Barbell Hip Thrust

Exercise Technique

The Exercise Technique Column provides detailed explanations of proper exercise technique to optimize performance and safety. Column Editor: John Graham, MS, CSCS*D, FNSCA

Barbell Hip Thrust Bret Contreras, MA,1 John Cronin, PhD, CSCS,1 and Brad Schoenfeld, MSc, CSCS2 1 Auckland Auckla nd Univer University sity of Techn Technology ology,, Auckl Auckland, and, New Zeala Zealand; nd; and 2Exercise Science Department, Lehman College, Bronx, New York  Supplemental digital Supplemental digital content content is avail available able for this this article. article. Direct URL citations citations appear appear in the printed printed text and are provid provided ed in the HTML and PDF versions of this article on the journal’s Web site (http://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj).

SUMMARY THE TECHNIQUE OF THE BARBELL HIP THRUST IS DESCRIBED AND DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THE USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO IN THIS COLUMN. AN EXERCIS EXE RCISE E PRES PRESCRIP CRIPTION TION IS GIVE GIVEN. N.

TYPE OF EXERCISE

he barbell hip thrust is a biomechanical mecha nically ly effic efficient ient way to work the gluteal muscles. The exer ex erci cise se ca can n be use used d to ma maxi ximi mize ze glut gl utea eall mu musc scle le ac acti tiva vati tion on,, de deve velo lop p end-ra end -range nge hip ext extens ension ion str streng ength th in thee gl th glut uteu euss ma maxi ximu muss mu musc scul ulat atur ure, e, increase incre ase horiz horizonta ontall forc forcee prod productio uction, n, and inc incre rease ase the con contri tribut bution ion of the gluteus maximus relative to the hamstrings strin gs durin duringg hip exte extension nsion movem movement, ent, which may decrease the likelihood of  hamstring injuries (4).

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MUSCLES USED

Primary hip exte Primary extensors nsors (gluteus maximus, hams hamstring trings, s, and hamstring part of addu adductor ctor magnus), seco seconda ndary ry hip exten ext ensor sorss (ad (addu ducto ctors rs and pos poster terior ior fibers fibe rs of glu gluteu teuss med medius ius and glu gluteu teuss minimus), posterior vertebral stabilizers (erector (erec tor spina spinae), e), and knee extensors extensors (rectus femoris and vasti muscles). This bent-leg, horizontally loaded hip extension exercise decreases hamstring  58

contribution to hip extension through active insufficiency. Active insufficiency refers to the phenomenon where a 2 joint muscle is shorten shortened ed at one joint while a muscular contraction is initiated by the other joint (11). The hamstrings (semite (sem itendin ndinosis osis,, semimem sem imembra branos nosus, us, and long head of the biceps femoris) are a group of biarticular muscles that cross both the knee and the hip joints. Beca Be cause use th thee ha hams mstr tring ing mus muscl cles es ar aree shorte sho rtene ned d dur durin ingg kn knee ee fle flexio xion n (1 (11), 1), their force-p force-produci roducing ng capac capacity ity necessarily sar ily will be red reduce uced d dur during ing per perfor for-mance of the hip thrust, consequently increasing increa sing the contra contractile ctile requirem requirements ents of the gluteus maximus musculature. svantaggio

One dr One draw awba back ck of ty typi pica call st stan andi din ng  barb ba rbel elll st stre ren ngt gth h ex exer erci cise sess is th thee decreased tension on the hip extensors as the exercise nears lockout and the hips reach a neutral position. Because of  the hor horizo izonta ntally lly load loaded ed nat nature ure of the hip thrust exercise, tension on the hip musc mu scul ulaatu turre is ma maxxim imiz ized ed at th thee exercise’s lockout as the hips reach a  neutral or a slightly hip hyperextended posi po siti tion on.. Thi hiss co corr rres espo pond ndss to th thee zone of hip range of motion involved in gro ground und con contac tactt dur during ing max maximum imum speed spee d run running ning.. Nor Normal mal hip exte extensio nsion n rang ra ngee of mo motio tion n is ar arou ound nd 20° past neutral (10), and moving into this range through thro ugh act active ive glut glutee con contrac traction tion may

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maximize gluteus maximus activa maximize activation tion as maximal voluntary isomet isometric ric contra contracction electromyographic activity of the glute glu teus us max maxim imus us ha hass be been en sho shown wn to increase as the hips move from flexion to extension (13). However, increased hip exten extension sion ran range ge of moti motion on and and wea weak  k  glute glu tess ha have ve be been en sho shown wn to in incr crea ease se anterior hip joint force (7,8), so proper exer ex erci cise se pr prog ogre ressi ssion on sho should uld be em em-ployed, ploy ed, and caution caution shou should ld be tak taken en to ensure that the glutes are controlling  the movement. Consideri Consid ering ng tha thatt (a) ver vertic tical al for forces ces tend ten d to pla platea teau u aft after er app approx roxima imatel telyy 70% of maximum running velocity is achieved (1), whereas horizontal forces continue to increase as velocity rises, and (b) horizontal force application is signifi sig nifican cantly tly cor correl relate ated d to inc increa reased sed acceleration, whereas total and vertical force production are not (9), it seems wise to incorporate strategies to work  the hips fro from m a hor horizo izonta ntall vec vector tor if  increased incre ased speed and acce accelera leration tion are sought.. Fur sought Furtherm thermore, ore, because of the increased muscular tension throughout the full range of motio motion, n, the hip thrust exercise exerc ise would theor theoretic etically ally heigh heighten ten thee hy th hype pert rtro roph phic ic st stim imul ulus us fo forr th thee gluteal muscles (12) and thus increase strength and power potential because of the relationship of these factors to muscle cross-sectional area (3,5,6).

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EXERCISE TECHNIQUE 

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Begin the exercise by sitting on the ground groun d and straightening straightening the legs. Line Li ne up th thee up uppe perr ba back ck ac acro ross ss a secured and padded bench, step, or box. The placement of the upper back ba ck ac acro ross ss th thee be benc nch h sh shou ould ld be slig sl ight htly ly lo lowe werr th than an th thee lo loww-ba barr positio pos ition n use used d in the pow powerl erlift ifting ing-style squat. Position the barbell over the lower legs (Figure 1). (Note: Body  weig we ight ht re resi sist stan ance ce mu must st be ma mast ster ered  ed  before using barbell loading, and grad-  ually progressive increments should be  used to prepare the body’s tissues for the  new movement pattern .) .) Lean forward and grab a hold of the barbell (Figure 2). Assuming large plates are used for resist res istanc ance, e, suc such h as 4545-lb lb or 2020-kg  kg  plates, it is usually possible to simply roll ro ll th thee ba barb rbel elll ov over er th thee th thig ighs hs toward the hips (Figure 3). Individuals with extremely muscular thighs may find this tas taskk cha challe llengi nging, ng, in which case they will need to make modifications, such as asking a spotter to lift up on one side of of the barbell barbell to allow the exerciser to slide his or her legs underneath. Because the hip thrust puts considerable era ble pre pressu ssure re ac acros rosss the low lower er abdomi abd ominal nal an and d pub pubic ic reg region ion,, it is wisee to pa wis pad d the ba barbe rbell. ll. Coa Coache chess have ha ve us used ed Ai Aire rexx Ba Bala lanc ncee Pa Pads ds (Air (A irex ex AG AG,, Sw Swit itze zerl rlan and) d),, de dens nsee padding, padd ing, Hampton thick bar pads (Hampton (Ham pton Fitn Fitness, ess, Ventu entura, ra, CA), regular bar pads, towels, and homemade devices consisting of sagittally cutt PV cu PVC C pi pipe pe an and d ho holl llow owed ed ou outt foam rollers. The thicker the padding di ng,, th thee be bett tter er.. The ba barb rbel elll is situated situa ted symme symmetrica trically lly and plac placed ed at the crease crease of the hips slightly slightly above the pelvis. If a bar pad is used, precautions are taken to ensure that the bar wil willl not slip through through the padding by making sure that the slit in the pad is faci facing ng upward. upward. Lean back and resume the proper uppe up perr ba back ck pl plac acem emen ent. t. Tig ight hten en everything up by scooting the feet toward tow ard the but buttoc tocks ks and ‘‘d ‘‘digg igging  ing  into’’ int o’’ the ben bench ch and gro ground und.. Th Thee

Figure Figu re 1. Start position for the hip thrust.

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feet sho feet should uld be pos positi itione oned d aro around und shoulder width apart and placed at a distance that creates a 90 ° angle at the knee joint with a vertical tibia  rela re lati tive ve to th thee gr grou ound nd at th thee to top p portion of the movement (Figure 4). From Fr om thi thiss sta start rtin ingg po posit sitio ion, n, a big  breath is taken and the core is braced. The barbell is raised off the ground via a powerful contraction of the hip extensors. It is of utmost importance to ensure that the spine and pelvis stay in relatively neutral positions and the extension movement comes from the hips, not from the lumbopelvic regi re gion on.. A sl slig ight ht ar arch ch in th thee lo low w ba back ck is fine,, but exc fine excess essive ive lumb lumbar ar hyp hypere erexxtension can predispose the posterior

elements of the spine to injury and increase disc deformation and spinal load lo ading ing (2 (2). ). Pro Prope perr fo form rm inv invol olve vess the athl athlete ete con contro trollin llingg the bar barbell bell throug thr oughou houtt the ent entire ire mov moveme ement, nt, including includ ing the conce concentric, ntric, isomet isometric, ric, and ecc eccent entric ric por portion tions. s. Th Thee kne knees es should sho uld tra track ck dire directly ctly over the toe toess and not cave cave inwar inward. d. The back hinges hinges across the bench, and any sliding of  the back up and down the bench is keptt to a min kep minimum imum.. The exerciser exerciser shoul sh ould d ke keep ep the feet fla flatt an and d pu push sh through the entire foot. Alternatively, the exerciser may dorsiflex the ankles throughout the movement to ensure forc fo rcee tr tran ansf sfer er thr throug ough h the hee heels, ls, which whic h may sligh slightly tly increa increase se poste posterior rior

Figure Figu re 2. Rolling the barbell over the legs.

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Exercise Technique

Figure Figu re 3. Ensuring symmetrical bar alignment and placement at the hips.

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chain rec chain recru ruitm itmen ent. t. For max maximu imum m safety saf ety,, the hea head d and neck sho should uld track accordingly to remain in alignment with the spine. The hi hips ps ri rise se un unti till th thee to tors rso o is parallel with the ground and a hipneut ne utra rall po posi siti tion on is re reac ache hed. d. The exerci exe rciser ser may choose choose to tak takee the exerci exe rcise se a cou couple ple of inc inches hes hig higher her into hip hyperextension via a powerful contraction of the gluteals as the hipss can hyp hip hypere erexte xtend nd aro around und 10 ° with bent legs (Figure 5). Thee loc Th lockou koutt pos positi ition on of the exe exerrcis isee is he held ld for a 11-ccou oun nt. The eccentric portion is performed under

contro cont rol, l, an and d th thee ba barb rbel elll sh shou ould ld lightl lig htlyy ret return urn to the gro ground und.. Th This is practice may allow for better transfer to run runnin ningg thr throug ough h inc increa reased sed net hor horizo izonta ntall for forces ces (se (seee Vi Video deo,, Supple Sup plemen mental tal Dig Digita itall Con Conten tentt 1, http://links.lww.com/MAO/A83). SET STRATEGIES

Five main strategies can be employed for the hip thrust exercise: 1. The barbell is raised concentrically for a 1-count, held isometrically up top to p fo forr a 11-co coun unt, t, an and d lo lowe were red d eccentrically for a 1-count, and then, the barbell rests on the ground for

a 1-count before repeating. This is the standard technique. 2. The barbell is raised concentrically for a 1-count, held isometrically up top for a 3-count, lowered eccentricall llyy fo forr a 11-co cou unt, an and d th theen repe re peat ated ed ju just st be befo fore re th thee ba barb rbel elll touch to uching ing the gro ground und.. Th This is is the constant tension method and creates extre ex treme me ce cellu llular lar swe swelli lling ng and an occlusio occ lusion n effe effect, ct, whic which h may maxi maxi-mize hypertrophic signaling. 3. Th Thee bar barbel belll is ra raise ised d con concen centri trical cally ly for a 1-count, held isometrically up top for a 1-count, and lowered eccentricall ca llyy fo forr a 11-co coun unt, t, an and d th then en,, th thee barbell rests on the ground for 3–5 seconds. This is known as the restpause method and creates an extreme high-t hig h-thre hresho shold ld mot motor or uni unitt ac activ tivaation stimulus by allo allowing wing adequate adequate recovery between repetitions to maximiz im izee ne neur ural al dr driv ive, e, wh whic ich h ma mayy enhance neurological adaptation. 4. The exercise is first performed via  the constant tension method. When it is no longer possible to perform any more repetitions, the exerciser switches to the rest-pause method to squeeze out 1–5 more repetitions. Thi hiss is kn know own n as th thee ex exte tend nded ed sett me se meth thod od,, an and d be beca cause use it is an advanced adva nced technique, technique, fewer sets in thiss man thi manner ner sho should uld be per perfor formed med (1 all-out set would serve the exerciser just fine). 5. The exercise exercise is performed via a comcombination of barbell, plate, and band or cha chain in res resist istan ance ce.. Ban Bands ds can be secured to the end of the bar and fastened fast ened to heavy dumb dumbbells bells resid residing  ing  directly underneath the bar. If chains are used, care must be taken to make sure the chains do not interfere with the ground-plate interface. SETS/REPETITIONS/REST 

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Figure Figu re 4. Bottom of hip thrust with barbell in position to be lifted.

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Beginners should perform 1–3 sets with 8–12 repe repetition titionss with 60–120 seconds secon ds in between sets. Intermedia Inter mediates tes should perfo perform rm 3–4 sets with 5–8 repetitions with 60– 120 seconds in between sets. Advanced lifters should perform 3–5 sets with 1–5 repetitions with 120 seconds secon ds in between sets.

3. Haxton HA. HA. Absolute Absolute muscle muscle force force in the ankle flexors of man. J Physiol  103: 267–273, 1944. 4. Hosk HoskinsW insW andPolla andPollard rd H. The man manag ageme ement nt of hamstring injury—Part 1: Issues in diagnosis. Man Ther  10: 96–107, 2005. 5. Ikai M and and Fukunaga Fukunaga T. Calculat Calculation ion of muscle strength per unit cross-sectional area of human muscle by means of ultrasonic measurement. Int Z Angew  Physiol  26: 26–32, 1968. 6. Jones EJ, EJ, Bishop Bishop PA, Woods Woods AK, AK, and Green JM. Cross-sectional area and muscular strength: A brief review. Sports Med  38: 987–994, 2008. 7. Lewis CL, CL, Sahrmann Sahrmann SA, SA, and Moran DW. DW. Anterior Anteri or hip joint force increa increases ses hip extension, decreased gluteal force, or decreased iliopsoas force. J Biomech 40: 3725–3731, 2007.

Figure Figu re 5. Top position for the hip thrust.

LOAD 

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Beginners should demonstrate proficiency with body weight resistance before using additional loading. This mean me anss fe feel elin ingg gl glut utea eall ac acti tiva vati tion on through most of the range of motion and not the erector erector spi spinae nae,, ham ham-strings, string s, or quadr quadriceps iceps and keep keeping  ing  a stable spine while moving solely at the hips. Intermediates should begin working  thei th eirr wa wayy up to lo load adin ingg eq equa uall to thei th eirr ow own n bo body dy we weig ight ht vi viaa gr grad ad-uall pr ua prog ogre ress ssio ions ns in 20 20-- to 25 25-l -lb b increments. Advanced athletes have been known to work their way up to impressive loads in the hip thrust exercise. It is nott un no unco comm mmon on fo forr st stro rong ng an and d powerful athletes to use 500–600 lb of res resist istanc ancee on thi thiss exe exerci rcise se aft after er seve se vera rall mo mont nths hs of pr prog ogre ress ssio ion. n. The gluteal muscl muscles es are extremely powerful and are capable of moving  relati rel ativel velyy lar large ge wei weight ghtss fro from m thi thiss direction in this position.

Bret Contreras is a Certified Strength

and Conditioning Specialist and a PhD  candidate at the AUT University in   Auckland, New Zealand. John Cronin is the director of Sports 

Performance Research Institute New  Zealand Zeala nd and a streng strength th & condi conditioni tioning  ng   professor at the AUT University in   Auckland, New Zealand. Brad Schoenfeld is a lecturer at the 

Lehman College and is the president of the  Global Fitness Services in Croton, NY. REFERENCES 1. Brughelli Brughelli M, Cronin Cronin J, and and Chaouachi Chaouachi A. Effects Effec ts of runnin running g veloci velocity ty on runni running ng kinetics and kinematics. J Strength Cond  Res 25: 933–939, 2011. 2. Callaghan Callaghan JP, JP, Gunning Gunning JL, and McGill SM. SM. The relationship between lumbar spinal load and muscle activity during extensor exercises. Phys Ther  78: 8–18, 1998.

8. Lewis CL, CL, Sahrmann Sahrmann SA, SA, and Moran Moran DW. Effect of position and alteration in synergistic synerg istic musc muscle le force contri contributio bution n on hip forces when performing hip strengthening exercises. Clin Biomech 24: 35–42, 2009. 9. Morin JB JB and Samozin Samozino o P. Technical Technical ability of force application as a determinant factor of sprint performance. Med Sci  Sports Exerc . Epub ahead of print, 2011. 10. Roach Roach KE and Miles Miles TP. TP. Normal Normal hip and and kneeactive ran range ge of moti motion: on: The rela relatio tionsh nship ip to age. Phys Ther  71: 656–665, 1991. 11. Schoenfeld Schoenfeld B. B. Accentuating Accentuating muscula muscularr development through active insufficiency and passive tension. Strength Cond J  24: 20–22, 2002. 12. Schoenfeld Schoenfeld BJ. BJ. The mechanism mechanismss of muscle muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 24: 2857–2875, 2010. 13. Worrell Worrell TW, Karst Karst G, Adamc Adamczyk zyk D, Moore Moore R, StanleyC, Sta nleyC, Ste SteimelB, imelB, and Ste SteimelS. imelS. Influ Influence ence of joint position on electromyographic and torque generation during maximal voluntary isometric contractions of the hamstrings and gluteus maximus muscles. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther  31: 730–740, 2001.

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