Hip Thrust

Muscles worked

Effectiveness

★★★★☆ 4/5

A 9-week trial found hip thrust training produced similar gluteal hypertrophy to back squat training, with greater quadriceps growth from squats. Acute EMG data were supportive but did not consistently predict the hypertrophy outcomes.

How to perform

With the upper back against a bench and a barbell across the hips, the lifter extends the hips to full lockout and lowers back down. The gluteus maximus is the primary mover through hip extension, with the hamstrings assisting. The movement loads the glutes most heavily near full hip extension.

References

1. Plotkin et al., Front Physiol (2023) - hip thrust vs back squat gluteal hypertrophy trial
2. Andersen et al., J Strength Cond Res (2018) - EMG comparison of hip thrust, barbell and hex-bar deadlift