Bumday Sunday!

Exercise #2: The Barbell Hip Thrust

For the second instalment of Bumday Sunday I've decided to share The Barbell Hip Thrust exercise. The hip thrust is an exercise that allows for a great squeeze in the glutes while also engaging the core.

Here is how to perform a The Barbell Hip Thrust:

- begin seated on the ground with the barbell laying on your lap and your upper back resting on a bench

- the feet should be placed about shoulder width apart

- pushing through your heels, raise your hips off the ground while keeping a straight posture. This is the Starting Position pictured above.

- continue to raise your hips pressing up towards the ceiling

Ending Position

- at the top of the movement, squeeze the glutes hard as you press the hips upwards
- reverse the movement by slowly lowering the hips back towards the floor

- after returning to the Starting Position, simply raise your hips again to complete another repetition

- be careful to protect the neck, keep the head and spine in a natural, comfortable position throughout the exercise. The torso should be fairly stiff as the abdomen will be engaged, it's almost a hinging movement.

This exercise can be altered to change the difficulty. If a beginner, try starting without added weight and keep the hands on the hips. For added difficulty, continue to increase the weight over time. Similar movements to The Barbell Hip Thrust can be performed without a bench, where the upper back rests on the floor. Or the feet could be raised on a medicine ball while the back still rests on the floor. All change the degree of balance and stability required to effectively and safely complete the exercise, but all versions use a similar movement of pressing the hips upwards while squeezing the glutes. 

Click Bumday Sunday to see previous posts all focused on building great buns!

Photos by Sergio's Photography.