Hip thrust: how to do it
Main muscles: Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius. Helpers: Hamstrings. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Barbell
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Legs
How to do it
- Shoulder blades on the bench, bar across the hips over a pad, chin tucked.
- Raise the hips in line with the torso and squeeze the glutes.
- Lower under control without touching the floor.
Common mistakes
Hyperextending the lower back instead of working the glutes.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius
- Secondary
- Hamstrings
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Upper/lower, 4 days3 × 8–12
- 5-day split3 × 8–12
- Dumbbells only, 4 days3 × 8–12
- Lower body focus, 3 days4 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
Lunges
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius
Deadlift
Barbell · Erector spinae (lower back), Gluteus maximus, Hamstrings, Semitendinosus
Romanian deadlift
Barbell · Hamstrings, Semitendinosus, Gluteus maximus
Good morning
Barbell · Hamstrings, Erector spinae (lower back), Gluteus maximus
Bulgarian split squat
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Gluteus maximus, Vastus medialis (teardrop)
Step-ups
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Gluteus maximus, Vastus medialis (teardrop)
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500