Farris DJ, Lichtwark GA, Brown NA, Cresswell AG. Deconstructing the Power Resistance Relationship for Squats: A Joint Level Analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2016;26(7):774–781. pmid:26103786 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]. 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]. This relative orientation is suggested to enhance the transfer of training to athletic performances requiring horizontal force production (e.g. sprinting) based on the “force-vector hypothesis” [ 10, 12].

The hip thrust is a good glute-focused exercise to increase muscle growth and further hip extension abilities for more complex and compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and even jogging (to name a few). Strength and Power Athletes The hip thrust is relatively simple to perform, but understanding how to set up and brace properly is incredibly important and two nuances that shouldn’t be overlooked. Here’s how to properly do the hip thrust. Step 1 — Place Loaded Bar In Hip Crease Bands for resistance—you don’t need to invest in a barbell, bench, hip thrust pad, and so on to do the exercise. However, if it becomes too much, there is a strong chance they are not extending their hips fully and/or their knees are not bent enough. You want to feel your hamstrings only a little during the movement. Adductors If you are new to hip thrust exercise, it is best to start with body weight only. Once you become more comfortable with the movement. You can add dumbbells for increased resistance. When using a belt, make sure to keep your core tight and use proper form throughout the entire range of motion.If your feet are too far forward, you’ll feel the hip thrust more in your hamstrings. If they’re too far in toward your body, you’ll get more quad engagement. The knee joint extended for most of the lifting phase, and the hip joint extended throughout the entire lifting phase, which was consistently observed across all participants ( Fig 4). Whilst on average there was pelvic-trunk joint extension during the lift, both extension and flexion were observed amongst participants ( Fig 4). ANOVA revealed a significant main effect for extensor range of motion, with the hip joint (75 ± 19°) showing significantly greater range of motion compared with the knee (21 ± 7°; d = 3.80, very large) and pelvic-trunk joint (12 ± 21°; d = 3.21, very large, Table 3). 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. Hip extension is such a critical aspect of athletics in general. Therefore, making the extra effort to develop your gluteal muscles and promote healthy hip extension properly can only improve performance. General Population

Dumbbells generally stay horizontal, but plates are big and round while kettlebells tend to hang down, meaning that either will hit the ground well before you’re done your rep. 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. If you feel like you cannot, you may also need to readjust your positioning on the bench. Step 3 — Press Through Your Heels and Lift Your Hips Not everyone needs a barbell pad, so we've included some versatile alternatives too. It's all about finding the right balance between comfort and functionality. There's definitely a 'tough guy' stigma surrounding not using pads. It's worth pointing out that the most elite olympic and powerlifters do not use pads," explains Gibson. Whether you do hip thrusts at home or at the gym, the hip thrust belt is going to help you build that booty and actually enjoy doing it!Dello Iacono A, Padulo J, Seitz LD. Loaded hip thrust-based PAP protocol effects on acceleration and sprint performance of handball players. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2018;36(11):1269–1276. pmid:28873044

The adductors are muscles of your inner groin that work isometrically to stabilize the pelvis during hip extension. If you want to increase activation of your hip adductors, you can also place a foam roller between your thighs and compress the roller isometrically as you extend your hips. Benefits of the Hip Thrust This will help you focus on using your glutes, rather than momentum, to lift the weight. 4. Don't Let Your Knees Cave in: The glutes are the primary mover during hip thrust, with your gluteus maximus handling most of the demands. Your gluteus medius is also active and assists in hip extension and stabilizing your pelvis so that your gluteus maximus can work to extend your hips. Hamstrings

Materials and methods

It’s a lightweight machine that is ideal for lifters who aren’t planning on going super heavy with hip thrusts and who want something more compact compared to the larger machines that populate this list. Also, most gyms don’t have up to 200lbs dumbbells or kettlebells if you want to max this thing out – and they’d be pretty tough to move into position if your gym has them! Powerlifters: The hip thrust can be a great way to add muscle to the glutes and provide some glute strength work during times when heavy hinges from the floor (deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, or good mornings) may not be best. The hip thrust can also further enhance deadlifting and squatting performance by improving hip extension abilities.

Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Effects of a Six-Week Hip Thrust vs. Front Squat Resistance Training Program on Performance in Adolescent Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2017;31(4):999–1008. pmid:27253835 This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users. The hip thrust exercise can help to improve your squatting form, increase your power output, and make everyday activities easier. If you’re a hip thrust aficionado like myself, then you likely already know how ridiculously effective this exercise is at developing buns of steel. This wasn’t an issue at all with the lighter weights, but definitely made it tough (and a little painful) to do my heavier hip thrusts.Biomechanical analysis offers insight to the underlying kinematics and kinetics of a training exercise, providing coaches and athletes conceptual understanding to bring objectivity to sport-specific exercise selection [ 16]. Investigating the musculoskeletal demand placed on the lower limb and pelvic-trunk joints is fundamental to biomechanical analyses of strength training exercises [ 17– 22], although has yet to be undertaken for the hip thrust. Specifically, for the hip joint, whilst authors have proposed that the hip thrust requires a consistent hip extension moment and greater muscular “tension” when hip joint is close to full extension [ 4, 5, 7, 8], there is currently no joint kinetic evidence to support these ideas. Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J. A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyography Amplitude for the Barbell, Band, and American Hip Thrust Variations. Journal of Applied Biomechanics. 2016;32(3):254–260. pmid:26695353 On top of that it comes with a 2 year warranty, so you know the materials used are solid and built to last. It handled the 100lbs dumbbells that I tested it with fine, but the larger size of those ended up pinching my hips a fair bit.