Hip thrust machine

1. 1

   Set the machine so the back pad sits just below your shoulder blades and the belt or pad rests right on your hips, not your belly.

2. 2

   Place your feet on the platform hip-width apart, hold the side handles and keep your chin slightly tucked.

3. 3

   Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your torso lines up with your thighs and your shins are vertical.

4. 4

   Squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 second without arching your lower back.

5. 5

   Lower under control almost to the end of the range, without letting the weight slam, and repeat.

• Mistake

  Arching your lower back at the top to push the belt higher.

  How to fix it

  Stop when your torso lines up with your thighs. Keep your ribs down and look toward your knees at the top.

• Mistake

  Feet too high or too far out on the platform, so the work shifts to your hamstrings.

  How to fix it

  Move your feet until your shins are vertical at the top of the movement.

• Mistake

  Too much weight and only the top half of the movement.

  How to fix it

  Lower almost to the end of the range on every rep. If the weight won't let you, take some off.

Max strength (3 to 6 reps) only once your form is solid, always with 2 to 3 reps in reserve.

Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.

• Barbell

  Same movement with a barbell and a bench. It takes more setup to load the bar and keep it in place.

• Smith machine

  The bar runs on a track and has safety hooks. A good swap when the machine is taken.

• Dumbbell

  One dumbbell on your hips and your shoulder blades on a bench. Good for lighter loads and for training at home.

• Resistance band

  The band goes over your hips and gets harder at the top, where it stretches the most.

• At home: couch hip thrust

  Rest your shoulder blades on the edge of a sturdy couch pushed against a wall. A dumbbell or a weighted backpack on your hips does the job of the belt.

• Prefer more stability? Floor glute bridge

  Prefer your whole back on the floor? In the bridge your shoulders stay on the mat and the range is shorter.

• Barbell hip thrust

  Gluteus maximus · Barbell

  Intermediate

• Smith machine hip thrust

  Gluteus maximus · Smith machine

  Beginner

• Glute bridge

  Gluteus maximus · Bodyweight

  Beginner

• Glute kickback machine

  Gluteus maximus · Machine

  Beginner

• 

  Gluteus maximus

  56 exercises

• Glute exercises on machines

  9 exercises

• How to grow glutes

  What the science says about sets, exercises and how long it takes.

• Sets and reps

  Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.

  Full textPubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  Neto WK, Soares EG, et al. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203.

  Full textPubMed

• Exercise choice

  Plotkin DL, Rodas MA, et al. Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift. Front Physiol. 2023;14:1279170.

  Full textPubMedDOI

• Variations

  Collazo García CL, Rueda J, et al. Differences in the Electromyographic Activity of Lower-Body Muscles in Hip Thrust Variations. J Strength Cond Res. 2020;34(9):2449-2455.

  PubMedDOI