Barbell Hip Thrust
Learn how to perform Barbell Hip Thrust, a Legs exercise, with setup, breathing and common mistakes.
Barbell Hip Thrust · Preview
Setup
Rest your upper back, just below the shoulder blades, against a bench and place the bar over your hips. Set your feet hip-width apart and tuck your chin slightly to brace your torso.
Start phase
Drive through your feet to lift your hips. Keep your knees from collapsing inward and let your glutes work before your lower back.
End phase
Lower your hips slowly. Keep tension in your glutes so the bar does not drop abruptly.
Target muscles
At the top, make sure your glutes squeeze briefly and hard. If your hamstrings fatigue first, try bringing your feet slightly closer to you.
Common mistakes
Overarching at the top or looking up can overload your lower back. Keep your ribs down and chin tucked, then finish by curling your pelvis up into the squeeze.
Breathing
Exhale as you lift your hips and inhale as you lower them. Do not completely stop breathing at the top so you can keep your torso braced longer.
Coach tip
Pause for about 1 second at the top to check your glute squeeze. Adjust your foot position gradually to find the spot where your glutes work more than your hamstrings.
