Barbell Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a horizontal hip extension movement. The upper back is supported by a bench, the bar rests across the hips, and the movement drives the hips from near the floor up to full extension. The gluteus maximus is the primary mover throughout, and it reaches peak activation at the top — full hip extension — unlike the squat or deadlift where the glute is most active out of the hole and peak load occurs mid-range.

Setup takes longer to learn than the movement itself. The bench height should allow the shoulder blades to be near the top of the bench when hips are extended. The bar needs padding — a squat pad or folded mat prevents bruising. Feet are flat on the floor, roughly hip-width, with enough distance from the body that the shin is roughly vertical at the top of the rep.

The hip thrust pairs naturally with squats and deadlifts in lower body programming. Squats and deadlifts load the glute heavily during the descent and ascent through the hole; the hip thrust loads it at full extension. Together they cover the full range of glute function. Programming hip thrusts two to three times per week is well tolerated because the movement is low-spinal-load relative to its glute output.

In LiftProof, log hip thrusts as a glute primary movement. Load increases can happen frequently early on — the movement tolerates high loads once the setup becomes automatic. Track weight and reps per set; time under tension matters here, so do not rush the top contraction.

• Drive the hips up by squeezing the glutes — not by extending the lower back
• Full extension at the top: hips in line with knees and shoulders
• Chin tucked slightly; avoid hyperextending the neck at the top
• Feet flat and positioned so shins are near-vertical at full extension
• Hold the top contraction for a count before coming down

• Hyperextending the lower back at the top — the glutes end the movement, not the spinal extensors
• Feet too close to the body — angles the shin forward and shifts load to the quads
• Bar rolling during the set — use padding and position the bar in the hip crease before loading
• Not reaching full hip extension — stopping short cuts off the peak glute contraction

• romanian deadlift→
• hip hinge→
• deadlift→