Barbell Hip Thrust

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Secure a stable bench, use a bar pad as needed, center the bar over the hip crease, and use collars. Set the feet so the top position is controllable.
2. 2Starting position. Place the upper back on the bench edge, feet planted, chin and ribcage controlled, and hands stabilizing rather than lifting the bar.
3. 3Concentric phase. Drive through the feet and extend the hips while keeping the bar level and the knees aligned with the feet.
4. 4Top position / lockout. Reach full hip extension with the pelvis and ribcage stacked; do not create extra range by hyperextending the lumbar spine.
5. 5Eccentric phase. Lower the hips and bar together under control to the same bottom marker without the bench or feet shifting.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Brace before the rise, exhale near or after the hardest portion as appropriate, and reset while the bar is stable.
7. 7Valid rep. A rep reaches repeatable hip extension and depth with level load, stable feet, and no rebound, lumbar overextension, or bench movement.

Common mistakes

• Lumbar overextension at the top

  Fix: Finish with ribs and pelvis stacked; do not chase height by arching.

• Feet too far or too close

  Fix: Adjust the feet so the top position is stable and the heels remain planted.

• Knees collapsing or drifting

  Fix: Track the knees with the feet through the full rep.

• Bouncing the bottom

  Fix: Lower to a repeatable marker and reverse under control.

Safety

• For heavy barbell work, use correctly set safeties and/or a competent spotter and collars; do not rely on a spotter to rescue a technically uncontrolled repetition.
• Choose a load, range, and setup that permit a controlled return or exit; stop the set rather than compensating through sharp or progressively worsening symptoms.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionBodyweight Hip Thrust— Reduce strength, balance, or coordination demand while rehearsing the key pattern before returning to Barbell Hip Thrust.
• progressionPaused Barbell Hip Thrust— Increase load, range, instability, or skill demand after Barbell Hip Thrust is repeatable through the planned volume with reserve and no technique drift.
• alternativeHip Thrust Machine— Train a similar primary pattern with a different stability, equipment, or joint-loading profile when Barbell Hip Thrust is impractical or poorly tolerated.