Whether you're an athlete trying to increase overall explosiveness or a fitness fanatic trying to mold your dream booty, the single leg hip thrust is the perfect exercise for improving strength and size in your glutes.
Read on to learn the benefits behind this simple yet effective exercise as well as a how-to guide and alternative exercises.
Today we'll cover:
Why the single leg hip thrust?
How to complete the single leg hip thrust
Muscles worked
7 alternative exercises
Glute pain relief
Why The Single Leg Hip Thrust?
For your core, pelvis, and lower body to be stabilized, you need strong glutes. Without strong and stable glutes, you run a greater risk of suffering from problems such as knee discomfort and low back pain.
Additionally, having strong glutes helps you jump higher, run faster, and move better laterally. Strong glutes are essential for having proper mobility in the mid and lower body.
The unilateral aspect of working one leg at a time will also offer injury prevention and help reduce any muscle imbalances you might have.
Single Leg Hip Thrust - How To
1. To start, lean your upper back against a bench or box. The bottom of your shoulder blades should be touching the bench.
2. Lift one leg up and position it at a 90-degree angle. Your working foot's weight should be spread evenly across the entire foot to begin.
3. To start the exercise, hinge at your hips. Let your hips lead the way with your chest. Maintain an engaged core and keep your glute muscles tense. The bottom of the movement should be a 45-degree angle created by your torso.
4. When thrusting upward, squeeze your glute and drive your heel into the ground. To reach full hip extension, keep squeezing your glute as you raise your hips to the ceiling. Your pelvis should be level with your torso and knee.
5. When at the top of the single leg hip thrust movement, pause for a second and repeat.
6. Continue for a desired amount of reps and switch sides.
Single Leg Hip Thrust - Muscles Worked: glutes (gluteus medius and gluteus maximus), adductors, hamstrings, quads, core and lower back.
Glute Medius and Maximus
7 Single Leg Hip Thrust Alternative Exercises
Standard Hip Thrust - Great for increasing the weight and improving explosiveness. Hip thrusts are more glute focused and easier on the lower back compared to squats and deadlifts.
Glute Medius Kickbacks - Kickbacks are an awesome isolation exercise that helps add extra volume to the glutes, making this exercise an ideal choice to really give your backside a boost!
B Stance Hip Thrust - Similar to both the regular and single leg hip thrust, the b stance hip thrust is a hybrid stance that only partially uses the non working leg.
Smith Machine Hip Thrust - Smith machine hip thrusts are an excellent workout for glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Additionally, the Smith machine provides more support and reduces the chance of injury.
Kas Glute Bridge - With an emphasis on time under tension, the kas glute bridge combines the explosiveness of the hip thrust with the glute isolation of the glute bridge.
Fire Hydrant Exercise - Requires zero equipment and can be done anywhere. The fire hydrant exercises primarily works lateral glute muscles (gluteus medius and minimus). To increase difficulty, use a resistance band or try an alternative abduction exercise.
Reverse Hyper Exercise - Great lower back and upper glute workout. Perfect for targeting the entire posterior chain while helping bulletproof the lower back against potential future injuries.
For more check out 7 barbell leg workouts.
Glute Pain Relief
Glute pain is subjective and can come from many different activities or habits. One of the most common forms of glute pain can be traced back to muscle tightness.
Whether it's basic wear and tear or a specific injury, muscle tightness can cause a world of pain if left untreated.
Deep tissue massage and isolated stretching are awesome and easy ways to reduce pain and relieve muscle tightness.
Effective trigger point release via deep tissue massage can be done by the hands of a trained physical therapist, massage therapist, chiropractor, or at home with a purposefully made tool like the QL Claw.
The QL Claw is a muscle release tool made specifically for releasing trigger points deep in pain inducing muscles. Breaking up tight muscle fibers will free up a world of pain and get you feeling better in no time.
Post massage we recommend stretching the muscle for further relief.
For some effective glute stretches, check out 5 of the Best Glute Stretches for Pain Relief.
Sources:
[1] Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.