In addition, the loading nature of the hip thrust elicits a horizontal orientation of the resultant ground reaction force vector relative to the athlete in the global coordinate system [ 11]. Additionally, and you won’t see this with other comparable machines (not that there really are any…), but the bench can be inclined to the angle of your choosing so that you can set your shoulders in comfort. Whilst the hip joint moment was not found to be consistent, it clearly remained extensor dominant throughout the entire lifting phase of the repetition (Figs 4 and 5). Using a hip thrust belt with dumbbells can help to increase the intensity of this exercise even further.

For anyone trying to improve their glute size, strength, and power, the hip thrust is an excellent exercise choice. Our product recommendations are purely editorial, and while we may receive free products to test and review, we only recommend the products we are most impressed by. You just take the velcro straps and wrap them around your weight, then attach them to the main flap before folding it in half. When performed correctly, hip thrusts are one of the most effective ways to add size and strength to your glutes. Hip thrusts can be a good exercise to integrate into warm-ups, and accessory segments as the glutes help with jumping, running, biking, rowing, and sprinting performance.

Due to inter-individual variability in the direction of pelvic-trunk joint angular velocity, periods of positive (extensor energy generation) and negative (extensor energy absorption) power were shown ( Fig 4). This facilitated greater insight into the total bilateral loading at each joint that was required to raise the barbell. Bands for resistance—you don’t need to invest in a barbell, bench, hip thrust pad, and so on to do the exercise.

You will feel it extra good—or bad, depending on how many reps you are in—at the apex of the lift with added band resistance. A comfortable padded belt secures the user to the back pad which supports the full length of the spine for added safety. Blocks limit your range of motion on the bench press, which can actually be beneficial in certain scenarios, explains Ebenezer Samuel, C.Form Tip: At the top of the hip thrust, you should be able to lift your hips upwards so that the torso is parallel to the floor. The results of this study demonstrated that the hip thrust places a large and significantly greater extensor demand bilaterally on the hip joint compared to the knee and pelvic-trunk joints, allowing the first hypothesis to be accepted. Inter-individual differences in the direction of the ankle joint moment were likely explained through subtle changes in the center of pressure location relative to the ankle joint, potentially influenced by initial foot position that was not controlled in this study as participants were encouraged to use their habitual lifting technique. Like Goldilocks, you’ll need to find a foot positioning that’s “just right” to feel the hip thrust primarily in the glutes.

Due to the horizontally (anterior-posterior) loaded nature of the hip thrust, authors have speculated that this exercise requires a consistent hip extension moment throughout its range of motion [ 9, 10], and maximal muscular tension when hip joint reaches full extension [ 4, 5, 7]. Whether you’re a beginner or a weathered gym rat, there’s a lot of incentive for you to bring hip thrusts into the fold.

They can help protect your shoulders or allow you to work within a smaller, safer range of motion while still loading the bench press more aggressively. Although it measures 3-inches in thickness, we found this pad didn't fully protect against the feeling of the barbell against the body when thrusting max and near-max loads. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization.