How to do Medicine Ball Hip Thrusts
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Medicine Ball Hip Thrusts
Workouts with Medicine Ball Hip Thrusts
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is a weighted variation on the more standard Hit Thrust. By holding a medicine ball 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.
- Position yourself on the ground with your heels roughly 6 inches away from your glutes.
- Grasp a medicine ball with both hands and position it in front of 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 knees and shoulders.
- Slowly allow your hips to return to the starting position while maintaining tension in your glutes and hamstrings.
- You should feel this exercise primarily in your glutes and hamstrings, not your lower back.
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Foot Placement
Foot placement is critical to getting good muscle activation with this exercise, however it isn't always exactly the same for each person, or even each attempt. Play around with where you're placing your feet, and try to find the position that helps you get the best glute activation.
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 Medicine Ball Hip Thrusts 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.
- beginner8reps15lbs1 Rep Max20lbs
- intermediate8reps17.5lbs22.5lbs
- advanced8reps20lbs25lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Medicine Ball Hip Thrusts
1. Dumbbell Hip Thrust
88.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,013 TIMESThis 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.
2. Barbell Hip Thrust
95.2 mSCORESWAPPED 555 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.
3. Cable Hip Extension
89.9 mSCORESWAPPED 457 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.
- Beginner
- Glutes
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
4. Glute Kickback Machine
94.6 mSCORESWAPPED 443 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.
- Beginner
- Glutes
- Glute Kickback Machine
5. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
69.3 mSCORESWAPPED 433 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.
6. Single Leg Kickback
86.2 mSCORESWAPPED 406 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.
- Beginner
- Glutes
7. Hip Thrust
97 mSCORESWAPPED 350 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.
- Beginner
- Glutes
8. Cable Pull Through
89.6 mSCORESWAPPED 350 TIMESCable Pull Through is a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes. This exercise is similar to a kettlebell swing, although it can be performed much slower. The use of a cable allows for consistent tension throughout the movement while still developing your glute drive and hip hinge. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass and strength in their glutes, especially with regards to a hip hinge.
- Beginner
- Glutes
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable