The hip thrust is an excellent exercise to grow the glutes. However, many people struggle to feel these muscles activating when performing this movement. In this blog post, we will share some tips on how to get the most out of the hip thrust.
Set up
Adopting the right set up will enable your body to generate maximum strength in your gluteal muscles. First of all, rest your upper back on a firm bench behind you. Then, bend your knees to your knee level, and place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders with the toes pointing a bit outwards. Since everyone's anatomy is different, you might require some personalized adjustments. You can experiment with different feet positions and find the set up that works best for you.
Posterior pelvic tilt
Before lifting your buttock off the ground, make sure you are tilting your pelvis backward. This will prevent your lower back from rounding, and will enable you to feel a stronger contraction in your glutes and abdominal muscles.
Push with your heels
When doing the hip thrust, It is common for some people to overwork their quadriceps and calves because of excessive pressure on their forefoot. In contrast, pushing with the weight on your heels helps to isolate the glutes. If you still feel too much activation in your quadriceps, you can also try to position your feet closer to you.
Hold at the top
Lift your buttock up until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold that position for a couple of seconds, then slowly lower your buttock to the ground. Holding a static contraction at the top of the movement will help you to feel the squeeze in your glutes.
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