legsglutes

Barbell Hip Thrust

A hip-hinge exercise performed with your upper back on a bench, one of the most direct ways to build glute strength.

How to do it

1Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and a barbell positioned over your hips.
2Plant your feet flat on the floor and drive through your heels to lift your hips up.
3Extend fully at the top, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, then squeeze your glutes.
4Lower your hips back down with control.

Common mistakes

Overextending the lower back at the top instead of stopping at a straight body line.
Pushing through the toes instead of the heels.

Sets & reps by goal

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest
Strength	3-4	6-10	90-120 sec
Build muscle	3-4	8-12	90-120 sec
General fitness	3-4	12-15	45-60 sec

Ranges reflect the same goal-based logic used by the workout plan tool. These are practical starting ranges rather than exact requirements; actual set count in a generated plan also depends on how often this muscle group appears elsewhere in your week.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Barbell Hip Thrust safe for beginners?

The Barbell Hip Thrust is tagged intermediate, meaning it generally works best once you already have some legs training experience. If you're new to training, the Bodyweight Hip Thrust builds the same kind of movement with less demand, which makes it a reasonable place to start.

See the Bodyweight Hip Thrust

What muscles does the Barbell Hip Thrust work?

The primary mover is your glutes. As a legs movement, it also involves your hamstrings and lower back.

What can I substitute if I don't have a barbell or a bench for the Barbell Hip Thrust?

The Bodyweight Hip Thrust trains the same muscle with a similar movement, so it's a reasonable swap if you don't have a barbell or a bench available. The loading won't match exactly, so expect to adjust the weight or reps.

See the Bodyweight Hip Thrust

Related exercises

Learn more

Want a full plan built around exercises like this one? Try the workout plan tool.