When it comes to building a bigger butt, the barbell hip thrust is the top barbell movement for the job.
The problem, though, is that many lifters use horrendous form when they do hip thrusts. Unless you commit to using proper form, you will doom your glutes to a life of being flat, weak, and flabby.
There are four cues that will help you set up for barbell hip thrusts.
Cue 1) Make Sure Your Bench Setup Is Correct
The correct bench setup is vital for the proper execution of hip thrusts.
A bench that is too high will hinder you from performing the movement in the best way. If your gym has a Hip Thruster, you’re in luck. You’re set up in a great position. But if you train at a standard gym, you may not have access to the Hip Thruster. These gyms often prioritize overrated machines.
Your best options that you can use if you don’t have the hip thruster are a bench or the steppers. Most benches at the gym are about 17-17.5 inches off the ground. The Hip Thruster is about 16 inches off the ground.
I used the flat bench to set up for hip thrusts for years when I trained at the commercial gym. Although the bench was a bit higher, I was still able to make good progress.
The best way to set up the flat bench would be to put it against an immovable squat rack. When I used to train at a gym in the hood and couldn’t afford a flat bench, we used the cardio steppers. But you will need to set them up against a wall. If not, they will topple over when you start to load serious weight onto the hip thrust.
Cue 2) Make Sure You Are Sitting Upright
Many lifters make the mistake of slouching down a bit on the bench before they start doing hip thrusts. This is the wrong position to start your hip thrusts.
Your goal is to be upright when you begin the movement. Being upright allows you to have the leverage needed to move the most weight. If you are sliding down the bench you will not maximize the hip thrust.
Starting your reps down in the Sunken Place will leave your glutes in the Sunken Place forever.
Cue 3) Properly Position Your Feet
Your foot position is critical to success in the barbell hip thrust.
To train and grow your glutes, your feet must be in the right place. If your feet are too far out, your hamstrings will take the brunt of the movement. Doing them this way will minimize your glutes like Super Mario before he gets the mushroom.
If your feet are too close to you, then you will be unable to reach a full lockout. There is no point in doing hip thrusts if you cannot reach a full lockout and squeeze the juice out of your glutes.
Cue 4) What Does A Proper Rep Look Like?
Before you start doing hip thrusts, you want your chin down, your knees out, and your eyes forward.
As you push up, you will drive your feet into the floor. When you reach the top, your body should be straight across and your glutes should be solid like Arctic ice. You do not want to arch your back or lean your head back.
And you do not want to cut your reps short like a buzz cut. Fake hustle reps lead to a fake hustle body.
Conclusion
If you execute hip thrusts with a full range of motion, your backside has no choice but to grow.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
[…] say Donna Derrière is performing the barbell hip thrust and is stuck at 225lbs x 5. Donna has been trying for months to increase that number, but it will […]
Every time I post a video of me doing hip thrusts, I always get questions about what equipment I m using, where I got it from, and how I set up for hip thrusts without a hip thruster.
Bo,
Thanks for reading. The flat bench will absolutely get the job done but if you ever get a chance to use the hip thruster apparatus, it changes the game big-time!