Kettlebell Hip Thrust
A bench-supported hip thrust with a kettlebell on the hips — a home-friendly alternative to the barbell version.
How to do it
- Sit on the floor with your upper back against a sturdy bench and set a kettlebell on your hips.
- Plant your feet shoulder-width apart with knees bent, so your shins are close to vertical at the top of the rep.
- Brace your core and drive through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top, with your torso and thighs forming a straight line.
- Lower your hips slowly back toward the floor, keeping tension in your glutes all the way down.
- Lightly touch the floor with your hips and drive back up for the next rep without losing position.
Key technique cue
Drive the hips up to a straight line, knees out; don't arch the lower back.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Lifting the hips by overarching the lower back instead of using the glutes.
- ✕ Letting the knees cave in at the top, which shifts the load from the glutes to the joints.
- ✕ Stopping short of full hip extension, which loses the strongest part of the rep.
- ✕ Placing the kettlebell on the stomach instead of the hip crease, which limits how high the hips can rise.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds glute size and strength through a full range of hip extension.
- ✓ Trains lockout power that carries over to deadlifts and sprinting.
- ✓ Loads the glutes directly without stressing the lower back.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 You are here - Kettlebell Hip Thrust
- Machine Hip Thrust
- Barbell Hip Thrust
-
Step 2 -
Step 3
About the exercise
The Kettlebell Hip Thrust is the most accessible loaded hip thrust variation. With the upper back braced on a bench and a kettlebell held on the hips, the lifter drives through the heels to extend the hips and lock out at the top, isolating the glutes through a full range of motion without needing a barbell. It suits home or hotel workouts where there's no barbell, and beginners for whom learning the hip-extension pattern matters more than chasing weight. It's also a staple of lower-body hypertrophy blocks where the kettlebell is the main tool.
Updated
Similar exercises
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.