How to Everything you need to know about the hip thrust: the exercise that you cannot miss to train and shape your buttocks

As a general rule, when we think about training our buttocks, our mind automatically goes to squats, one of the basic exercises that should be part of our training routine, in any of its variants. However, few make use of the hip thrust: a lesser-known exercise that has the ability to activate a greater number of fibers than the squat and other exercises when it comes to training our buttocks. We tell you everything you need to know about hip thrust so that you can include it in your training. The muscles you work with the hip thrust: are the gluteus maximum, and medium, The hip thrust is a hip thrust movement in which the muscles with the greatest involvement are the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medium. In addition, through this pushing exercise, we also work both the quadriceps and the hamstrings, while the muscles of our central or core area help us maintain a good posture and raise the back. Compared to other exercises that have traditionally been used to work the glutes, such as the back squat or the hex bar squat, the hip thrust has shown greater activation of the gluteal musculature through EMG (electromyography: a method used to determine neuromuscular activation). The fact that the gluteus maximus and medium, have a greater activation when performing the hip thrust does not mean that we have to put aside other exercises such as the squat or the deadlift. Simply, in the event that your priority is to work on the power, strength, and aesthetics of the gluteus, give priority to the hip thrust as the main exercise. The hip thrust technique, step by step What material do you need to make the hip thrust? How can we perform the hip thrust correctly? To begin, let's see what material we are going to need. To do the hip thrust, we will need a bench on which to support our back and weight that we will place on our hips and that will act as resistance. The most common is to use a bar with plates, but you can also use a kettle bell or a dumbbell, although it is more uncomfortable. In the event that you have CrossFit discs at your disposal, it is very interesting to use them in this exercise because their larger diameter, when placed on the bar and on the ground, makes it easier for you to get under it (if you are training alone and do not have a partner to place the bar on top of you). It is also common to use a fit ball attached to the wall (so that it does not move) to support the back: the fit ball places the back higher off the ground and allows us a greater range of movement and greater activation of the stabilizing muscles. Personally, it is an option that I do not like because it makes me feel insecure if I am using a lot of weight, and I think that the risks are greater than the benefits that can be obtained. Another option is to perform the hip thrust on the smith machine or multipower (the cage to do guided squats). It can be a good option to start with, but the movement will not be as natural as if we do it with free weights. Finally, there are already machines designed exclusively to perform hip thrust. It is true that they are not yet found in many centers, probably because they are not very versatile, but they are interesting since they help us to carry out the movement correctly, putting all the weight we consider necessary through plates and pulleys. The hip thrust movement Once we have chosen the material with which we are going to carry out the exercise, the most important thing is to adopt a correct starting position to do it. We will analyze the hip thrust with bench and bar with discs, which is usually the most common option in gyms. We place the bench against a wall so that it does not move (or we make sure, at least, that the rubber floor, if we do it in the free weight zone, will not allow the bench to move from the site). We sit in front of the bench with the knees bent so that when the hips are raised they form an angle of 90 degrees and the feet are hip-width apart. We support the lower part of our scapula son, the bench: it is important that we do not support the shoulders or lower back, but the scapulae, to carry out the exercise safely. We place the bar above our hips, approximately at the height of the pubis, below the ilia, and spines (the hip bones). There are people who, to prevent the bar from hurting them when working with a lot of weight, usually use a rolled mat on the bar. Personally, I don't like it, but if you are more comfortable you can do it. We grab the bar with both hands so that it does not move from its place and to prevent it from rolling up, and we extend the hip so that our body forms a straight line (respecting the natural curvature of the spine) from the shoulder blades to the knees. That's one rep with full hip extension. During the movement, make sure your core muscles are activated to protect your lower back, and that you push firmly into the ground with your feet. The most common hip thrust mistakes (and how to avoid them)Poorly positioning the back on the bench: the most common mistake in the hip thrust is usually made before we even start to perform the movement, and it is placing the back incorrectly on the bench. Remember that what has to be attached to the bench is the lower part of our shoulder blades. Pulling with too much weight: it can be a calculation problem or, more frequently, an ego problem. The hip thrust is one of the exercises with which we can move the most weight, but that should not imply using the wrong weight. Using more weight than is due will only lead us to carry out an incomplete and potentially harmful movement, as well as being less effective when it comes to activating our glutes. To get the weight right, the best thing we can do is perform some approximation series before the effective series. Placing the bar wrong (or the dumbbell, or the kettle bell): another very frequent mistake is placing the bar in the wrong place. Definitely, the bar cannot be placed higher than our hip bones since it will make movement difficult, increase the risk of it rolling towards our neck and also increase the risk of injury. The correct place is on the hip, approximately at the level of the pubis. Lumbar hyperextension: This usually means that you are pulling lightly, as it allows you to arch your back-up. Remember that a complete repetition is done when our back is aligned with our quadriceps, parallel to the ground. Feet too far apart from the buttocks: before starting the exercise, we should perform the movement a couple of times without weight to make sure our starting position is correct. If we place our feet too far from our buttocks, we will not achieve a 90-degree angle with our knees when extending our hips, in addition to not being able to support our feet on the ground, thus losing the push from them and running the risk of slipping towards ahead. Make sure before you start that the knee flexion is correct. If you're just starting out with your training, you still can't move much weight or the hip thrust still gives you too much respect to getting down to it, you can always start with the glute bridge. In this exercise, the movement is very similar to the hip thrust (it is still a hip thrust) but we work only with our own body weight. To carry it out, lie on the floor on your back, with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your arms stretched out on both sides of your body, with your palms resting on the floor. From this position, perform a hip extension, pushing through your glutes from below so that your hips rise toward the ceiling. You should feel a straight line (again, respecting the natural curvature of the spine) form from your shoulder blades to your knees. Our core muscles or central zone work both to prevent us from swinging and to protect our lower back, but the bulk of the work is carried out by the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, as in the previous case. Our body is thus supported on the soles of the feet (well-supported completely on the ground and through which we push it) and on the scapulae, not on the neck. If you are a newbie, try the glute bridge We can progress this exercise by subtracting supports (glute bridge on one leg or raising the arms towards the ceiling, for example), adding accessories that generate instability (glute bridge on a fit ball or with the TRX) or adding extra weight (we can place a bar or a kettle bell on the hip, as in the case of the hip thrust). Once you feel confident and ready, it's time to move on to the hip thrust, so you can enjoy all its benefits. You can also use both exercises in a complementary way: they are not exclusive.