How to do a Dumbbell Hip Thrust
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Dumbbell Hip Thrust
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is a weighted variation on the more standard Hit Thrust. By holding a dumbbell against your hips, you can add a bit more resistance to this usually bodyweight exercise. This is a great variation for adding a bit more difficulty to your Hip Thrusts.
- Lay face up on the ground, and position your feet flat on the ground such that your heels are roughly 6 inches away from your glutes.
- Grasp the heads of the dumbbells with both hands, and position it over your hips.
- Contract your glutes and hamstrings to drive your heels into the ground in order to raise your hips.
- Hold this position for a moment once your hips are inline with your shoulders and knees.
- Slowly allow your hips to return to the starting position while maintaining tension in your glutes and hamstrings.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your feet and shoulders in contact with the floor.
- You should feel this exercise in your glutes and hamstrings.
Common Form Mistakes
Over Extending
Don’t drive your hips as far as you can. This can increase your risk of injury, and doesn’t benefit the exercise itself. Drive your hips forward to a point where you feel good activation in your glutes, and hold that position.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Dumbbell Hip Thrust standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps20lbs1 Rep Max25lbs
- intermediate8reps22.5lbs30lbs
- advanced8reps25lbs30lbs
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Alternatives & Variations to Dumbbell Hip Thrust
1. Barbell Hip Thrust
95.2 mSCORESWAPPED 5,092 TIMESBarbell Hip Thrust is a more challenging, weighted variation of the Hip Thrust. Beyond the added resistance from using a barbell, you’ll also place your shoulder blades on a flat bend in or to raise yourself off the ground. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Hip Thrusts more challenging.
2. Glute Kickback Machine
94.6 mSCORESWAPPED 1,929 TIMESGlute Kickback Machine is a variation on the more standard Single Leg Kickback. Unlike the standard variation, this exercise uses a machine to add resistance to the movement rather than just bodyweight. This gives you a bit more control over your resistance, and can be more easily scaled to your current capabilities. Additionally, the use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This lets you focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
3. Hip Thrust
97 mSCORESWAPPED 1,919 TIMESHip Thrust is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your glutes. This is a great beginner exercise that can help you learn and develop your glute drive, which is helpful for a number of different exercises and general movements. It’s a simple and easy to perform exercise that can help you develop strength.
4. Cable Hip Extension
89.9 mSCORESWAPPED 1,881 TIMESCable Hip Extension is an exercise that involves strapping your leg to a cable machine, and then extending your leg out behind you. The use of a cable allows you to have precise control over the direction your resistance is coming from. This lets you perform this exercise from a standing position unlike many other similar exercises that require you to lay on the ground.
5. Single Leg Kickback
86.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,613 TIMESSingle Leg Kickback is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your glutes. The exercise requires you to engage your glutes, and kick your leg back and up with your knees bent. Targeting each side independently is a great way to identify discrepancies in mobility and strength between sides.
6. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
69.3 mSCORESWAPPED 1,595 TIMESThis exercise is a weighted variation of the more common Glute Bridge. Like other Glute Bridge variations, this exercise primarily targets your glutes. By placing a dumbbell against your hips, you can add a bit more resistance to this exercise. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Glute Bridge a bit more challenging.