The Hip Thrust: How To Progress In The Movement

It’s undeniable how training the glutes with the hip thrust movement has become so popular in the last ten years! In the fitness world, it is pretty impossible to not spot this movement or its variations in a workout programme. Some people say that it is their ‘holy grail’ exercise, while others believe that it’s the Romanian Deadlift. Other than the fact that building strong, round and big glutes is in the limelight again and for obvious reasons. It also has great benefits for both strength and performance in the gym.

As much as we love to focus solely on the big three in powerlifting, there is always a season for hypertrophy (muscle building). If you really want to see strength in those lifts, you have to include glute training into your programme. Including glute training will assist you with getting yourself out of the hole at the bottom of a squat.

Recently, I was in a two year hypertrophy season in order to prep for my next powerlifting meet. I knew that I wanted to add more size onto my frame and build more strength on my lower body. Emphasising glute growth and strength did not only increase my squat and deadlift numbers. I also I felt stronger and do more reps with more weight. Do not knock this exercise until you see how it assists your progress in your respective strength sport.

What Are The Functional Movement Patterns

There are seven functional movement patterns that your body performs on a daily basis. Each of these movement patterns are unique and teach us something different about the movement. These movements include: squat, hip hinge, lunge, push, pull, gait, rotation and the bonus, the thrust.

You may not even realise the connection between pick something from the ground to the front squat exercise. Or pushing yourself away from a table to the push up. Both of these movements mimic the squat and the horizontal push. Altogether, these movements target all the muscle groups in the body and optimises it to perform at its best. Everything that you do in the gym mimics all seven movement patterns that you do outside of the gym. Once you look at exercises as movement patterns, you will be able to design a programme that is beneficial to your goals and incoporates progressive overload.

Check Out Pinterest Functional Movement Series

You are probably wondering why the hip thrust is featuring in this series. Considering that it doesn’t count as a functional movement. Although it lacks the dynamic of training the body functionally and does not train the glutes in multiple planes; it still has its place in strength training. The reason why I wanted to cover this movement in this series is because it does count as a big lift that supports both the hip hinge and the squat. Look at this movement as a bonus foundational movement, rather than a functional movement.

What Is The Hip Thrust Movement

The Hip Thrust is a lower body exercise that targets the glute muscles, including the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus. In addition, it is a fantastic glute-building compound exercise that directly targets the posterior chain (muscles on the back of the body) without adding additional stress on the spine. The aim of this movement is to increase muscle growth in the growth, strengthen the muscles in your lower body, as well as support the progress in your main lifts.

How To Progress In The Hip Thrust Movement

Glute Bridge

If you are a beginner and you want to easily scale up to the hip thrust, I’d suggest beginning with a bodyweight glute bridge. You can use this exercise as part of your dynamic warm ups to help you activate the glutes. Moreover, it is a great exercise to help you develop mind-to-muscle connection as you prepare to progress with weights.

To perform this exercise, all you need is a mat and some open space. Lay down on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Next, use your abs to contract the core by pulling your belly button and ribs into your body. Bracing your core helps to minimise spinal extension. Then, by driving through your heels, lift your hips and lower back off the floor. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings as you drive your hips up until they are fully extended and the tension is in your glutes. Hold for 2-3 seconds and lower yourself back to the starting position.

Single Leg Bridge

This is a great exercise to correct any muscle imbalances you may have and practice strengthening one limb at a time. Single leg work (or unilateral movements) require more core stability. If you feel that your core is not up to par, try adding core work at least twice a week to build it up more.

To perform this exercise, all you need is a mat and some open space. It is similar to the bodyweight glute bridge except this time you will be extending one leg as your lift up from the mat. Make sure that your hands are placed face down on the mat. First, use your abs to contract the core by pulling your belly button and ribs into your body. Extend one leg, squeeze your glutes and hamstrings, then drive through the heel that is on the ground as you drive your hips up. Your extended leg should form a straight line with your back when your hips are fully extended. Hold for 2-3 seconds, lower yourself back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps and then switch to the other leg.

Barbell Hip Thrust

If you are a beginner and are ready to scale up to the barbell hip thrust, you will need a barbell, a stable weight bench or box and something to cushion the bar against your hips like a hip pad or rolled up mat.

First, sit with your back against the edge of the bench that is parallel to you. Roll the loaded barbell into the crease of your hips. Make sure that the hip pad or rolled up mat is secure between you and the barbell. Next, your feet should be planted on the ground. Drive through your feet and drive your upper back into the bench. Then use your abs to contract the core by pulling your belly button and ribs into your body so your torso acts like a lever. When you are ready, contract your glutes to push your hips upwards until they are fully extended. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for 2-3 seconds, lower yourself slowly back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps and then switch to the other leg.

If you feel that your knees are not at a 90 degree angle, play around with your foot placement to find the best positioning for your body.

Single Leg Hip Thrust

To challenge yourself further with this movement, add the variation single leg hip thrust into your training. For this particular variation, you are going to switch from the barbell to a one dumbbell.

First, set yourself up on the bench similar to the barbell hip thrust. Keep one foot firmly planted on the ground and elevate the other leg. Place a dumbbell on the hip of the foot that is on the ground. Then use your abs to contract the core by pulling your belly button and ribs into your body. Next, drive through your heel as you lift up your hips until they are fully extended and parallel to the floor. Hold for 2-3 seconds, lower yourself slowly back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps and then switch to the other leg.

Final Thoughts

There are seven functional movements that your body performs on a daily basis. Although the hip thrust does not count as one of the movements, it is considered a powerhouse movement to build and strengthen the glute muscles. There are multiple variations of this movement that you can use to progress scale up to the barbell hip thrust. By adding single leg (or unilateral) variations of this movement into your training programme, you will be able to correct any muscle imbalances and build up more core stability which is required for any successful training programme.

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I hope that this post has changed your perspective on viewing the hip thrust movement as a foundational exercise and has given you the tools to add it into your training programme. I hope that you go into this week continuing to build your confidence through fitness and beyond! Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi