Is hip thrust for legs or glutes?

Author: Prof. Alayna Turcotte Jr.  |  Last update: Sunday, July 27, 2025

If you're doing the hip thrust correctly, it primarily targets your gluteus maximus, as well as your hamstrings (the leg muscles behind your thighs) to a lesser extent.

Can you build glutes with just hip thrusts?

Can you grow glutes with only hip thrusts? You can grow glutes just with hip thrusts, as long as you're using enough weight, gradually increasing the weight over time, and doing the right number of reps. However, there are reasons why exclusively doing hip thrusts may not be the best way to build a butt.

Are hip thrusts for legs?

The Raised Leg Hip Thrust works the entire lower body with a particular focus on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius as well as the hamstrings. This is a great exercise to build posterior chain strength which is important for reducing the risk of many running related injuries.

Why do girls like to do hip thrusts?

The Hip Thrust is a glute exercise designed to improve your gluteal strength, speed and power by teaching optimal hip extension. It's all about the power in your glutes, which are among the most powerful muscles in your body. The glutes are designed to extend the hip or pull the leg behind the body.

What is the hip thrust good for?

What is a hip thrust? The hip thrust exercise targets the gluteus maximus, which is the biggest muscle in your body. It also activates the hamstrings, quadriceps, and adductors. Working on developing this muscle, can help to improve your overall lower body strength, size and power, through training hip extension.

Squats vs Hip Thrusts for Glute Growth (NEW Research)

Is hip thrust better than squats?

Summary: The squat is a better exercise for sporting performance, as well as general strength and power improvements. The hip thrust is more effective for specific glute activation. If performance is the goal, squat derivatives are more effective.

What weight should a woman hip thrust?

A good starting range is around 40-60 pounds (18-27 kg). Intermediate Lifters: As you become more comfortable with the movement, you can start adding weight. Many women at the intermediate level hip thrust between 70-135 pounds (32-61 kg). This range allows for increased resistance while still maintaining proper form.

Do hip thrusts make your waist smaller?

Exercises that zero in on your core, like the ones we talked about, are awesome for beefing up core strength and keeping that waistline in check. But get this: exercises like the squat, deadlift, and hip thrust are also epic for your abs. Surprising, right?

Why are girls hips attractive?

Men consistently find women the most attractive when they have a low waist-to-hip ratio — commonly referred to as an hourglass figure. New research provides evidence that men have this preference because it is a reliable signal of physical and sexual maturity in young women who have not been pregnant.

What are the cons of hip thrusts?

Hip thrusts present a significant risk of abdominal, hip flexor, and lower back injury, creating excessive compression on the lumbar spine and shearing forces on the psoas (a muscle that flexes the hips), sub umbilical (below the belly button) abdominal fibers.

Are hip thrusts good for the pelvic floor in females?

For men and women equally interesting is certainly the Hip Thrust. In this exercise, the execution of which is a very “classic” movement of sex, you train not only the pelvic floor, but also at the same time the buttocks, leg muscles and back extensor.

How long does it take to see results of hip thrust?

Intermediate/Advanced: If you've been training for a while, it might take 6-8 weeks or more to see noticeable changes, especially if you're focusing on muscle hypertrophy.

Do RDLs grow glutes?

The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is a fundamental leg exercise commonly incorporated into strength training routines. While primarily recognised for its emphasis on the hamstrings and lower back, the potential of RDLs to effectively target the glutes is often overlooked.

Why don't I feel my glutes in hip thrusts?

If you don't feel your glutes in hip thrusts it's likely that you're not fully externally rotating at the top of the motion! 😊 The glutes are under the most tension at the top so properly “locking out” is especially important for growth. The 8-8-8 method is great because it FORCES you to practice external rotation.

Why do so many girls do hip thrusts?

Hip thrusts grow mostly glutes without growing much legs which makes them perfect for many women's goals. And they're incredible for athletic performance, improving sprinting, jumping, change of direction, and rotational power, in addition to squat and deadlift strength.

How to get hourglass figure in 1 month?

Steps
  1. Use 5 pounds (2.3 kg) weights to sculpt shoulders with arm raises. Lateral arm raises can define your shoulders and give your upper body a toned look that helps create the hourglass silhouette. ...
  2. Enhance your shoulders and chest with alternating dumbbell presses. ...
  3. Work your rear deltoids with a seated dumbbell raise.

Which muscles make the waist look smaller?

The key is to target your core, and particularly your obliques (the sides of your core, responsible for twisting and side bending). Build these two areas and you'll be well on your way to a strong waist. Functional exercises for your core will have benefits besides strengthening your waist, too.

How long does it take to grow glutes?

To do this, you can use a variety of exercises for building glutes including Barbell Hip Thrusts, Romanian Deadlift, Sprinter Lunges, and Cable Pull Throughs. Noticeable glute size changes typically occur within 6 to 12 weeks of consistent, targeted strength training.

What is a lot for a girl to hip thrust?

What is the average Hip Thrust? The average Hip Thrust weight for a female lifter is 205 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Hip Thrust? Female beginners should aim to lift 66 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.

Is glute bridge the same as hip thrust?

Typically, glute bridges are performed on the ground with body weight or light weight, while hip thrusts are performed with a bench and barbell. A hip thrust is basically a glute bridge with a bigger range of motion. Because your back is elevated, there's a larger range of space between your hips and the ground.

How to burn 1000 calories in a day?

Running, cycling, swimming, and rowing are all great options for hitting your calorie burn target.
  1. Running: To burn 1000 calories in a day, a 75 kg person running at 10 km/h can burn around 600 calories in an hour. ...
  2. Cycling: Biking at 18-20 km/h can help you burn 600-800 calories in an hour.

What exercise gives you the best female body?

Body weight exercises, like push-ups, lunges and squats are going to be the best kinds of workouts for you. Yoga and suspension training—that also involve lots of muscles working together at the same time—are good bets for you, too. “These types of strength exercises are more challenging than lifting weights.

Previous article
Is it bad to rub off dead skin?
Next article
What brings color to your face?