Machine Hip Thrust
A seated machine hip thrust loading hip extension through a lap pad, with the glutes under tension throughout.
How to do it
- Set the seat and lap pad so the pad sits across your hips, not your stomach.
- Sit with your back flat against the pad and your feet on the platform.
- Set your feet so your shins will be vertical at the top of the movement.
- Draw your ribs down, then drive your hips up by squeezing the glutes.
- Stop when your torso and thighs form a straight line and hold briefly.
- Lower under control until the hips are fully flexed, then repeat.
Key technique cue
Feet under the knees, finish in a straight line; no arching, no leaning on the belly.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Pushing past a straight line at the top, which arches the lower back instead of extending the hips.
- ✕ Setting the feet too far forward, which shifts the work onto the hamstrings.
- ✕ Placing the pad on the abdomen rather than the hips, which is uncomfortable and cuts range.
- ✕ Bouncing the load off the bottom, which skips the loaded stretch of the repetition.
Benefits
- ✓ Keeps the glutes loaded at full hip extension, where squats let go.
- ✓ Setup takes seconds compared with a barbell and bench thrust.
- ✓ The seat and pad remove the balance and bar comfort problems of the free weight version.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Machine Hip Thrust
- Kettlebell Hip Thrust
- Barbell Hip Thrust
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Step 2 -
Step 3
About the exercise
The hip thrust machine replaces the bench and barbell setup with a fixed seat and a padded lap bar. You sit with your back against the pad and your feet flat on the platform, then drive the hips up until torso and thighs line up and squeeze at the top. The value of the supine thrust position is simple: the glutes stay under tension across the whole range including full hip extension, which is exactly where squats and deadlifts stop loading them. The hamstrings assist and the trunk holds the ribs down so the lift does not become a lumbar arch. It suits glute-focused training blocks.
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