What muscles do hip thrusts work?
The hip thrust trains your glutes, mainly gluteus maximus, the biggest muscle of the three. Your hamstrings and quads help, but less than in a squat or deadlift.
It's the main lift in most glute plans because it works your glutes hardest at the top of the movement, where they're fully squeezed, and it's easy to add weight as you get stronger.
A 2023 study put it to the test. Untrained adults, most of them women, did either hip thrusts or back squats twice a week for 9 weeks. Both groups grew their glutes by a similar amount, but the squat group also grew their quads and inner thighs more (Plotkin et al., 2023). If you want to grow your glutes without much thigh growth, the hip thrust is a good place to start.
How to do a hip thrust, step by step
- Set up: sit on the floor with the edge of a bench just below your shoulder blades. Roll a barbell (with a pad) or place a dumbbell over the crease of your hips.
- Place your feet: flat on the floor, about hip-width apart, so your shins will be vertical at the top.
- Brace: tuck your chin, keep your ribs down and look forward, not up at the ceiling.
- Drive up: push through your heels until your hips are level with your knees and shoulders.
- Squeeze: hold the top for 1 to 2 seconds, squeezing your glutes hard.
- Lower slowly: take about 2 seconds to lower until your hips are just above the floor, then go again.
3 mistakes that move it out of your glutes
| Where you feel it | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Front of your thighs | Feet too close to you | Move your feet out until your shins are vertical at the top |
| Back of your thighs | Feet too far away | Bring your feet in a little |
| Lower back | Arching to get higher | Keep your chin tucked and ribs down, and stop when your hips are level |
One more: rushing. Bouncing the weight up and dropping it lets momentum do the work. Lower for 2 seconds on every rep.
Sets, reps and how heavy
- Beginners: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, with a weight that leaves 2 or 3 reps in the tank. Start with bodyweight or a light dumbbell until the movement feels natural.
- Intermediate: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps with a heavier weight.
- How often: twice a week works well for most people.
- Getting stronger: when you hit the top of your rep range on every set, add a little weight next time.
Hip thrust at home
No bench? Use the edge of a sofa or a sturdy bed, with its back against a wall so it can't slide.
| Version | What you need | How to make it harder |
|---|---|---|
| Bodyweight hip thrust | A sofa or bench | Pause for 3 seconds at the top |
| Dumbbell hip thrust | One dumbbell | Use a heavier dumbbell |
| Banded hip thrust | A mini band above your knees | Push your knees out against the band all the way up |
| Single-leg hip thrust | Nothing | Hold a dumbbell on the working hip |
Hip thrust vs glute bridge
| Hip thrust | Glute bridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Upper back on | A bench | The floor |
| Range of movement | Bigger | Smaller |
| How heavy it can go | Heavy | Moderate |
| Best for | Your main glute lift | Warm-ups, home workouts and complete beginners |
The hip thrust's bigger range of movement and heavier loading make it the better choice for growing your glutes. The glute bridge is a great way to learn the movement first.
Swaps if you can't do hip thrusts
- Glute bridge: the same movement on the floor.
- Hip thrust machine: easier to set up, and you can change the weight quickly.
- Smith machine hip thrust: the bar stays on a fixed path, so it's easier to balance.
- Cable pull-through: a hip hinge that trains the same glute action standing up.
- 45° back extension: round your upper back slightly and push your hips into the pad to bias your glutes.