Single-leg Hip Thrust

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Sit on the floor with the upper back against the long side of a stable bench. The bench edge should cross the shoulder blades, not the neck.
2. 2Starting position. Place one foot flat with the shin close to vertical near the top. Lift the other leg, either with the knee bent towards the chest or the leg extended — the extended version is the harder one.
3. 3Concentric phase. Drive through the standing foot and extend the hip until the trunk and the working thigh form a line. Keep the pelvis level; the free leg does not swing to help.
4. 4End position / lockout. Hold the top briefly with the glutes contracted and both hip points at the same height. Stop before the pelvis tips forward or drops on the free side.
5. 5Eccentric phase. Lower under control until the pelvis is just above the floor. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale before the lift, brace moderately, exhale as the hip extends. Re-set the pelvis if it has drifted.
7. 7Valid repetition. Count one repetition when the hip reaches the defined top position with a level pelvis and returns under control.

Common mistakes

• Letting the pelvis tilt sideways

  Fix: Keep both hip points level; a level pelvis is the whole point of the single-leg version.

• Swinging the free leg

  Fix: Hold the free leg still — if it has to swing, switch to the bent-knee version.

• Bench too high or unstable

  Fix: Use a low, stable bench so the shoulder blades rest on the edge without the bench sliding.

• Finishing with the low back

  Fix: Stop when trunk and thigh align; more height from there is lumbar extension.

Safety

• Check that the bench cannot slide before the first repetition; a moving bench is the most common way this setup fails.
• The bench edge belongs across the shoulder blades. Pressure on the neck is a setup error, not something to tolerate.
• Known low-back, hip, or knee symptoms require an individually tolerated range and setup; this is not a rehabilitation prescription.
• A pelvis that cannot be kept level means the exercise is currently too demanding — the regression is the answer, not more repetitions.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionSingle-leg Glute Bridge— Train the same single-hip pattern on the floor, where the range and the balance demand are smaller.
• regressionBodyweight Hip Thrust— Keep the elevated setup but share the load across both legs.
• progressionBarbell Hip Thrust— Return to two legs with external load once single-leg control is no longer the limiting factor.