Hip Thrust

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Place mat on floor.
2. Lay on mat (face up), hands placed by sides for greater support (advised), or behind head (harder option).
3. Slightly fixed bend at knee, and flex at hip to bring thighs up so that they are perpendicular to the floor.

Excution/Movement

1. Raise buttocks off the floor by flexing at the waist.
2. Once peak contraction is reached, slowly control hip back to starting position.
3. Repeat for desired amount of repetitions.

Comments

The hip thrust is an ideal exercise to stimulate the rectus abdominis via flexion of the spine. It is also an ideal outlet for those with minimal equipment.

We minimise hip flexor involvement by excluding the initial flexion of the hip that is performed during many leg raise exercises. By keeping legs perpendicular to the floor and raising the buttocks off the floor, we can successfully recruit the rectus abdominis via flexion of the waist.

The hip thrust should not be confused with an outlet for those who wish to trim down their waist. The exercise will provide stimulus for potential hypertrophy to occur, but it will not spot reduce fat off the midsection. Diet and cardiovascular activities need to be addressed for this goal.