How To Do Barbell Hip Thrusts & Coaching Tips

How to do barbell hip thrusts

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a beginner, the barbell hip thrust stands as a powerhouse exercise that targets your glutes. But, how do you perform them? 

In this article, we’ll explore the key components of an excellent barbell hip thrust, from the initial set-up to the controlled execution of each repetition. We also offer key coaching cues and address common mistakes observed by strength and conditioning coaches. 

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Hip Thrusts – A Guide To The Main Muscles Worked

Main muscles worked during hip thrusts

The hip thrust proves to be highly effective for enhancing strength and size in the lower limbs, but, what muscles does the hip thrust actually work? 

Here, we’ll explore the muscle groups worked during the hip thrust and how various variations can be used to target specific muscle groups, enabling you to adapt your training for specific goals. 

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Kettlebell Swing – Frequency & Routine

Kettlebell Swing Frequency and Routine

While kettlebell swings stand as a classic exercise, many people often ask about the frequency with which they should integrate kettlebell swings into their workout programme. 

Addressing these questions can shed light on the optimal approach to incorporating kettlebell swings for an effective and well-rounded programme.

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Basics and Technique of Kettlebell Swings

Basics and technique of kettlebell swings

Kettlebell swings are effective for improving strength and power in the muscles of the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles.

Understanding the basics and proper technique is crucial for optimizing the benefits of the kettlebell swings and minimising the risk of injury. Let’s delve into the specifics of how to perform kettlebell swings correctly, especially for beginners.

If you don’t feel these are right for you, there is a list of alternative kettlebell exercises that provide the same benefits in this article.

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11 Kettlebell Swing Alternatives – What & Why

11 Kettlebell Swing Alternatives

Kettlebell swing stands out as an excellent exercise for enhancing strength and power in the muscles of the posterior chain, including the glutes and hamstrings. However, there are plenty of alternatives to the kettlebell swing, that offer similar benefits by targeting similar muscle groups or training outcomes.

Here, we’ll share 11 alternatives, and explain when and why you might choose them over kettlebell swings

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Integrating Hip Thrusts into Your Workout Routine

Integrating Hip Thrusts Into Your Training Programme

Hip thrusts stand out as an effective exercise for developing strength in the muscles of your posterior chain, including the glutes. 

This article will guide you through integrating hip thrusts into your training programme, ensuring you reap maximum benefits while maintaining a balanced programme and prioritizing safety. 

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How To Do Hip Thrusts On A Smith Machine

How to perform hip thrusts on a smith machine

Smith machine hip thrusts present a unique take on the traditional barbell hip thrust exercise, by replacing the barbell with a fixed bar attached to a track in a smith machine. 

The key benefit of incorporating the smith machine into hip thrusts is the heightened stability it provides, enabling a more concentrated focus on engaging targeted muscles, particularly the glutes. Nevertheless, it’s important to acknowledge that the setup for the smith machine hip thrust can be somewhat cumbersome and restrictive, and may not work for everyone. 

In this article, we’ll share the key principles of executing an excellent hip thrust with the smith machine. We’ll also offer key coaching cues and address common mistakes often seen when performing hip thrusts.

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Sets and Reps for Barbell Hip Thrust

Hip Thrusts Sets and Reps Table

When it comes to optimizing your training with the barbell hip thrust, understanding how to structure sets and reps is crucial. This depends on your specific training goals, whether it’s building strength, power, hypertrophy or muscular endurance.

Drawing insights from general principles of strength and conditioning, we can tailor these parameters for the barbell hip thrust.

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12 Alternatives for Barbell Hip Thrust

12 Alternatives for Barbell Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is an excellent compound exercise for developing strength in the muscles of the posterior chain, particularly the glutes. Nevertheless, there are plenty of alternatives to the hip thrust, that offer similar benefits by targeting similar muscle groups or training outcomes. 

Here, we’ll share 12 alternatives, and explain when and why you might choose them over hip thrusts.

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Muscles Worked by Kettlebell Swings

Muscles worked by kettlebell swings

Dive into the world of kettlebell swings, a simple yet powerful exercise that targets key muscle groups in the posterior chain. In this article, we cover the muscles engaged during kettlebell swings and their variations, offering insights into how this versatile exercise can enhance your fitness regime, regardless of your experience level.

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How To Do Hip Thrusts With Dumbbells

How to do hip thrusts with dumbbells

The hip thrust often serves as a key cornerstone in many athletic development programmes, aiming to increase the strength in the muscles of the posterior chain, particularly the glutes. 

In our strength and conditioning programming, the preferred tool for the standard hip thrust is typically a barbell, as it allows for the necessary loading to create the conditions conducive to strength improvements. However, the question often arises regarding the proper execution of hip thrusts with dumbbells. 

Now, while we would argue using a dumbbell is quite awkward and you may be better off placing a plate in the crease of you’re hip when performing a single-leg hip thrust instead, we will share the principles of executing an excellent hip thrust using a dumbbell for those with the burning desire to perform this exercise. We’ll also share the key coaching cues and address common mistakes often seen when performing hip thrusts. 

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Top 5 Hip Thrust Variations – What & Why?

Hip Thrust Variations

The hip thrust stands out as a key compound lift in many athletic development strength and conditioning programmes, often as a method for increasing strength in the muscles of the posterior chain, especially the glutes.

Yet, there are a number of variations of the hip thrust that can be used to meet other training outcomes. These may include addressing muscular imbalances, biassing the glutes, enhancing power and serving as a tool for beginners to learn the hinge movement. In this article, we’ll explore variations of the hip thrust to meet these training outcomes.

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How To Do Hip Thrusts At Home

How to do hip thrusts at home

In the quest for building strong glutes, the hip thrust has emerged as a powerhouse exercise. But, what if you want to workout at home? Fear not – mastering the art of the hip thrust at home is simpler than you might think.

In this article, we’ll explore effective techniques and create alternatives to help you perform this powerhouse exercise within the comfort of your own home.

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Kettlebell Swing Results and Effectiveness

Kettlebell Swing Results Graph

Kettlebell swings are a low-impact exercise that leverages the hip hinge to develop strength and power in the posterior chain muscles – these muscles include the hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles. 

Kettlebell swings have been shown to offer some great results and benefits once you have learned how to perform basic kettlebell swings. However, there are also risks associated with this exercise.

In this article we cover some of the results athletes have seen and help you tailor your training routine for maximum effectiveness.

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Kettlebell Swing Weight and Equipment

Kettlebell swing weight and equipment

Choosing the right weight and equipment for kettlebell swings is crucial to ensure effectiveness and safety in your workout. Let’s explore the considerations for selecting the appropriate kettlebell weight and equipment.

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5 Kettlebell Swing Variations To Mix Up Your Routine

5 types of kettlebell swings

The kettlebell swing is a classic exercise that can be used for improving strength and power in the muscles of the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles – as a strength and conditioning coach, this would be my primary variation and reason for programming the kettlebell swing.

Yet, as the world of kettlebell swings has evolved, it has given rise to a range of variations which infuse diversity into a workout routine and can bias a specific muscle group and training goals for the broader fitness community. This article will explore the different variations of kettlebell swings and shed light on the reasons behind incorporating these variations.

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Integrating Kettlebell Swings into Your Workout Routine

Integrating kettlebell swings into your training programme

Kettlebell swings stand out as an effective low impact exercise for developing strength and power in the muscles of your posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings and lower back muscles.

This article will guide you through integrating kettlebell swings into your training programme, ensuring you reap maximum benefits while maintaining a balanced programme and prioritizing safety.

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Lat Pulldowns Vs Pull Ups – What’s The Difference?

Lat pulldown vs pull up

Lat pulldowns and pull ups are great options to increase strength or build muscle in the upper back – particularly in the lats, which are important for propulsion in sports such as swimming.

This is a guide to the differences between each exercise, reasons for programming them and how to effectively programme these exercises.

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What Muscles Do Goblet Squats Work?

Labelled image of what muscles goblet squats work

The goblet squat is performed the same as a regular squat, but whilst holding a dumbbell in front of you. This is a great exercise for athletes learning to squat, as it is easier and safer to learn when compared to other squat variations.

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What Muscles Do Front Squats Work?

Labelled diagram of muscles worked during front squats

Front Squats are a compound exercise that is a great way to work your lower limbs, particularly your quads, inner thighs and glutes. Here, we’ll delve more into what muscles front squats work, along with how to adapt the exercise to fit your training needs.  

If you’re looking for a deeper dive into muscles worked in squat variations check out this article.

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Trap Bar Deadlift Vs Squat – A Scientific Guide

Trap bar deadlift vs squat

The main differences between the trap bar deadlift and squat, is (1) the movement patterns, (2) loading demands and (3) equipment lifted.

The trap bar deadlift, requires you to lift a trap or hex bar from the ground in a hip-hinge movement pattern using muscles mainly from your posterior chain whereas the squat, requires you to lift either a dumbbell, kettlebell or barbell typically infront of your chest or on your back in a squat movement pattern using mainly the quads, glutes and abductor muscles. 

Hack Squat vs Leg Press – Optimise Your Training

Hack Squat vs Leg Press

The main difference between hack squats and leg press is the set-up. Hack squats have you stood about 30 degrees beyond upright with the load placed across your shoulders, whereas leg presses have you seated, with the load supported by your legs at around a 45 degree angle. This creates some unique differences in training stimulus.

Chin Ups Vs Pull Ups – A Scientific Guide

Chin Ups vs Pull Ups

The main difference between chin ups and pull ups is the grip you take.  With chin-ups you take an underhand grip (palms facing towards you) whilst with pull ups you take an overhead grip (palms facing away from you)

Reactive Strength Index & Chart

Reactive Strength Index = Jump Height / Ground Contact Time

Reactive strength index is a growing topic in sports science research, and has been shown to relate to various important aspects of sports performance.  In this article we’re going to answer questions such as:

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Push ups vs pull ups – What’s the difference & which is best?

Push Up vs Pull Up

The two main differences between the push up and pull up are (1) the type of movement pattern and (2) the muscles you work.

The push up is a horizontal pressing movement, which targets the chest, shoulders and tricep muscles. The pull up, is a vertical pulling movement, which targets the lats, upper back and bicep muscles.

Sit-ups vs Crunches – Which one Is best?

Sit-Ups Vs Crunches

The main difference between sit-ups and crunches is how much you actually “sit up.”

In a sit-up, you lift your shoulders and lower back off the floor until you’re in an upright sitting posture, whereas in the crunch, you only lift your shoulders off the floor, whilst making sure your lower and mid-back doesn’t come off the floor.

Planks Vs Sit-Ups – Your Ultimate Guide

Planks Vs Sit-Ups

Planks require you to hold your body in one position (i.e. a position similar to the start of a push-up), which works your entire core equally, whereas the sit-up is a dynamic exercise where you repetitively move between lying down and sitting up, whilst on the floor, which mainly works one part of your core, the rectus abdominal muscles.

Sumo Squat Vs Regular Squat

Sumo Squat Vs Regular Squat

The main difference between the sumo squat and the regular squat is the setup position of the feet.

In the sumo squat, the feet are set wider than shoulder-width and your feet are turned out at 45 degrees when compared to the regular squat, where your feet are set exactly shoulder-width apart and your feet are either pointing forwards or slightly turned out.

Goblet Squat Vs Back Squat – Your Questions Answered

Goblet Squat Vs Back Squat

The two main differences between a goblet squat and back squat are i) the location of the weight relative to your center of mass, and ii) the equipment used for each type of exercise. In a goblet squat you use a kettlebell/dumbell and the mass is located in front of your chest.

Box squat vs regular squat – Your Guide

Box Squat Vs Regular Squat

Squats are staple exercise for lower body strength and power, and the box squat is a common variation of the regular squat.  This guide will look at ranges of motion, muscles worked, benefits, drawbacks and recommended uses for each.

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Who should do box squats?

Who should do box squats?

A box squat is defined as any squatting exercise or variation in which the lifter sits their bottom onto a box before driving back up to a standing position.

Force-Velocity Curve

Force velocity curve

The force velocity curve is simply a way to visualise the inverse relationship between force and velocity. This relationship states that if someone generates maximal force in an exercise, then they will generate very little velocity, and similarly if someone generates maximal velocity in an exercise, then they will generate very little force.

The Perfect Jerk In Weightlifting: A Step-By-Step Guide

The Jerk: A Step-By-Step Guide

The jerk is an incredible movement for full-body power development, overhead strength and stability, and you’d think since it involves throwing a huge amount of weight above your head, that people would pay WAY more attention to it.  Strangely though, the jerk is often looked at more as an afterthought for weightlifters and athletes, resulting in missed lifts and a tonne of benefits being left on the table.

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