Hip Thrust 101 - Everything You Need to Know About Hip Thrusts/Glute Bridges

What they are, why you should be doing them, how to do them properly and what equipment you need.

The hip thrust or the hip thruster as it’s sometimes known, is a great glute bridge activation exercise for hitting the butt and hamstrings. You’ve probably seen a ton of pics and reels on the ‘gram and wondering how to do it properly. Unless you’re using a dedicated machine, which is a rarity in a gym, you’ll be using a barbell with some rolled up mads or a pad. Basically, it’s performed by sitting on the ground with the barbell placed on the hips, driving the hips upward to lift the weight while keeping the torso and legs straight. The hip thrust is great for building strength, power, and endurance in the glutes and hamstrings,

How to perform a hip thrust:

1. Sit yourself on the floor with a bench or a platform behind you with your feet flat on the ground.
2. Position your upper back on the bench or box, ensuring the box is the correct height by lining it up with your shoulder blades.
3. Roll or place your chosen weight onto your lap across your hips.
4. Bend your knees, and place feet flat on the floor. (Note. You should aim for vertical shins in order to target the glutes effectively.)
5. Drive the hips upward, allowing your shoulders to hinge back onto your box or bench.
6. Ensure you keep your chin tucked and eyes locked in front of you throughout. (Do not allow your eyeline to travel upwards to the ceiling).
7. Lower your hips back down to the original position.

Note: It’s important to keep your core right and don’t arch your back. Don’t want any injuries now do we?

Hip Thrust Benefits

Hip thrusts offer a number of key benefits, including:

1. Build glutes: You’re hitting the glutes hard, sure you can target them with other leg exercises but studies have shown that hip thrusts are one of the best for glute activation.
2. Improved athletic performance: Stronger glutes can help improve your overall athletic performance by increasing your power and speed.
3. Better posture: Hip thrusts can result in improved posture by reducing lower back pain and tension.
4. Reduced risk of injury: By strengthening your gluts, you can prevent common lower body injuries such as knee and hip pain by improving your stability and balance.
5. Improved functional movement: Improve overall functional movement by helping you perform everyday activities with greater ease and less strain.

What Equipment do I need?

OK, so we know the benefits and how to do one, we know you need a barbell. However without using a pad or some rolled up mats, that’s going to be mighty uncomfortable. Using a pad for your hip thrusts provides cushioning for your hips helping to reduce discomfort during the exercise. It’s also great for helping maintain proper form by keeping your hips stable during the movement, as well as effectively distributing the weight evenly cross your hips. It is important to use a high-quality pad that is sturdy and provides enough support to ensure a safe and effective workout. However, fining the right one isn’t easy. Many of the foam pads you see on amazon simply aren’t thick enough meaning the exercise can be incredibly uncomfortable on your hips and groin. This is likely to have resulted in poor form, reduced load and failing to work to failure thus reducing the likelihood of a successful set. Without a properly cushioned and secure barbell pad, it is impossible to effectively progressively overload with your chosen weight. This is because your pelvic skeletal structure is unable to directly support the load that your glutes can move without sufficient support.. Even with a thin barbell pad, you may still be able to feel heavier loads through the padding if it is not made of a high enough quality to support the heavy loads a hip thrust lends itself to. Without using a thick, supportive barbell pad, you are actually selling yourself short in questionably the best glute exercise you can implement in your routine for growth.

Enter the BFP

Our Big F*cking Pad (BFP for short folks) is designed with the hip thrust in mind. Made with sturdy materials for maximum comfort under those heavier loads. We’ve tested this with weights of up to 260kg so no more using that flimsy pad or messing around wrapping mats around a bar. This will provide you with the support you need to complete your lifts with confidence.