We love our hip thrusts around here at Barbell Pilates, and anyone who has trained with me in-person or inside my online coaching program BarbellSTRONG has done the hip thrust before.
Not only is the best exercise for building the ship of your glutes, it’s an incredible hinge movement that carries over well into performance. If you’ve been running a lot more during this quarantine, then hip thrusts will serve you well in the form of strong hips that improve your speed. If you like to sprint or play sports, strong glutes will make you more powerful, too.
Hip thursts are a no-brainer for performance and aesthetics perspective. To benefit fully from this exercise, there are a few tweaks to the technique that will help you feel your glutes more.Here are three tips to help you get a more powerful hip thrust and really get the benefits of this exercise.
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Pelvic position
Starting off with a slight posterior tilt will help you feel the exercise more in the glutes than in the lower back. It also helps prevent lumbar hyperextension from occurring in the lockout position
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The lockout
This refers to the ‘finish’ at the top of the lift, similar to a deadlift. I see a lot of clients miss the lockout either because they’re fatigued or unaware, but without it, you end up missing the full benefit of the hip thrust. “Finish” in the full lockout position to improve glute size, strength, improve speed, and performance
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Bench Height
The ideal bench height for hip thrusts are about 12-16’ and depends on the person’s anatomy more than anything. Not many gyms have the proper equipment, so it’s okay to use a normal bench. You will have to adjust your setup however, if it’s too high.
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