Dumbbell Hip Thrust

How to Perform the Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and your knees bent with feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
Place a dumbbell across your hips and hold it in place with both hands.
Drive through your heels and thrust your hips upward until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your shins are vertical.
Your shoulder blades should rest on the edge of the bench at the top of the movement.
Squeeze your glutes maximally at the top position and hold for 1-2 seconds.
Lower your hips back down under control until they nearly touch the floor, then drive up again.

Pushing through the toes rather than the heels

Drive through your heels to maximize glute activation; you should be able to wiggle your toes at the top.

Overextending the lower back at the top

Tuck your ribs down and focus on a posterior pelvic tilt at the top to isolate the glutes.

Bench positioned too high on the back

The edge of the bench should sit just below your shoulder blades for proper pivot point.

✓One of the highest glute-activating exercises according to EMG research.
✓Trains the glutes through a full range of motion with minimal spinal load.
✓Directly improves hip extension power for sprinting, jumping, and athletic performance.

●Position your feet so your shins are vertical at the top of the movement for optimal glute engagement.
●Keep your chin slightly tucked throughout to avoid neck strain.
●As you get stronger, progress to a barbell hip thrust for heavier loading.

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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