Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBench
- MechanicsIsolation
- Force TypePush (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Hamstrings
Target Muscle Group
Glutes

Bodyweight Hip Thrust Overview
The bodyweight hip thrust is a hip thrust variation.
Hip thrusts are thought to be the best exercise for isolating the glutes and building a better butt.
Having strong glutes translates well in improving your personal records on squats and deadlifts. Having strong glutes is also critical for maintaining a healthy lifestyle as you age.
Bodyweight Hip Thrust Instructions
- Start in a supine position with your back on a bench, knees bent, and feet flat at roughly shoulder width apart.
- Drive both feet into the floor and squeeze your glutes while bridging your hips up.
- Lower your hips back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Bodyweight Hip Thrust Tips
- If just using your bodyweight, you can cross your arms in front of your chest or simply have them straight out to the sides. Utilize whichever method is more comfortable.
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Allow your gaze to move upward as the hip bridges and the torso becomes parallel to the floor.
- Don’t look down and keep the neck in flexion. Instead, focus on keeping the neck neutral on the torso. As your torso tilts back, the gaze should move up. When your hips drop and the torso follows, your gaze will be more horizontal.
- Ensure that the lower back doesn’t arch as you extend the hip, you should focus on squeezing the glutes and slightly posteriorly tilting the pelvis.
- Ideally you should prioritize a straight line from your knees through your shoulders at the peak of contraction.
- Don’t allow the hips to drop or rotate as you bridge the hips up.
- Focus on exhaling as you bridge the hips up. You shouldn’t feel the movement through your lower back at all.
- If you can’t seem to feel your glutes activating, palpate the musculature with your hands and focus on pausing the movement at the peak of contraction.
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