The hip thrust is a much-loved exercise for those searching for a better booty. It targets the glutes and hamstrings and reinforces correct hip extension mechanics, making it a popular exercise choice and rightly so! But not everyone has access to equipment like plates or benches to do hip thrusts, which can be pretty hard on your knees. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the 8 best hip thrust alternatives that you can do anywhere with just your body weight.
When performing the hip thrust, make sure to keep your shoulder blades pulled down and together. This will help activate your back muscles and avoid any unwanted stress on your spine!
8 Best Effective Hip Thrust Alternatives
1. BodyWeight Hip Thrust
One of the best exercises for your glutes is the hip thrust, but you can also do them at home without any equipment. Simply place your shoulders on a bench and have your feet flat against the floor with knees bent 90 degrees. Lift hips up until they are level with eyes or higher as needed so that only heels touch the ground when done in reps 12 – 15.
2. Dumbbell Hip Thrust
When performing this exercise, you’ll want to make sure that your spine stays aligned and is pushed against the bench. It’s also essential not only to focus on moving up but also to keep shoulders square while thrusting to avoid slouching or tiring too quickly!
3. Cable Pull-Through
A cable pull-through is a great way to work the back. It’s an excellent exercise if you’re sitting in front of your computer all day or on a hotel room bed. It can be done anywhere there are cables attached at each end with some slack provided when necessary!
I’ve found a cable pull-through to be one of the best exercises for working out my back. It’s perfect if you spend all day at your desk or on the road, as it can get really easy with this position!
4. Trap Bar Deadlift
Deadlifting with a trap bar is an excellent way to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings and lower back. It’s also been shown as effective for core strength development!
5. Barbell Squat
The glutes are the most overlooked muscle in our body. They help us walk, run and breathe! The best way to target them is with a great exercise like hip thrusts which will get you into shape for any fitness goal that involves taking care of your butts (that’s what we call it).
The barbell squat is a fantastic movement for building muscle and strengthening the lower back. To do it, you’ll need to find yourself in front of a squat rack with an overhand grip on your weight set (or just use two hands). Squat down until your knees are bent at 90 degrees, then return upright so that both arms can be used again!
6. Kettlebell Swings
You can do a kettlebell swing by standing with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out. Hold the bell in both hands while keeping arms straight at chest height or wider apart if possible, so they don’t get caught on anything along their length; bend knees as well to take some pressure off lower back when doing explosive movements like this one!
7. Glute Drive
Lie on your back, bent knee caps and feet flat against the floor. Keeping weight evenly distributed between both hands up from the ground while pushing off with heels for a drive into the air – important not to extend oneself backwards but rather bring hips forward so as much muscle power can be applied here!
8. Single-Leg Hip Bridge
Laying on your back with one leg slightly elevated and the other planted firmly in front of you at an angle, it’s time to try something new! The single-leg hip bridge is a great alternative for those who cannot perform or are uncomfortable doing regular reps while using both arms as leverage.
Keep your hips flexed and glutes tight as you fire off a mighty jump, remembering to keep both knees bent.