Hip thrusts: how to do them and what muscles they work

Your glutes are some of the biggest, most powerful muscles in your body. They help you climb stairs, stand up from a chair, pick up your kids, walk up hills and sprint after a runaway toddler. They also tend to get a little sleepy when we spend most of the day sitting. The hip thrust is one of the most direct ways to wake them up and make them strong.

The hip thrust has become a gym favorite over the last two decades, and for good reason. With your upper back on a bench and your feet on the floor, you drive your hips up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes hard at the top. It’s simple to learn, easy on your knees and back when done well, and you can start with just your bodyweight.

Plenty of people try hip thrusts and feel them mostly in their lower back or hamstrings instead of their glutes. That’s almost always a setup issue, and it’s very fixable. This guide covers everything: the setup, foot position, the most common mistakes, what the research says and how to progress at your own pace.

The short answer

• 🍑
  What it isA hip lift from a bench

  Upper back on a bench, feet on the floor, drive your hips up and squeeze.

• 🎯
  MusclesGlutes first

  Plus your hamstrings, inner thighs, quads and core.

• 📐
  Key detailShins vertical at the top

  Foot position decides whether you feel it in your glutes.

• 🌱
  BeginnersStart with bodyweight

  Master the movement before adding a dumbbell or barbell.

Watch it first

This tutorial comes from personal trainer Coach Keren of United By Keren Personal Training, who offers online coaching for all ages and abilities. It’s the second video in her three-part hip thrust series, which builds from a bodyweight hip thrust to a dumbbell hip thrust to a barbell hip thrust. This one covers the dumbbell version, with tips and cues to help you do it safely.

Keren also makes an important point in her video description: beginners should check in with a trainer or coach in person before trying challenging exercises. We agree. Having someone watch your setup once or twice can save you weeks of guessing.

What a hip thrust is

A hip thrust is a hip extension exercise. You sit on the floor with your upper back against the edge of a bench, feet planted, then drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. At the top, you squeeze your glutes, then lower back down with control.

It’s closely related to the glute bridge, which is done lying flat on the floor. Raising your upper back onto a bench gives your hips a bigger range of motion, which makes the hip thrust a little more challenging and lets you load it more over time.

Strength coach Bret Contreras, often called “the Glute Guy,” introduced heavy barbell hip thrusts to the strength and conditioning world in 2006. He later earned a PhD with research that included the hip thrust, and the exercise has since become a staple in gyms everywhere.

Why train your glutes

• Everyday strength. Your glutes power standing up, climbing stairs, getting off the floor and lifting things safely.
• Hip and knee support. Strong glutes help control your hips and knees when you walk, run and land.
• Back-friendly strength. Hip thrusts train hip extension without a heavy weight on your shoulders, and many people find them easier on their back than other lower body lifts once their form clicks.
• Speed and power. ACE notes that the hip thrust may help athletes improve speed and acceleration, since hip extension drives sprinting.
• Easy to learn. It’s a forgiving movement with a short learning curve, and you can start with bodyweight.
• Joint-friendly. There’s no deep knee bend, which can be helpful if squats bother your knees.

Muscles worked

What the research says

The hip thrust has been studied a lot, and the findings are worth knowing, because they’re more nuanced than social media sometimes suggests.

Hip thrusts light up the glutes

In a 2015 study in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 13 trained women did the barbell hip thrust and the back squat with similar relative loads. The hip thrust produced significantly more glute muscle activity than the squat, in both the upper and lower parts of the gluteus maximus, along with more hamstring activity. Quad activity was similar.

But squats build glutes too

Muscle activity during an exercise doesn’t always predict how much muscle you’ll build. In a 2023 study in Frontiers in Physiology, 34 untrained college-aged adults trained for nine weeks with either hip thrusts or back squats, matched for sets. Even though the hip thrust produced more glute activity in the first session, both groups built a similar amount of glute muscle. The squat group grew more muscle in their quads, and each group got stronger at the exercise they trained.

A 2020 study in well-trained women found that a squat program led to more quad and glute growth than a hip thrust program over 12 weeks. That study has been debated by other researchers, but it’s another reminder that squats are a great glute exercise too.

The takeaway

Hip thrusts and squats both build your glutes. Hip thrusts emphasize the top of the movement, when your hips are fully extended, while squats challenge your glutes at the bottom, when they’re stretched. Doing both is a great way to cover all your bases. Our guide to the goblet squat is a perfect partner to this one.

The setup

Most of the hip thrust happens in the setup. Get this right and the rest falls into place.

1. Choose your bench. A sturdy bench or couch about knee height works well. Push it against a wall or use one that won’t slide.
2. Sit in front of it. Sit on the floor with your back against the long edge of the bench.
3. Find the right spot on your back. The edge of the bench should sit just below your shoulder blades, across the middle of your upper back.
4. Plant your feet. Place your feet flat, about hip-width apart or a little wider, with toes pointing forward or slightly out.
5. Check your feet distance. When you lift your hips, your shins should be close to vertical at the top. Adjust your feet closer or farther as needed.
6. Place your arms. Rest your arms along the bench for stability, or hold the weight if using one.
7. Add a weight if ready. Hold a dumbbell across your hip crease, with your hands on each end. A pad or folded towel under it helps.

How to do a hip thrust, step by step

1. Set your head and ribs. Tuck your chin slightly, looking forward rather than at the ceiling. Bring your ribs down and gently brace your stomach.
2. Drive up. Breathe out and press through your whole foot, especially your heels, driving your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Pivot around the bench. Let your upper back roll on the bench as your hips rise, so your torso and hips move together like one unit.
4. Reach the top. Stop when your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, with your shins about vertical.
5. Squeeze. At the top, squeeze your glutes hard and tuck your pelvis slightly, as if tucking your tailbone under. Hold for one to two seconds.
6. Lower with control. Breathe in and lower your hips back down slowly, keeping your chin tucked and ribs down.
7. Repeat. Lower until your hips are a few inches off the floor, then drive back up.

The top of the movement is where the glutes work hardest, so don’t rush it. A short pause and a strong squeeze at the top make a big difference.

Your quick form checklist

• BenchEdge just below your shoulder blades, bench steady.
• FeetHip-width or slightly wider, flat on the floor.
• ShinsAbout vertical at the top.
• KneesTracking in line with your toes, not caving.
• ChinSlightly tucked, eyes forward.
• RibsDown, not flared at the top.
• PelvisSlightly tucked at the top, not overarched.
• Top positionA straight line from shoulders to knees.
• TempoDrive up, squeeze, lower slowly.

Foot position: the secret ingredient

Where you put your feet changes which muscles you feel most.

• Feet too far forward: You’ll likely feel it more in your hamstrings, and they may cramp.
• Feet too close to your hips: You’ll likely feel it more in your quads.
• Just right: Your shins are about vertical at the top of the movement, and you feel it mostly in your glutes.

Stance width and toe angle matter too. Many people feel their glutes best with feet a little wider than hip-width and toes turned slightly out. Spend a few reps experimenting, and remember where your feet were when it felt best.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

1. Arching your lower back at the top

This is the most common hip thrust mistake. When you push your hips too high, your lower back arches and takes over. The fix: Stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees, keep your ribs down and tuck your pelvis slightly at the top.

2. Looking at the ceiling

Throwing your head back tends to arch your back too. The fix: Keep your chin tucked and eyes looking forward, so your gaze moves with your torso.

3. Wrong foot position

Feet too far or too close shifts the work to your hamstrings or quads. The fix: Adjust until your shins are about vertical at the top.

4. Bench too high or in the wrong spot

A bench that’s too high, or resting on your neck or lower back, makes the movement awkward. The fix: Use a knee-height bench and rest it just below your shoulder blades.

5. Knees caving in

Letting your knees fall toward each other means your side glutes aren’t helping. The fix: Gently push your knees out, or loop a mini band just above your knees as a reminder.

6. Rushing the top

Without a squeeze at the top, you miss the part where the glutes work hardest. The fix: Pause for one to two seconds each rep.

7. Pushing through your toes

Lifting your heels shifts work to your quads. The fix: Keep your whole foot down, and think about driving through your heels.

8. The bench sliding

A sliding bench is distracting and unsafe. The fix: Put it against a wall or use a heavier bench.

Not feeling it in your glutes?

It’s common, especially at first. Try these, one at a time:

1. Check your feet. Shins vertical at the top.
2. Tuck your chin and ribs. This stops your back from taking over.
3. Add a posterior tilt. At the top, tuck your tailbone slightly, like you’re trying to bring your belt buckle toward your chin.
4. Turn your toes out a little and push your knees out.
5. Slow down and pause for two to three seconds at the top.
6. Warm up with glute bridges. A set of bodyweight bridges on the floor helps you find the squeeze.
7. Use a mini band around your knees and press out against it.

Everyone’s body is a little different. If you still feel it mostly in your back after these tweaks, check in with a coach or physical therapist.

Three stages to build up

Keren’s video series uses a smart three-stage approach, and it’s a great way to progress:

• Stage 1: BodyweightLearn the setup, foot position and squeeze with no weight. Work up to 3 sets of 15 with a pause at the top.
• Stage 2: DumbbellHold one dumbbell across your hips. Start light and build gradually.
• Stage 3: BarbellFor heavier loads, use a padded barbell. Many gyms also have hip thrust machines.

There’s no need to rush to stage 3. Many people build strong glutes with bodyweight and dumbbell hip thrusts for months or years, especially when training at home.

Variations to try

Comfort tips

• Pad your hips. A dumbbell or barbell across your hip bones can be uncomfortable. Use a folded towel, a yoga mat or a barbell pad.
• Hold the dumbbell steady. Rest it in your hip crease and hold each end so it doesn’t roll.
• Protect your upper back. If the bench edge digs in, add a folded towel.
• Wear flat shoes or go barefoot for a steady base.
• Try a lower bench if you’re shorter, so your upper back rests comfortably.

How to choose your weight

Your glutes are strong, so hip thrusts usually let you use more weight than upper body exercises. Still, build up gradually.

1. Master bodyweight. Do 3 sets of 15 with a two-second squeeze at the top before adding weight.
2. Pick a starting dumbbell. Many women start with 15 to 30 pounds, but there’s no wrong number.
3. Check your form. If your back arches or you can’t hold the top squeeze, go lighter.
4. Aim for “two or three left.” A good working weight leaves two or three good reps in the tank.
5. Progress slowly. Add reps first, then weight. When dumbbells run out, try single-leg hip thrusts or longer pauses before moving to a barbell.

How to add hip thrusts to your week

The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2026 guidelines recommend training all your major muscle groups at least twice a week, and emphasize that the biggest benefit comes from simply doing some strength training at all. Here’s an example of how hip thrusts could fit in. Treat it as a sample, not a prescription:

• BeginnerTwo full body days. Glute bridges or bodyweight hip thrusts: 2 sets of 12 to 15.
• BuildingTwo or three days. Dumbbell hip thrusts: 3 sets of 10 to 12 with a pause at the top.
• StrongerTwo lower body days. One day heavier hip thrusts for 3 sets of 8, another day single-leg hip thrusts for 3 sets of 10 per side.

A balanced lower body session might look like this example:

1. Goblet squat: 3 sets of 10
2. Hip thrust: 3 sets of 10 to 12
3. Romanian deadlift: 2 to 3 sets of 10
4. Bulgarian split squat: 2 sets of 8 per leg
5. Side plank: 2 rounds per side

Our guides to the goblet squat, Romanian deadlift and Bulgarian split squat round out this session for a strong, balanced lower body.

Pregnancy and postpartum

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages women with uncomplicated pregnancies to do both aerobic and strength-conditioning exercise before, during and after pregnancy, with their provider’s guidance. Strong glutes can help with the back and hip demands of pregnancy and carrying a baby.

• Get the green light first. Talk with your provider before starting or continuing strength training during pregnancy or after birth.
• Ask about positions. Floor glute bridges involve lying on your back. Ask your provider how long you should spend in that position as your pregnancy progresses. Bench-supported hip thrusts keep your upper body more upright.
• Skip weight on your belly. As your bump grows, a dumbbell across your hips becomes impractical. Use bodyweight, a mini band around your knees or single-leg versions instead.
• Breathe. Exhale as you lift your hips and avoid holding your breath.
• Postpartum, start with bridges. Glute bridges are often one of the first strength exercises recommended after birth, once you’re cleared. If you notice leaking, pelvic heaviness, pain or doming along the middle of your belly, a pelvic floor physical therapist can help you progress safely.

Our guide to postpartum exercise and where to start has more gentle first steps.

What you need

You can start with a couch and the floor. If you’d like a few tools, here are some options to compare. These are general Amazon searches, not specific product picks. We don’t earn anything from these links.

• A sturdy flat bench about knee height. Search flat weight benches
• A dumbbell for loaded hip thrusts. Search hex dumbbells
• Fabric mini bands to wear around your knees. Search fabric mini bands
• A barbell or hip thrust pad for comfort. Search hip thrust pads
• An exercise mat for bridges and comfort. Search exercise mats

Myths

1. Myth #1
   What you’ve heard

   “Hip thrusts are the only glute exercise you need.”

   The truth

   Squats, lunges and hinges build glutes too. A mix works best.

2. Myth #2
   What you’ve heard

   “Squats don’t work your glutes.”

   The truth

   Research shows squats and hip thrusts can build similar glute muscle.

3. Myth #3
   What you’ve heard

   “Push your hips as high as you can.”

   The truth

   Stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees. Going higher just arches your back.

4. Myth #4
   What you’ve heard

   “If you feel it in your hamstrings, you’re doing it wrong.”

   The truth

   Hamstrings help, but if they take over, bring your feet a little closer.

5. Myth #5
   What you’ve heard

   “You need a barbell for hip thrusts to work.”

   The truth

   Bodyweight, dumbbells, bands and single-leg versions all build strong glutes.

The bottom line

The hip thrust is one of the most direct ways to strengthen your glutes, and it’s easy to learn. Rest your upper back on a bench, plant your feet so your shins are vertical at the top, tuck your chin and ribs, then drive your hips up into a straight line and squeeze.

Start with bodyweight, move to a dumbbell when you’re ready and pair hip thrusts with squats and hinges for strong, balanced legs. Pause at the top, lower with control and let your strength build week by week.

• Strength training
• Glutes
• Hip thrust
• Dumbbells
• Lower body