barbell; for the bodyweight version, skip step 3.
- Set up. Sit on the floor, back against the long side of a bench or sofa that cannot slide, knees bent.
- Place your upper back. Rest it on the edge of the bench just below your shoulder blades.
- Load your hips. Roll a padded barbell over your legs into the crease of your hips and hold it steady with both hands.
- Set your feet. Plant them about shoulder-width apart, close enough that your shins will be vertical when your hips are up.
- Brace and tuck. Breathe in, tighten your stomach and tuck your chin toward your chest.
- Drive up. Push through your heels and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line, breathing out as you finish.
- Squeeze. Hold the top for one to two seconds, glutes tight.
- Lower with control. Take about two seconds to bring your hips down until they almost touch the floor, then go again.
Form cues
- Feel it in your glutes. Burning front thighs mean your feet are too close; cramping hamstrings mean they are too far away.
- At the top, your shins are vertical and your knees bent at about 90 degrees.
- Keep your chin tucked and eyes forward, so your ribs stay down and your back stays flat.
- Pivot around the bench: your upper back stays put while your hips rise, heels down.
Muscles worked
The hip thrust is a hip extension, the same movement as the glute bridge. The gluteus maximus does most of the work, helped by your hamstrings, while your quadriceps hold your knees bent, the gluteus medius stops them caving in and your trunk muscles keep your back flat.
Electromyography (EMG), which measures how strongly a muscle is switched on, shows why it caught on. In 13 trained women lifting a 10-rep max, the barbell hip thrust produced about twice the mean glute activity of the back squat, more hamstring activity and similar front-thigh activity (1). In eight trained men at their one-rep max, its glute activity beat the squat and matched the Romanian deadlift (2).
Coaches often say the glutes work hardest at the top. The mechanics suggest otherwise: in 19 trained men lifting 70% of their max, the demand on the hip extensors fell as the hips rose (3). So don’t cut the bottom half short.
And activation is not growth. In a 9-week trial of 34 untrained adults, the hip thrust out-activated the squat, yet both built similar glute muscle on MRI scans (4).
A note on who runs this research. Bret Contreras, who says he taught the barbell hip thrust to the world in 2009 and invented a commercial hip thrust machine, led the first EMG study above and co-authored the 9-week trial (1, 4, 5). In that trial he and a co-author disclosed that they sell exercise-related products and services and helped fund participant and MRI costs (4). That does not make the findings wrong, and the trial did not favor the hip thrust, but it is worth knowing.
Common mistakes
- Arching your lower back at the top. Pushing past a straight line just bends your spine. Fix: tuck your chin, keep your ribs down and stop when your body is flat.
- Feet in the wrong place. Too close and your thighs take over; too far and your hamstrings do. Fix: adjust until your shins are vertical at the top.
- Back too high or low on the bench. Fix: bench edge just below your shoulder blades, bench against a wall.
- Knees caving in. Fix: push your knees out over your toes; a loop band above them helps.
- Bouncing heavy reps. Fix: squeeze for one to two seconds at the top, lower under control and pick a weight you can own.
Variations: easier and harder
| Level | Variation | Why and when |
|---|---|---|
| Easier | Glute bridge | The same movement from the floor, with a shorter range. |
| Easier | Bodyweight hip thrust | Shoulders on a sofa, hands on your hips. The no-equipment home option; build to 3 clean sets of 20 before adding weight. |
| Standard | Dumbbell hip thrust | One dumbbell held on your hips. The simplest way to add load at home. |
| Standard | Banded hip thrust | A long band pinned under your hands. Portable, though less glute activity than a barbell in one EMG study (6). |
| Harder | Single-leg hip thrust | One foot down, the other knee raised. Hard with body weight alone. |
| Harder | Barbell hip thrust | The version above. Always use a pad; most gym bars weigh 45 lb (20 kg). |
| Advanced | Paused or machine hip thrust | A three-second hold at the top makes a modest weight hard; a machine speeds up heavy setups. |
Knee, back or wrist limits? Your wrists only steady the weight, and your knees stay bent and barely move. With a sensitive lower back, start with the glute bridge and a short range, as in our lower back pain exercise routine.
Sets, reps and how often
Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 bodyweight reps two or three days a week, then train for your goal using the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stand on progression (7):
| Goal | What to do | Rest between sets |
|---|---|---|
| Beginners | Body weight or a light dumbbell, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 | About 1 minute |
| Muscular endurance | Light to moderate load, more than 15 reps | Under 90 seconds |
| Muscle growth | 3 to 4 sets with a load you can lift 6 to 12 times | 1 to 2 minutes |
| Strength | Heavier barbell sets of 1 to 6 reps, after about six months of steady training | 3 to 5 minutes |
Effort counts more than load: in a meta-analysis of 21 studies, light loads built as much muscle as heavy ones when sets went to failure, though heavy loads built more strength (8), a finding graded A in our Evidence Index. Once you beat your target by one or two reps, add 2 to 10% to the load (7). Two or three sessions a week are plenty; with weekly volume equal, frequency made no meaningful difference to growth across 25 studies (9).
Hip thrust vs squat: which is better?
For bigger glutes, neither is clearly better. In the 9-week MRI trial, hip thrusts and squats grew the glutes about equally, squats grew the quadriceps and inner thighs more, and each group gained most strength in its own lift (4). A 12-week trial in 22 trained women went the other way, with squats adding more glute thickness (9.4% vs 3.7%) (10). Its lead author has had four other training studies retracted, so we weigh it lightly. A 2025 meta-analysis of 12 studies found that hip thrusts, deep squats, the leg press and kneeling hip extensions all grew the gluteus maximus (11).
Our take: the squat is the better all-round leg exercise; the hip thrust is the easiest way to load your glutes heavily with little knee bending or balance. Most people do well with both, plus a hinge. If heavy barbell squats don’t suit you, pair hip thrusts with a goblet squat.
Is the hip thrust better than the glute bridge?
They are the same movement; the bench adds range and makes a heavy barbell easier to set up. The evidence is small and split: with barbells in 10 men, the floor bridge produced more glute activity (12), while in 20 men the hip thrust did (13). One author of the first study was affiliated with an equipment company, and neither measured growth.
What are hip thrusts good for?
Mainly stronger, bigger glutes, the muscles you use to climb stairs, rise from a chair and pick things up, with little knee stress. They build hip thrust strength very well, but a 2026 meta-analysis of 20 trials found it carried over little to squats or jumping, with a borderline effect on sprinting (14). Treat it as a glute builder, not a shortcut to speed.
Why do so many women do hip thrusts?
Because they target the glutes directly, and glute shape is a common goal; the barbell version spread after Contreras began teaching it in 2009 (5). Nothing about it is specific to women: the technique and benefits are the same for men.
What is the 8-8-8 rule for hip thrusts?
It is a social media set format, not a research protocol: 8 full reps, 8 partial reps in the top half, then an 8-second hold at the top, back to back. We found no study that has tested it. It is a way to take a lighter weight close to failure, which does build muscle (8). Longer holds and slower reps do not add muscle by themselves, as our look at time under tension explains.
Is it safe? Who should be careful
- Pain: a glute burn and mild next-day soreness are normal. Stop if you feel sharp pain, pain shooting down a leg, numbness or tingling.
- Lower back: feeling it there usually means arching at the top. Use less weight, tuck your chin and stop at a straight line; if hip thrusts reliably worsen your back, get it checked.
- Hip bones: a heavy bar presses on the front of your pelvis. Use a thick pad every time.
- Pregnancy: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that without complications, exercise in pregnancy is safe and desirable, though routines may need adjusting (15). We suggest swapping the barbell for body weight or a band as your bump grows. Check with your obstetric care provider.
- Recent surgery or injury to the hip, spine or knee: follow your surgeon’s or physical therapist’s plan first.
See a physical therapist or doctor if pain lasts more than a couple of weeks, gets in the way of daily tasks or comes with leg weakness. This page is general information, not medical advice; please read our medical disclaimer.
Watch it done
Our video on 5 glute exercises for stronger, fuller hips opens with the barbell hip thrust, and the cues on this page match it: upper back just below your shoulder blades, a padded bar in your hip crease, vertical shins at the top, chin tucked, drive through your heels, a one-to-two-second squeeze and a controlled lowering. It names the same two big mistakes and suggests body weight until 3 sets of 20 feel easy. One difference: the video says tension peaks at the top, which the biomechanics above do not support.
Looking for your next move? Browse every guide in our exercise library, sorted by muscle group, equipment and level.
Sources
- Contreras B, et al. A comparison of gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis electromyographic activity in the back squat and barbell hip thrust exercises. J Appl Biomech. 2015;31(6):452-8. PubMed 26214739
- Delgado J, et al. Comparison between back squat, Romanian deadlift, and barbell hip thrust for leg and hip muscle activities during hip extension. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(10):2595-2601. PubMed 31356511
- Brazil A, et al. A comprehensive biomechanical analysis of the barbell hip thrust. PLoS One. 2021;16(3):e0249307. PubMed 33780488
- Plotkin DL, et al. Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift. Front Physiol. 2023;14:1279170. PubMed 37877099
- Contreras B. Introducing The Hip Thruster! Bret Contreras (author’s website). bretcontreras.com
- Contreras B, et al. A comparison of gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis electromyography amplitude for the barbell, band, and American hip thrust variations. J Appl Biomech. 2016;32(3):254-60. PubMed 26695353
- American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708. PubMed 19204579
- Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523. PubMed 28834797
- Schoenfeld BJ, et al. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. J Sports Sci. 2019;37(11):1286-1295. PubMed 30558493
- Barbalho M, et al. Back squat vs. hip thrust resistance-training programs in well-trained women. Int J Sports Med. 2020;41(5):306-310. PubMed 31975359
- Krause Neto W, et al. The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2025;16:1542334. PubMed 40276368
- Kennedy D, et al. Electromyographic differences of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis between the barbell hip thrust and barbell glute bridge. Sports Biomech. 2024;23(12):2935-2949. PubMed 35586943
- Kim TH, Jeon IC. Activation of the gluteus maximus and multifidus muscles in bridge and hip thrust exercise variations. Physiother Theory Pract. 2026 (online ahead of print):1-10. PubMed 42578527
- Lin S, et al. Acute and long-term effects of hip thrust training on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ. 2026;14:e20785. PubMed 41777686
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 804. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(4):e178-e188. PubMed 32217980
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. See our Medical Disclaimer before changing your exercise, diet, or supplement routine.
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Frequently asked questions
What are hip thrusts good for?
Mainly building stronger, bigger glutes, the muscles you use to climb stairs, rise from a chair and pick things up, with little stress on your knees. Hip thrusts build hip thrust strength very well, but a 2026 meta-analysis of 20 trials found that strength carried over little to squats or jumping and had only a borderline effect on sprinting. Think of it as a glute builder rather than a shortcut to athletic speed.
How do I know if Iu2019m doing hip thrusts correctly?
Check four things. Your upper back rests on the bench just below your shoulder blades. At the top, your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line and your shins are vertical. Your chin stays tucked so your back does not arch. And you feel it mainly in your glutes: burning front thighs mean your feet are too close, and cramping hamstrings mean they are too far away.
Is the hip thrust better than squats?
Not for glute growth. In a 9-week MRI trial, hip thrusts and squats built the glutes about equally, while squats built more muscle in the front and inner thighs. A smaller 12-week trial even favored squats. The hip thrust is still useful because it lets you load your glutes heavily with little knee bending or balance, so most people do well with both.
What is the 8-8-8 rule for hip thrusts?
It is a set format from social media: 8 full hip thrusts, then 8 partial reps in the top half, then an 8-second hold at the top, done back to back. No study has tested it. It is simply a way to take a lighter weight close to failure, which can build muscle as well as heavier sets do.
Are hip thrusts just for women?
No. Hip thrusts are popular with women because they target the glutes directly, but the technique, benefits and programming are the same for men, and several of the main hip thrust studies were done in men. Anyone who wants stronger glutes with little knee stress can use them.
