Barbell Banded Hip Thrust

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Place a mini-band just above your knees and sit on the floor with your shoulder blades against the long side of a flat bench.
2. Roll a loaded barbell over your legs until it rests in the crease of your hips, using a barbell pad for comfort.
3. Plant your feet flat on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes out slightly.
4. Position your feet so that your shins are vertical when your hips are fully extended at the top.

How to do it

1. Drive through your heels and push your knees out against the band to lift the barbell toward the ceiling.
2. Exhale as you reach full hip extension, tucking your chin and ribs down to ensure your glutes—not your lower back—are doing the work.
3. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top for a one-second pause, maintaining outward tension on the band.
4. Inhale as you lower the barbell under control until your glutes are just above the floor, keeping your torso rigid.

Form checklist

• Keep your chin tucked toward your chest throughout the entire movement.
• Ensure your shins remain vertical at the top of the rep; don't let your feet be too far forward or back.
• Maintain constant outward pressure against the resistance band to prevent your knees from caving in.
• Avoid arching your lower back at the top; focus on a posterior pelvic tilt (scooping the pelvis).

Pro tips

• Think about 'shortening' the distance between your belly button and your ribcage at the top to maximize glute fiber recruitment.
• Focus on pushing the floor away with your heels rather than just lifting the bar up.
• Maintain a 'hollow body' position with your core to protect the spine and isolate the hip extensors.

Make it harder

• Add a 3-second isometric hold at the top of every rep to increase time under tension against the band.
• Perform a '1.5 rep' style where you go all the way up, halfway down, back to the top, and then all the way down.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell banded hip thrust work?

The barbell banded hip thrust primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs, erector spinae, and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell banded hip thrust?

The barbell banded hip thrust uses barbell and resistance band.

Is the barbell banded hip thrust good for beginners?

The barbell banded hip thrust is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Alternating Hamstring Curl JackIntermediate · abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Band DeadliftBeginner · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Clean And JerkAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Clean And PressAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and triceps