Barbell Hip Thrust
Heavy barbell hip thrust. The gold standard for glute development. It works mainly the glutes, with help from the hamstrings, adductors and quads.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 2.05× bodyweight (165 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 1.45× (87.5 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Barbell Hip Thrust
- Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and roll the padded bar over your hips; feet flat, about shoulder width.
- Drive through your heels and push the hips up until your torso and thighs form a straight line, shins vertical at the top.
- Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for a second, chin tucked and ribs down; don't arch the lower back.
- Lower the hips with control almost to the floor and repeat. If the quads burn more than the glutes, move the feet a little further out.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Glutes | Gluteus maximus |
| Secondary | Hamstrings | Biceps femoris |
| Secondary | Adductors | Adductores |
| Secondary | Quads | Quadriceps femoris |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- The heaviest glute loading there is
- Hip power for sprints, jumps and lifts
- Spares the lower back
Strength standards for Barbell Hip Thrust
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 1.35× | 0.95× | 107.5 kg | 57.5 kg |
| Gold | 2.05× | 1.45× | 165 kg | 87.5 kg |
| Platinum | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
| Diamond | 3.4× | 2.4× | 272.5 kg | 145 kg |
| Obsidian | 4.25× | 2.95× | 340 kg | 177.5 kg |
| Painite | 5.1× | 3.55× | 407.5 kg | 212.5 kg |
| Antimatter | 6.8× | 4.75× | 545 kg | 285 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Barbell Hip Thrust, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Barbell Hip Thrust work?
It works mainly the glutes, with help from the hamstrings, adductors and quads.
How do you do Barbell Hip Thrust?
Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and roll the padded bar over your hips; feet flat, about shoulder width. Drive through your heels and push the hips up until your torso and thighs form a straight line, shins vertical at the top. Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for a second, chin tucked and ribs down; don't arch the lower back. Lower the hips with control almost to the floor and repeat. If the quads burn more than the glutes, move the feet a little further out.
What is a good Barbell Hip Thrust for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 2.05× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 1.45× for women, Diamond at 3.4× and 2.4×. For an 80 kg man that is a 165 kg and a 272.5 kg one-rep max.
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