Want To Spice Up Regular Old Hip Thrusts? Try These 8 Variations for Every Fitness Level

When it involves sculpting a stronger, rounder bottom, the hip thrust is the gold commonplace of glute workouts. 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 biggest and strongest muscle in your total physique, and strengthening it helps keep 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 mass to present you a agency, shapely behind and enhance your total 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 mass.

“Glutes are also known as the powerhouse of the core,” says Ash Wilking, CPT, a licensed private coach and Tonal power coach. “Strengthening our glutes by way of these hip thrust variations can improve decrease physique energy, enhance hip mobility and stability, enhance core power, and assist cut back decrease again ache.”

Right here, Wilking shares eight completely different variations so as to add to your leg day routine for a severe booty burn, no matter your health stage. (PSA: These hip thrust options additionally are available in clutch whenever you wish to boost your lower-body exercises.)

First, let’s go over the fundamentals of learn how to do a hip thrust

Earlier than working your method as much as completely different variations, you may wish to nail down learn how to do a hip thrust with correct type. 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).

1. Seize a bench, field, or any secure elevated floor that is about knee peak.
2. 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 must be bent together with your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside.
3. Along with your shoulder blades resting on the sting of the bench, your physique ought to type a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
4. Place your arms on the again of your head.
5. Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone.
6. Push by way of your heels and carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your knees to your shoulders, and your legs must be at a 90-degree angle on the high of the motion.
7. Decrease with management.
8. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.

“Glutes are also known as the powerhouse of the core. Strengthening our glutes by way of these hip thrust variations can improve decrease physique energy, enhance hip mobility and stability, enhance core power, and assist cut back decrease again ache.” —Ash Wilking, CPT

Newbie hip thrust variations

Our newbie variations have you ever mendacity in your again on the ground in a motion known 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 newbie variations are a improbable technique to practice the physique within the hinge sample, specializing in extension by way of the hips with out the necessity for extra tools, other than a resistance band,” Wilking says.

When you’re not new to this train, you may nonetheless give these strikes a go—attempt incorporating them into your leg day warm-up to activate your glutes.

1. Mendacity glute bridge

1. Lie in your again together with your knees bent and your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside. Your arms must be comfortably at your sides with palms dealing with down.
2. Place the heels of your toes beneath your knees, in order that they’re shut sufficient to your hips that you may simply contact your heels together with your fingertips.
3. Have interaction your core by tightening your stomach muscle mass to stabilize your backbone. This can assist forestall any arching in your decrease again.
4. By driving by way of your heels, carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
5. Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion. Your shoulders and toes ought to stay in touch with the ground.
6. Pause for a second on the high of the carry, persevering with to squeeze your glutes and maintaining your core engaged.
7. Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place, maintaining management of the motion and sustaining the engagement of your core and glutes.
8. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.

2. Banded mendacity glute bridge

1. Place a resistance band round your legs and place the band an inch or two above your knees.
2. Lie in your again together with your knees bent and your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside. Your arms must be comfortably at your sides with palms dealing with down.
3. Place the heels of your toes beneath your knees, in order that they’re shut sufficient to your hips that you may simply contact your heels together with your fingertips.
4. Have interaction your core by tightening your stomach muscle mass to stabilize your backbone. This can assist forestall any arching in your decrease again.
5. By driving by way of your heels, carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
6. Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion. Your shoulders and toes ought to stay in touch with the ground.
7. Pause for a second on the high of the carry, persevering with to squeeze your glutes and maintaining your core engaged.
8. Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place, maintaining management of the motion and sustaining the engagement of your core and glutes.
9. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.

3. Single-leg glute bridge

1. Lie in your again together with your knees bent and your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside. Your arms must be comfortably at your sides with palms dealing with down.
2. Place the heels of your toes beneath your knees, in order that they’re shut sufficient to your hips that you may simply contact your heels together with your fingertips.
3. Elevate your left leg off the ground, bringing your left knee instantly over your left hip.
4. Have interaction your core by tightening your stomach muscle mass to stabilize your backbone (this may assist forestall any arching in your decrease again).
5. Drive by way of your proper heel and carry your hips towards the ceiling, maintaining your left leg in a hover place. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees.
6. Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion.
7. Pause for a second on the high of the carry, persevering with to squeeze your glutes whereas maintaining your core engaged.
8. Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place, maintaining management of the motion and sustaining the engagement.
9. 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 may wish to elevate your shoulders on a bench to deepen your vary of movement all through your hip. Extra vary equals extra muscle engagement, based on Wilking.

“These elevated hip thrust variations are extremely efficient at strengthening the glutes,” she says.

4. Banded elevated glute bridge

1. Seize a bench, field, or any secure elevated floor that is about knee peak.
2. Place a resistance band round your legs.
3. 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 must be bent together with your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside.
4. Along with your shoulder blades resting on the sting of the bench, your physique ought to type a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
5. Place your arms on the again of your head.
6. Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone.
7. Push by way of your heels and carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your knees to your shoulders, and your legs must be at a 90-degree angle on the high of the motion.
8. Squeeze your glutes on the high of the motion.
9. Decrease again down with management.
10. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.

5. Single-leg elevated glute bridge

1. Seize a bench, field, or any secure elevated floor that is about knee peak.
2. Along with your shoulder blades resting on the sting of the bench, your physique ought to type a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
3. Elevate your left leg off the ground and hover it comfortably above your left hip. Keep this place the complete train.
4. Your shoulder blades must be resting on the sting of the bench and your physique ought to type a 45-degree angle with the ground when your hips are down.
5. Place your arms on the again of your head.
6. Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone.
7. Push by way of the heel of your proper foot and carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your knees to your shoulders, and your legs must be at a 90-degree angle on the high of the motion.
8. Decrease again down with management.
9. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.

Superior hip thrust variations

As soon as you’re feeling comfy sufficient performing the newbie and intermediate hip thrust variations, it is time to add a barbell to up the load and depth. Wilking calls the barbell hip thrust the holy grail of glute workouts.

“Including the barbell to the elevated hip thrust place means that you can enhance load, selling muscle hypertrophy and energy growth,” Wilking says.

6. Barbell hip thrust

1. Place a barbell on the ground and cargo it together with your desired quantity of weight (or none in any respect!).
2. Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench. Roll the barbell over your legs and place it instantly over your hips. You may place a barbell pad or folded map beneath the barbell to cushion your hips.
3. Place your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside, and knees bent at a couple of 90-degree angle.
4. Maintain the barbell with each arms to maintain it regular. Your arms must be barely wider than shoulder-width aside.
5. Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone and shield the decrease again.
6. Push by way of your heels and carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type 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 may help with correct placement).
7. Pause for a second on the high, sustaining the squeeze in your glutes and the engagement of your core.
8. Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place. R
9. epeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps.

7. Single-leg dumbbell hip thrust

1. Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench.
2. Place a dumbbell over your proper hip, holding it with one or each arms. The dumbbell will be positioned vertically on the high of your thigh or horizontally with the deal with throughout the crease of your hip.
3. Place your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside, and knees bent at a couple of 90-degree angle.
4. Elevate your left leg to hover it simply off the ground.
5. Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone and shield the decrease again.
6. Push by way of your proper heel and carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees on the high of the motion.
7. Pause for a second on the high, sustaining the squeeze in your glutes and the engagement of your core.
8. Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place.
9. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.

8. Single-leg barbell hip thrust

1. Place the barbell on the ground and cargo it together with your desired quantity of weight (or none in any respect!).
2. Sit on the ground together with your higher again towards the sting of the bench. Roll the barbell over your legs and place it instantly over your hips. Use a barbell pad or folded map beneath the bar to cushion your hips.
3. Place your toes flat on the ground, hip-width aside, and knees bent at a couple of 90-degree angle.
4. Have interaction your core to stabilize your backbone and shield the decrease again.
5. Maintain the barbell with each arms to maintain it regular. Your arms must be barely wider than shoulder-width aside.
6. Elevate your left leg off the ground.
7. Push by way of your heel and carry your hips towards the ceiling. Your physique ought to type a straight line out of your shoulders to your knees on the high of the motion.
8. Pause for a second on the high, sustaining the squeeze in your glutes and the engagement of your core. Preserve your ribs down and keep a impartial backbone, specializing in driving the hips up with out overarching the decrease again.
9. Slowly decrease your hips again to the beginning place.
10. Repeat for 3 to 4 units of 8 to 12 reps, then change legs.