Top 7 Hip Thrust Variations for Glute Workouts

Introduction to Hip Thrust Variations

Looking to challenge yourself and spice up your glute workouts? Hip thrusts are an excellent exercise to work on your glutes and increase lower body strength. But sometimes following the same routine can get repetitive and may cause plateaus.That’s where hip thrust variations come in. Whether you’re new to strength training or a pro lifter, switching up your routine with different hip thrust variations can help you work on various muscle groups and keep your training fresh and engaging. 

In this article, we’ll share the benefits, correct techniques, and step-by-step instructions for 7 different hip thrust variations—from the basic hip thrust to the more advanced single-leg hip thrust. You’ll also learn how various equipment such as a hip thrust machine or resistance bands can mix up and increase the intensity of your training. Let’s get started and find out the best hip thrust variations to improve glutes and the lower body muscles strength.

What are Hip Thrusts and Why Consider Learning Their Variations?

The hip thrust exercise is a strength training movement targeting the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. These muscles worked by hip thrusts are great for developing hip stability, improving overall lower body strength, and improving athletic performance. This exercise engages these muscles by making you extend your hips while keeping your upper back on a bench and feet flat on the ground, often with added weight like a barbell. 

How to Perform a Standard Hip Thrust

It’s essential to maintain proper form when doing hip thrusts, or any exercise for that matter. Ensure that your starting position is correct, keep your shoulder blades on the bench, and aim for a 90-degree angle at the top of the thrust.

Benefits of Hip Thrusts

Running, jumping, and lifting are only some of the daily activities you can do better and easier with the help of hip thrusts, since it improves pelvic and hip mobility [1]. If you’re looking to improve your posture, doing this exercise is also a great way to work on that. That’s not all—find out more about the perks of doing hip thrusts in our article: 10 Hip Thrust Benefits to Build Stronger Glutes.

Equipment Options for Doing Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusts can be performed with different types of equipment. Each option provides unique benefits, giving you the opportunity to design your workout around your goals. Here are some hip thrust equipment and their specific benefits:

• Barbell: Build strength and muscle by doing progressive overload. Start by lighter barbells to heavier ones. 
• Dumbbells: Ideal if you need more controlled resistance than what barbells can offer. Dumbbells are also great for those still learning proper form and improving stability. 
• Hip Thrust Machines: Perfect for beginners who need assistance with movement, proper form, and reducing risk of injury. Weights can also be adjusted for progressive training.
• Resistance Bands: Even without heavy weights, resistance bands increase glute activation especially at the top of the thrust. 
• Stability Ball: Increases core engagement and balance due to the instability it adds; great for increasing workout intensity and strengthening stabilizer muscles. 

Why Consider Trying Out Hip Thrust Variations

Are you trying to overcome plateaus or fatigue caused by repetitive movements? Or maybe you have specific goals like addressing muscle imbalances and injury? Switching up variations of the hip thrust could be your solution. Exploring different ways of doing this exercise can help you:

• Target specific muscle groups
• Address muscle imbalances
• Improve workout variety
• Enhance glute activation and strength

Different Hip Thrust Variations for Every Fitness Level

In this section, we’ll show you 7 different hip thrust variations you can try. The best part? These different variations cater to different fitness levels, which means you don’t have to worry if you’re a beginner or a pro lifter who’s looking for a challenge—there’s definitely a hip thrust variation for you. Check out these exercises’ notable benefits and steps to understand which one works best for your fitness goals. 

Beginner Hip Thrust Variations

1. Hip Thrust Machine

This machine provides guided movement, making it ideal for beginners to focus on proper form.

• Benefits: It helps develop basic hip thrust skills while minimizing the risk of improper form and injury.
• How to Do It: Sit on the machine with your back against the pad and feet flat on the platform. By pushing through your heels, lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

2. Smith Machine Hip Thrust

A barbell hip thrust variation using the Smith machine.

• Benefits: Offers a stable, guided path for the barbell, which can be easier for beginners to manage [2]. It allows for precise control over the movement and weight.

• How to Do It: Position your upper back on a bench with a barbell resting on your hips. Use the Smith machine to help control the barbell as you thrust your hips upwards.

3. Banded Hip Thrust

The banded hip thrust uses a long resistance band looped around the thighs for added resistance.

• Benefits: Enhances glute activation through variable resistance and guides you to having proper form without the need for heavy weights [3]. This also increases activation of the gluteus maximus. 
• How to Do It:  Place a resistance band across your hips and anchor it under your feet. Perform the hip thrust as usual, allowing the band to increase resistance.

Intermediate Hip Thrust Variations

4. Dumbbell Hip Thrust

• Benefits: Offers more control and is a good progression from body weight or banded variations, as it allows for incremental weight adjustments.

• How to Do It: Place a dumbbell on your hips while resting your upper back on a bench. Perform the thrust motion, lifting your hips and squeezing your glutes.

5. Barbell Hip Thrust

• Benefits: Enables the use of lighter weights to heavier weights, which is essential for building your strength and muscles. This meansthe barbell hip thrust can also be a great variation for advanced training.

• How to Do It: Position a barbell across your hips and keep your upper back on a bench. Push your hips upward while keeping the barbell stable.

6. B Stance Hip Thrust

• Benefits: Provides a unilateral challenge, addressing muscle imbalances and increasing stability. Targets individual glutes more intensely, which helps correct muscle imbalances and enhances single-leg strength. 
• How to Do It: Position one foot slightly ahead of the other on the floor or bench. Perform the hip thrust as usual, focusing on the front leg's glute.

Advanced Hip Thrust Variations

• Benefits: Intensifies the exercise by isolating one leg, enhancing unilateral strength and stability. It also helps with addressing muscle imbalances.
• How to Do It: Perform the hip thrust with one leg extended and the other leg driving the movement.

• Benefits: Increases the full range of motion, enhancing the stretch and activation of the glutes. This variation can lead to greater muscle engagement and strength gains
• How to Do It: Place your feet on a bench or platform while performing the hip thrust. This increases the range of motion and intensity.

Additional Techniques and Tips for Performing Hip Thrust Variations

How to Warm Up for Hip Thrusts

It’s essential to prepare your joints and muscles before every workout. This helps avoid injuries and intense body pain. Include dynamic stretches and hip activation exercises like:

• Glute bridges
• Bodyweight hip thrusts
• Hip Circles
• X-Band Lateral Walks

How to Program Hip Thrusts

Sets and Reps for Different Fitness Goals

For hypertrophy: Start with 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps for strength and hypertrophy. Adjust according to your goals and fitness level.

For endurance: Use lighter weights and aim for 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps. This helps improve muscle stamina and endurance.

Integrating Hip Thrusts Into Your Routine

Incorporate them into your lower body days or glute-focused workouts, ideally after compound lower body exercises like squats or deadlifts.

Adjusting Hip Thrust Variations for Targeted Muscle Groups

Aiming to work on a specific muscle group? Change your foot positioning and equipment. For instance, if you want to focus the glutes, place your feet in a high position or wrap a band around your knees. If it’s the hamstrings you want to strengthen, extend your feet away from your body. For safe and effective hip thrust workouts, the weight and range of motion can also be modified depending on your fitness level. 

Hip Thrust Variations: Conclusion

Including hip thrust variations into your strength training is a fantastic way to enhance the development of your gluteal muscles. From the standard ones such as barbell hip thrusts to advanced variations like single-leg hip thrusts, these variations are perfect for enhancing activation of the glutes, correct muscle imbalances, and achieve a stronger lower body for easier daily movements. Additionally, these exercises are quite versatile so you can alter your training intensity based on the equipment you’re using, foot positioning, and weights. 

If you’re a beginner, you need to prioritize mastering proper form to ensure consistency and exercise effectiveness. Once you’ve learned the basics of performing the hip thrust, you’re ready to explore its variations. Experimenting with these variations can address muscle imbalances, prevent lower back pain, and achieve the best results for glute development. 

Reduce risk of injury, improve form, and make the most out of your hip thrust workouts by using the best hip thrust machines or glute machines. In fact, wherever you are in your fitness journey, incorporating these exercises into your lower body workout can give you stronger, more defined glutes. 

References:

1. Contreras, B., Cronin, J., & Schoenfeld, B. (2011). Barbell hip thrust. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 33(5), 58–61. https://doi.org/10.1519/ssc.0b013e31822fa09d
2. Iacono, A. D., Padulo, J., Bešlija, T., & Halperin, I. (2021). Barbell Hip-Thrust Exercise: Test-Retest reliability and correlation with isokinetic performance. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(3), 659–667. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000002779
3. Kennedy, D., Casebolt, J. B., Farren, G. L., & Bartlett, M. (2023). Effects of Band-Resisted Abduction on Muscle Activity between the Barbell Hip Thrust and Barbell Glute Bridge. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v3i1.223