Barbell Hip Thrust

What you'll gain

• Keeps the glutes under tension across the entire range of motion.

• Loads hip extension without compressing the spine under a bar.

• Applies force horizontally, which matches the hip demand of sprinting.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Sit on the floor with your upper back against the long edge of a bench.

2. 2

   Roll a padded barbell over your legs into the crease of your hips.

3. 3

   Set your feet flat at about shoulder width with the shins vertical at the top.

4. 4

   Brace your abdominals and tuck your ribs down toward your hips.

5. 5

   Drive both feet into the floor and extend the hips until the torso is parallel with the floor.

6. 6

   Lower the bar under control back toward the floor and repeat.

Common Mistakes

• Arching the lower back at lockout instead of finishing with the glutes, which loads the lumbar spine.

• Letting the hips drop or rotate on the way up, so one side does more of the work.

• Setting the feet too far forward, which shifts the drive onto the hamstrings.

• Cutting the range short at the top, which skips the peak glute contraction the lift exists for.

About This Exercise

The barbell hip thrust loads hip extension horizontally instead of vertically. You sit with your upper back against a bench, roll a padded barbell into the hip crease, then press the hips up until the torso is parallel with the floor. Because the load sits on the hips rather than the spine, the glutes stay under tension across the whole range. An EMG comparison of barbell, band and American hip thrust variations found the barbell version produced the highest mean gluteus maximus amplitude. The hamstrings assist and the abdominals hold a posterior pelvic tilt at lockout. For an asset library this is the anchor clip of any glute collection. It fits barbell equipment filters, glute and posterior chain program blocks, and sprint or acceleration training content.

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