Hip Thrust Machine
Why it matters
The Hip Thrust builds strength and size in your glutes, adductors, erector spinae and rectus abdominis. As a compound movement, it trains several muscles together and carries over to real-world strength and power.
How to do it
- Adjust the seat and any pads so the working joint lines up with the machine’s pivot, set the pin to your working weight, and keep contact with the support pad throughout.
- Set your upper back or shoulders as the pivot and your feet flat, about hip-width and close to your hips.
- Tuck your ribs down and brace before the first rep.
- Drive through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top for a beat.
- Lower your hips under control back toward the floor.
Coaching cues
- Drive through your heels, not your toes.
- Finish each rep by squeezing your glutes at the top, not by arching your lower back.
- Keep your ribs down and your chin slightly tucked so the work stays in your glutes.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of each rep.
- Follow the machine’s guided lever path smoothly and control the weight back to the stack.
Watch out for
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Arching the lower back to push the hips higher.
Extra height from your spine, not your hips, means your glutes do less of the work.
Instead Stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees and squeeze your glutes.
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Pushing through the toes so the heels lift.
On your toes your glutes do less and the hip drive weakens.
Instead Keep your whole foot down and drive through your heels.
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Rushing reps without a real glute squeeze at the top.
Skipping the squeeze leaves the strongest part of the contraction untrained.
Instead Pause and squeeze your glutes hard at the top of each rep.
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Letting the weight stack slam down at the bottom.
A slammed stack means gravity did the lowering, not your muscles.
Instead Control the return so the plates settle without banging.
The detail
- Tempo
- Drive up with intent and lower under control for about two counts.
- Breathing
- Exhale as you drive your hips up, breathe in as you lower.
- Range of motion
- Lift until your hips reach a straight shoulder-to-knee line, then lower under control. Take the glutes through its full working range each rep.
- Setting up
- Adjust the seat and any pads so the working joint lines up with the machine’s pivot, set the pin to your working weight, and keep contact with the support pad throughout.
- If you are new to it
- Start with bodyweight and learn to feel your glutes doing the work before adding resistance.
- Once it is easy
- Add a pause at the top or increase the resistance once you own the movement.