Perform hip extension on a leverage machine to drive the hips upward and load the gluteus maximus. The movement emphasizes hip extension with support from the hamstrings and adductors.
How to do the Machine Hip Thrust#
- Set your upper back against the machine pad and position your feet flat on the platform with knees bent and stacked roughly over the ankles.
- Brace your core and keep your spine neutral before initiating the movement.
- Drive the hips upward by contracting your glutes until your torso and thighs form a straight line at full extension.
- Hold a brief squeeze at the top while keeping tension in the glutes and avoiding lumbar arching.
- Lower your hips slowly under control until your glutes approach the pad, then repeat.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Glutes (Gluteus Maximus)
- Secondary: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Adductors (Adductor Magnus, Longus & Brevis (Hip Adductors)), Quads (Quadriceps Femoris)
Common mistakes#
- Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the movement.
- Placing the feet too far forward or too close, which reduces hip-drive effectiveness.
- Using momentum instead of a controlled glute contraction.
- Pushing through the toes instead of driving through the heels.
