Bodyweight Hip Thrust: Form Guide, Muscles and Mistakes
Load card
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Muscle group
- Glutes and Hamstrings
- Main muscles
- gluteus maximus
- Also working
- hamstrings
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Pattern
- Hip extension
- Level
- Beginner
The bodyweight hip thrust is a beginner-level compound exercise focused entirely on hip extension. You perform this movement by resting your upper back against a bench or sturdy box and driving your hips upward until your torso is parallel to the floor.
This exercise primarily targets the gluteus maximus while relying on the hamstrings as supporting muscles. It serves as an excellent foundational movement to help you learn proper glute engagement and hip mechanics before you start adding external resistance.
How to do it
Sit on the floor with your upper back resting against a stable bench and your feet planted flat in front of you. Position your feet shoulder-width apart so your shins are vertical when your hips are fully extended.
- Tuck your chin slightly toward your chest and brace your core.
- Drive through your heels to push your hips up toward the ceiling.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the movement.
- Ensure your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line.
- Lower your hips back down to the starting position under control.
Sets, reps and load
Start with 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions to build endurance and practice the movement pattern. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between each set.
Since this is a bodyweight exercise, you can increase the difficulty by slowing down the tempo or adding a pause at the top of the contraction.
Common mistakes
- Overarching the lower back. Keep your ribcage tucked and focus on moving from the hips rather than bending at the spine.
- Foot placement too far forward. Move your feet closer to your body so your shins stay vertical at the top of the movement.
- Rising onto the toes. Keep your entire foot flat on the floor and drive primarily through your heels.
- Throwing the head back. Keep your chin tucked and your eyes looking forward throughout the entire range of motion.
- Incomplete hip extension. Push your hips all the way up until they are level with your knees and shoulders.
Make it easier or harder
Easier
- Glute bridge on the floor
- Reduced range of motion bodyweight hip thrust
Harder
- Single-leg bodyweight hip thrust
- Bodyweight hip thrust with a three-second pause at the top
Before you load it up
- If lying on your back is uncomfortable, or you are pregnant and past the first trimester, a propped or standing alternative may suit better.
Swaps and related glutes and hamstrings exercises
Same muscle group with different equipment:
- Banded Glute Bridge Resistance band
- Banded Glute Kickback Resistance band
- Dumbbell Hip Thrust Dumbbell
- Banded Clamshell Resistance band
More bodyweight options:
- Glute Bridge Hip extension
- Single-Leg Glute Bridge Hip extension
Browse all bodyweight exercises or every glutes and hamstrings exercise.
When to see a doctor or physio
- Sharp pain in your lower back during or after the movement.
- A pinching sensation in the front of your hips.
- Numbness or tingling radiating down your legs.
This page is general training information, not medical advice. If you are new to strength training, managing a health condition, pregnant or coming back from an injury, check with a doctor or physio first.
How this page was made. Exercise data (equipment, muscles, mechanics, level) compiled by the Unite Journal Crew as a general anatomy guide, cross-checked against the public-domain free-exercise-db list. Text drafted with AI assistance and edited by the crew; see our house rules. Last checked October 2026.