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Hip thrust

Also called barbell hip thrust

A bridging lift with the upper back on a bench and a barbell across the hips. What studies measured it loading, how it compares with the squat and deadlift, and what changed with training.

Region
Hip
Muscles
gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, erector spinae, multifidus, gluteus medius
Updated
October 7, 2026
Reviewed
October 7, 2026 · how entries are checked

Movement

How studies set the lift up

The barbell hip thrust is described as a type of bridging exercise performed against the resistance of a barbell1. A study of 11 well-trained male sprinters set it up this way5. The shoulder blades rested on a box and the bar lay across the pelvis5. The lifter extended the hips and knees until the torso was parallel to the ground5.

In a 14-week programme with 11 college female athletes, a pad, towel or mat went between the bar and the hip bone for comfort6.

Which joints move

One laboratory study measured the lift in 19 resistance trained males1. They lifted 70% of their one-repetition maximum, the heaviest load a person can lift once1. The hip moved through about 75 degrees as the bar rose1. That was significantly more than the knee, at about 21 degrees, or the joint between pelvis and trunk, at about 12 degrees1.

Where in the lift the hip works hardest

In the same study, the extensor demand was significantly greater at the hip than at the knee or the joint between pelvis and trunk1. Loading at the ankle was negligible1.

The hip extensor moment, the turning effect of those muscles around the joint, was not constant1. It peaked near the start of the lift, at about 83 degrees of hip bend1. It had fallen by about two-thirds by the end of the lift1. Even so, the hip moment stayed extensor dominant through the whole lifting phase1. The authors contrast this with the back squat, where the hip extensor moment has been shown to reach zero near the end of the range1.

How the joint moments compare with the squat and deadlift

A second laboratory study compared three lifts in 11 well-trained male sprinters5. Each lifted a six-repetition maximum, the heaviest load he could lift six times5. Peak lumbosacral (lower back) and hip extension moments in the hip thrust were 24% and 42% larger than in the back squat5. They did not differ significantly from those in the deadlift5.

The peak knee extension moment was largest in the back squat5. The table gives it in newton-metres (Nm), a unit of turning effect5:

Peak knee extension moment in 11 male sprintersBack squat155 NmBarbell hip thrust66 NmDeadlift24 Nm
Peak knee extension moment in 11 male sprinters (Nm). Bars start at zero; the table below gives each value with its source.
LiftPeak knee extension moment in 11 male sprinters
Back squat155 Nm5
Barbell hip thrust66 Nm5
Deadlift24 Nm5

What it loads

The gluteus maximus

The gluteus maximus is aligned to extend the hip7. A systematic review of 12 studies of the barbell hip thrust found more gluteus maximus and biceps femoris activation than in the squat2.

That review concluded that the order of muscle excitation was the same whatever variation was used2. The gluteus maximus came first, then the erector spinae, then the hamstrings, then the quadriceps2.

A systematic review of 16 studies looked at gluteus maximus activation across exercises8. The studies used electromyography (EMG), which picks up a muscle’s electrical signals8. The step-up and its variations came highest8. Next came loaded exercises, among them deadlifts, hip thrusts, lunges and squats8.

Two single studies compared the hip thrust with other lifts9,10:

Who lifted, and how heavyWhat the study found for the gluteus maximus
13 trained women, estimated 10-repetition maximumSignificantly greater mean and peak activity than in the back squat9
12 male team sport athletes, three-repetition maximumHigher peak activity than in the back squat and the split squat, although the push of the ground was lower10

The hamstrings

The hamstrings, the three long muscles at the back of the thigh, extend the hip and bend the knee11,12. In 13 trained women lifting an estimated 10-repetition maximum, the hip thrust gave significantly greater biceps femoris activity than the back squat did9. In 13 resistance-trained men lifting a one-repetition maximum, it was 20% higher in the barbell deadlift than in the hip thrust13.

One review reported that feet placed further forward gave higher biceps femoris and semitendinosus excitation than the traditional position2. The semitendinosus is another hamstring muscle. The same placement gave lower excitation in three quadriceps muscles2.

The quadriceps

The quadriceps is the group of four muscles on the front of the thigh11. In the study of 19 resistance trained males, the hip thrust also placed considerable demand on the knee extensors1. The authors suggest this may reflect a need to steady the knee through a small range of motion1.

Two EMG studies of the vastus lateralis, the quadriceps muscle on the outer side of the thigh, differ9,14. In 13 trained women at an estimated 10-repetition maximum, its activity did not differ significantly between the hip thrust and the back squat9. In 8 strength-trained men at a one-repetition maximum, it was significantly greater in the back squat14.

The trunk

The erector spinae is the group of long muscles beside the spine that straighten the back. In the study of 19 resistance trained males, the joint between pelvis and trunk moved little1. That indicates the extensor moment there mainly acted to resist the trunk bending forward1.

A 2019 review put mean erector spinae activity at about 85% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction, a muscle’s hardest effort while the joint stays still2. It put the gluteus medius, a buttock muscle beneath the gluteus maximus, at about 45%2. In 13 resistance-trained men at a one-repetition maximum, erector spinae activation did not differ between the hip thrust and two deadlift styles13.

One study of 20 healthy men compared the hip thrust with the conventional bridge, a movement covered on the glute bridge hold page15. Activity in the multifidus, a deep muscle running along the spine, was higher on both sides in the hip thrust15. So was gluteus maximus activity15.

The hip thrust and the barbell glute bridge

In 10 men, the barbell hip thrust gave significantly greater vastus lateralis activity than the barbell glute bridge16. The barbell glute bridge gave significantly greater gluteus maximus activity16.

How the body adapts

Muscle size

A systematic review of gluteus maximus growth found two studies of the barbell hip thrust trained on its own17. In both, gluteus maximus size rose significantly17.

Two trials compared muscle growth after hip thrust and back squat training3,18. The first randomised untrained college-aged adults to 9 weeks of one lift or the other3. Gains in gluteal cross-sectional area, the size of a slice cut straight across the muscle, were similar3. Quadriceps and adductor (inner thigh) cross-sectional area rose more in the squat group3. The gluteus medius and minimus together showed little to no growth3.

The second was a 12-week study of 22 well-trained women18. Gluteus maximus thickness rose 9.4% with the back squat and 3.7% with the hip thrust, and quadriceps thickness 12.2% against 2%18. A later review said that flaws in this study’s methods may have affected its results17. Its list included no data on prior training volume, a thin description of technique, and strength gains out of line with other studies17. It noted that this study’s hip thrust used a partial range of 45 degrees17.

Strength

In the 9-week trial of untrained adults, strength gains favoured the lift each group had trained, while deadlift strength rose similarly in both3. In a 4-week trial of 14 trained men, each group also improved the lift it trained to a greater degree19.

In a meta-analysis of 20 studies, long-term hip thrust training significantly improved hip thrust strength4. It did not transfer to squat strength or jumping performance4.

Sprinting and jumping

A systematic review of 12 studies of the barbell hip thrust included training studies of sprinting2. Two showed improved sprint time and two others did not2. Two meta-analyses also reported on sprinting4,20:

  • The meta-analysis of 20 studies. It found a small transfer from long-term hip thrust training to change of direction4. Transfer to sprinting was borderline significant, once studies that mixed the hip thrust with other training were left out4. The authors rated the certainty of their evidence as low to very low, because of high risk of bias4.
  • A meta-analysis comparing squat and hip thrust training. Squat training improved vertical jump height more20. Neither had a significant effect on horizontal jump distance, short sprint time or change of direction20.

Progressive overload

A 2026 position stand describes progressive overload as the need to increase the stimulus placed on the muscle throughout a training programme21. The hip thrust trials here each raised the demand in their own way3,6,22,23:

Who trained, and for how longHow the programme progressed
Untrained college-aged adults, 9 weeksSets per session rose from 3 in week 1 to 6 in weeks 7 to 9, at 8 to 12 repetitions per set3
24 adolescent female soccer players, 7 weeksLoads started at 60% of estimated one-repetition maximum and were gradually raised to 90%22
Female high school soccer players, 6 weeksLoad started at 30% of three-repetition maximum and rose about 10% a week, as repetitions per set fell from 8 to 423
11 college female athletes, 14 weeksTwo 7-week cycles in which intensity rose gradually as volume fell6

A review of barbell hip thrust studies looked at load in the four sprint studies2. The two training studies showing sprint improvement varied the load over time2. The two showing no effect used heavier loads2. The review suggested the differing results may be associated with the training loads used2.

Injuries reported in trials

Two short training trials reported on injuries19,23. In a 4-week study, 14 trained males did the back squat or hip thrust twice a week, and no injuries were reported19. In a 6-week in-season study of female high school soccer players, the authors reported no incidents of injury with either lift23.

Connections

The muscles it works

  • The gluteus maximus, first in the order of muscle excitation in a review of 12 studies2.
  • The hamstrings, more active with the feet placed further forward2.
  • The quadriceps, with considerable knee extensor demand in 19 resistance trained males1.
  • The erector spinae, second in the order of muscle excitation in that review2.
  • The multifidus, more active than in the conventional bridge in 20 healthy men15.
  • The gluteus medius, at about 45% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction in a 2019 review2.

The joint it moves most

The hip moved through about 75 degrees in the lift, significantly more than the knee, in 19 resistance trained males1.

Studies here compared the hip thrust with the back squat, the deadlift and the split squat5,10. In 20 healthy men, the hip thrust gave higher gluteus maximus activity than the conventional bridge, a movement on the glute bridge hold page15.

Hip thrust loads

Sources

  1. Brazil A, Needham L, Palmer JL, Bezodis IN (2021). A comprehensive biomechanical analysis of the barbell hip thrust.. PloS one. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0249307 PMID 33780488
  2. Neto WK, Vieira TL, Gama EF (2019). Barbell Hip Thrust, Muscular Activation and Performance: A Systematic Review.. Journal of sports science & medicine. PMID 31191088
  3. Plotkin DL, Rodas MA, Vigotsky AD, McIntosh MC, Breeze E, Ubrik R, Robitzsch C, Agyin-Birikorang A, Mattingly ML, Michel JM, Kontos NJ, Lennon S, Frugé AD, Wilburn CM, Weimar WH, Bashir A, Beyers RJ, Henselmans M, Contreras BM, Roberts MD (2023). Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift.. Frontiers in Physiology. doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1279170 PMID 37877099
  4. Lin S, Cheng M, Yi X, Li Y, Liu R (2026). Acute and long-term effects of hip thrust training on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.20785 PMID 41777686
  5. Otsuka M, Honjo T, Nagano A, Isaka T (2021). Kinetics in lumbosacral and lower-limb joints of sprinters during barbell hip thrust compared to deadlift and back squat.. PloS one. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251418 PMID 34197487
  6. Fitzpatrick DA, Cimadoro G, Cleather DJ (2019). The Magical Horizontal Force Muscle? A Preliminary Study Examining the "Force-Vector" Theory.. Sports (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/sports7020030 PMID 30678251
  7. Pourahmadi M, Asadi M, Dommerholt J, Yeganeh A (2020). Changes in the macroscopic morphology of hip muscles in low back pain.. Journal of Anatomy. doi:10.1111/joa.13086 PMID 31475359
  8. Neto WK, Soares EG, Vieira TL, Aguiar R, Chola TA, Sampaio VL, Gama EF (2020). Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review.. Journal of sports science & medicine. PMID 32132843
  9. Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J (2015). A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyographic Activity in the Back Squat and Barbell Hip Thrust Exercises.. Journal of applied biomechanics. doi:10.1123/jab.2014-0301 PMID 26214739
  10. Williams MJ, Gibson NV, Sorbie GG, Ugbolue UC, Brouner J, Easton C (2021). Activation of the Gluteus Maximus During Performance of the Back Squat, Split Squat, and Barbell Hip Thrust and the Relationship With Maximal Sprinting.. Journal of strength and conditioning research. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002651 PMID 33332802
  11. Betts JG, Young KA, Wise JA, Johnson E, Poe B, Kruse DH, Korol O, Johnson JE, Womble M, DeSaix P (2022). Anatomy and Physiology 2e. OpenStax. Link
  12. Obey MR, Broski SM, Spinner RJ, Collins MS, Krych AJ (2016). Anatomy of the Adductor Magnus Origin. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. doi:10.1177/2325967115625055 PMID 26798764
  13. Andersen V, Fimland MS, Mo DA, Iversen VM, Vederhus T, Rockland Hellebø LR, Nordaune KI, Saeterbakken AH (2018). Electromyographic Comparison of Barbell Deadlift, Hex Bar Deadlift, and Hip Thrust Exercises: A Cross-Over Study.. Journal of strength and conditioning research. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000001826 PMID 28151780
  14. Delgado J, Drinkwater EJ, Banyard HG, Haff GG, Nosaka K (2019). Comparison Between Back Squat, Romanian Deadlift, and Barbell Hip Thrust for Leg and Hip Muscle Activities During Hip Extension.. Journal of strength and conditioning research. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003290 PMID 31356511
  15. Kim TH, Jeon IC (2026). Activation of the gluteus maximus and multifidus muscles in bridge and hip thrust exercise variations.. Physiotherapy theory and practice. doi:10.1080/09593985.2026.2714954 PMID 42578527
  16. Kennedy D, Casebolt JB, Farren GL, Fiaud V, Bartlett M, Strong L (2022). Electromyographic differences of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis between the barbell hip thrust and barbell glute bridge.. Sports biomechanics. doi:10.1080/14763141.2022.2074875 PMID 35586943
  17. Krause Neto W, Krause TLV, Gama EF (2025). The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Frontiers in Physiology. doi:10.3389/fphys.2025.1542334 PMID 40276368
  18. Barbalho M, Coswig V, Souza D, Serrão JC, Hebling Campos M, Gentil P (2020). Back Squat vs. Hip Thrust Resistance-training Programs in Well-trained Women.. International journal of sports medicine. doi:10.1055/a-1082-1126 PMID 31975359
  19. Hammond A, Perrin C, Steele J, Giessing J, Gentil P, Fisher JP (2019). The effects of a 4-week mesocycle of barbell back squat or barbell hip thrust strength training upon isolated lumbar extension strength.. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.7337 PMID 31388473
  20. Asghari SH, Wong A, Comfort P, Mirghani SJ, Sharifian S, Ghaderi M (2025). Comparing the impact of hip thrust versus squat training on lower limb performance in sub-elite athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Sports biomechanics. doi:10.1080/14763141.2025.2553700 PMID 40988435
  21. Currier BS, D'Souza AC, Singh MAF, Lowisz CV, Rawson ES, Schoenfeld BJ, Smith-Ryan AE, et al (2026). American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews.. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003897 PMID 41843416
  22. González-García J, Morencos E, Balsalobre-Fernández C, Cuéllar-Rayo Á, Romero-Moraleda B (2019). Effects of 7-Week Hip Thrust Versus Back Squat Resistance Training on Performance in Adolescent Female Soccer Players.. Sports (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/sports7040080 PMID 30987169
  23. Millar NA, Colenso-Semple LM, Lockie RG, Marttinen RHJ, Galpin AJ (2020). In-Season Hip Thrust vs. Back Squat Training in Female High School Soccer Players.. International journal of exercise science. doi:10.70252/UELS8581 PMID 32148631

Every source the library cites

Changes

  • First published.