Barbell Hip Thrust
Also called: hip thrust, barbell glute thrust
Loaded bridge with your back on a bench — the most direct glute exercise in the book.
Technique
How to do it
- 1
Upper back on a bench edge, bar padded over your hips, feet planted.
- 2
Tuck the chin, ribs down, and drive through the heels.
- 3
Lock out flat like a tabletop; squeeze the glutes for a full second.
- 4
Lower with control — hips just kiss the floor, then go again.
Cue bank
Two cues, picked by context
Internal cues for growth work at moderate loads; external cues when the bar is heavy. The app switches automatically.
“Squeeze the glutes like you're cracking a walnut at the top.”
“Drive the bar to the ceiling with your hips.”
Common faults
What to watch for
Standard coaching taxonomy for this movement. A dedicated Harry Spotter rubric is on the roadmap.
Overarching at lockout
The lumbar spine finishes what the glutes should.
Fix: Ribs down, chin tucked, think “tuck the tail.”
Pushing through the toes
Quads volunteer, glutes get benched.
Fix: Heels down; toes can even lift.
Bouncing at the bottom
Rhythm replaces tension.
Fix: One-second dead stop at the floor.
Substitutions