the definitive exercise for your glutes

He Hip Thrust is an exercise which has become the favorite of many people looking to strengthen and improve the appearance of their glutes. Its popularity has grown significantly in the last decade, both in gyms and on the streets.tubs of athletes and fitness fans. This movement, which consists of raising the hips while resting your back on a bench and holding a bar or weight on your hips, is one of the most effective exercises to work the gluteus maximus, the main muscle that gives shape and power to this area of ​​the body.

¿Why has Hip Thrust become so famous?? According to the Fit Generation expertsonline academy for personal trainers and dieticians, this exercise is ideal for the glutes because its ‘resistance curve‘ requires a constant effort throughout the movement. This means that, instead of reaching the point of maximum difficulty at the beginning or end, as happens with other exercises, the Hip Thrust maintains the constant effort, especially in the phase of maximum hip extension, which allows for greater work in the glutes. Mario Muñoz, doctor in Sports Medicine and pedagogical director of Fit Generationtells us that this exercise is one of the best to achieve a strong and defined gluteus, as long as it is done correctly. And how should it be done?

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Correct technique for Hip Thrust

One of the main challenges when doing this exercise is finding a comfortable position and execute the movement with proper technique. This is how they explain how to do it:

Preparation and initial position (set up):

1. Place the lower angle of your scapula just above the edge of the bench. This will give you stability and a good range of motion.
2. Place the bar over your pelvis, using a pad or towel to protect yourself from pressure.
3. Bend your knees until your feet are directly beneath them, and position them at a comfortable width with a slight rotation of 20 to 45 degrees.
4. Before starting, take a breath and fix your shoulder blades. Keep your ribs down and press the bar down with your hands, keeping your elbows close to your body.

Ascent or concentric phase:

1. Push the ground with your heels and extend your hips until your torso is parallel to the ground.
2. Keep your torso straight and avoid arching your back. This ensures that the work focuses on the glutes and not the lower back.
3. Keep your knees aligned with the balls of your feet, and try to force a slight external rotation of the femur to maximize gluteus medius activation.
4. Use a mini band around your knees can help you maintain this alignment and get better results.

Point of maximum contraction and eccentric phase:

At the highest point, maintain the contraction and perform a small pelvic retroversion to maximize the work on the glutes.

Make sure to keep your abdomen contracted, aligning your shoulders, hips and knees in a horizontal line.

Hold this position for 2 to 3 seconds before beginning to descend in a controlled manner until you return to the starting position.

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How to place your feet when you do this exercise

One of the Most common questions about Hip Thrust It is how the position of the feet affects the activation of different muscles. Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Madrid studied four variants of this exercise to better understand how the feet influence the work of the glutes and other muscles:

The results of this study show that to maximize work on the gluteus maximus, the feet should be placed directly below the knees. However, moving your feet forward can help work your hamstrings, offering an option to vary the stimulus in your workouts.

Tips to get the most out of Hip Thrust and avoid injuries

To make the most of this exercise and avoid hurting yourselfFit Generation specialists give you other additional tips:

• Keep your back neutral: It is important to avoid arching your back in any phase of the exercise. The ribs should be kept low and the abdomen contracted at all times.
• Use a full range of motion: Make sure you fully extend your hips on each rep, but don’t go past the point of torso alignment.
• Control the movement: the descent (eccentric phase) must be controlled and slow so that the glutes work more intensely.
• Increase the weight progressively: to achieve a stronger and more defined gluteus, it is key to increase the weight gradually in your sessions. Progressive overload is one of the fundamental principles for muscle growth.