Strength
Hip Thrust
Hip thrusts target glutes and hip extension. Top squeeze beats heavy bouncing.
Setup
- Upper back on bench, bar on hip crease (pad!).
- Flat feet; shin near vertical at lockout.
- Chin slightly tucked.
Execution
- Drive hips up, squeeze glutes hard.
- Pause 1s at top without lumbar dump.
- Ribs down, brace abs.
- Lower with control.
Common mistakes
- Lumbar hyperextension instead of glutes
- Feet too far/close
- Bare bar digging in
- Bouncing with no pause
Progressions
- Bodyweight / band first
- Single-leg work
- Time under tension before max load