How to Do Hip Thrusts at Home
Are you finding yourself scrolling through endless IG pages and TikToks looking for ways to modify and perform a Hip Thrust at home? No barbell. No problem! Ladies Who Lift has your back. We will cover different options for those with minimal or no equipment so you can still get in a good workout with this foundational glute movement!
Basic Hip Thrust Principles
Hip Thrusts are an exercise that trains your glutes by extending your hips while maintaining a bend at your knees. Hip Thrusts target mainly your gluteus maximus and gluteus medius, as well as your hamstrings.
The hip thrust can be performed by anyone and is a great option to work your posterior chain. You can add load with a variety of tools (barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, etc.)
“Weak glutes are associated with tight hip flexors, sore knees, and can be associated with poor movement mechanics,” says Dr. Austin Robinson, a strength coach with a Ph.D. in exercise science.
Before we get into the various ways to get your hip thrusts done, please review the hip thrust setup.
Hip Thrust Setup
Like any major lift, setting up your hip thrust is crucial for proper execution. Here are some basic guidelines and cues:
The optimal height of the bench/surface is 12-16 inches (depends on height and anatomy)
Align the bottom of your shoulder blades with the edge of your surface (couch, risers, stairs, chair)
Position the bar or weight just above your pubic bone in the lower abdominal area. You can use a pad to add some cushion
Push through your heels
Move from your sternum down and keep your ribs from flaring upwards
Keep your head forward and chin down. Focus your eyes forward
Your shins should be vertical at the top of the movement
You want full hip extension at the top. Do this by posteriorly tucking your pelvis and squeezing those glutes
How to Hip Thrust Without a Bench
We are fully aware that not everyone has access to a bench or hip thrust machine. Before we go into ways to optimize hip thrusts with minimal equipment, we will highlight different options for you if you don’t have a bench at home.
Use Your Couch
A couch provides a good height and a good amount of padding to perform a hip thrust. Start with your back against the couch. Place the bottom of your shoulder blades at the edge. Feet on the floor. Press your knees out and push your feet into the floor. Drive through your glutes and lift your hips towards the ceiling. Hinge your hips back towards the floor. Using a weight is always optional if you have it available.
Try Glute Bridges
Start by lying down on the ground. Feet planted on the floor and be sure to create some tension in your entire body. Keep your ribs interlaced and your spine neutral. Drive hips up towards the ceiling and squeeze the glutes at the top. Lower back to the ground. Optional here is to add a mini band, some dumbbells or even kettlebells.
Use the Wall
Lay down on the floor close to a wall. Place your feet about hip-width apart on the wall. Press your feet against the wall and drive through your hips and glutes. Raising your hips up off the ground and towards the ceiling. Keep your ribs interlaced and squeeze your glutes up at the top. Come back to the ground and repeat.
Different Ways to Load the Hip Thrust
Now that we have down the form and what to use if you don’t have a bench, let’s take a look at options to load the movement with home-friendly equipment:
Dumbbells
Kettlebells
Mini Bands
Resistance bands
You can add any of these to your variations to ensure that you are achieving progressive overload!
What If you Have No Equipment?
If you don’t have access to anything that can load the movement, there are still ways to challenge yourself! Here are a few ways to modify the movement without weight that will still add plenty of intensity.
Increase your reps
Push sets until failure
Perform reps with a pause
Perform reps with slow eccentrics (the lowering part of the movement)
Adjust your foot placement and stance. (Split Stance; B Stance; Narrow Stance; Single Leg etc.)
Work out At Home With Ladies Who Lift!
The good news here is that the Hip Thrust is versatile and accessible no matter if you’re in the gym or in your living room. And if you need help incorporating them into your routine, our coaches at Ladies Who Lift can help. Check out our at-home custom and non-custom training programs today!
ABOUT the author
Coach Brittany is an ACE Fitness Certified Personal Trainer and additionally holds a specialty Certification in Pre/Post Natal Training. She has experience as a group fitness coach and trained 1:1 both in-person and online.
Brittany started her fitness career several years ago, and has loved it every step of the way! Watching clients continually put in the work towards achieving their goals and enjoying the process has been a driving factor in Brittany's coaching. Brittany started strength training a few years ago and has loved the impact it has made both physically and mentally in her own training. When not training you can find Brittany traveling to anywhere that has a beach and an ocean. She also loves enjoying a glass of wine and catching up on her trash tv
