Elevated Hip Thrust

HOW TO DO IT

1. 1Sit on the floor facing away from a stable bench and lean back so the lower edge of your shoulder blades rests on the pad.
2. 2Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, roughly hip- to shoulder-width apart, heels about a shin's length from your glutes.
3. 3Tuck your chin slightly and keep your ribs down so your torso stays neutral.
4. 4Drive through your heels and mid-foot to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
5. 5Squeeze your glutes hard at the top and hold for one second.
6. 6Lower your hips with control until they are just below the level of the bench, then repeat.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Placing the feet too far from the glutes, which turns the movement into a hamstring-dominant leg curl.
• Placing the feet too close, which pushes the knees forward and shifts work to the quads.
• Hyperextending the lower back at the top instead of finishing with the hips.
• Lifting the head and looking forward instead of keeping the chin tucked.
• Bouncing off the bottom instead of controlling the descent.
• Letting the bench sit too high on the back, which rounds the upper spine.
• Pushing through the toes and losing heel contact.

TIPS

• Set the bench so its edge sits at the bottom of the shoulder blades, not the neck or mid-back.
• Keep the shins vertical at the top; adjust foot placement until this is true.
• Drive through the mid-foot and heel, keeping the whole foot planted.
• Keep the chin tucked and the ribs down so the movement comes from the hips, not the lower back.
• Pause for one second at the top and squeeze the glutes rather than arching the back.
• Keep the pelvis level throughout; both hip bones should rise and fall together.

SAFETY

• Keep the bench stable and against a wall or otherwise secured so it cannot slide during the set.
• Stop if you feel pinching at the front of the hip or if the lower back takes over from the glutes.
• Avoid if you have an acute lower-back or hip injury.

DETAILS

Muscles

Glutes

Equipment

Bench

Type

Strength Training

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tracked as

Weight & Reps

TECHNIQUE

Load position

On the hips