The Hip Thrust
Lie on you back with your upper back flat on the floor and knees bent 90 degrees. Contract your abs which will pull your lower back into the mat and tilt your pelvis upward.
Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up off the floor by pushing through your heels. At the top of the movement only your upper back, head and feet should have contact with the floor. Squeeze your glutes and hold at the top position for a 2-5 second count and lower back to the starting position. Repeat for 15-25 repetitions.
To make it more challenging, place your feel on a step, Bosu Ball or physio ball. For even more of a challenge and a bonus core workout, hold your arms over your chest! This will reduce your stability increasing the workload placed on all your core muscles as well.
The Single Leg Hip Thrust
Once you have mastered the Hip Thrust, move on to this exercise. This will strengthen and shape your entire lower body and core. By lifting your hips with one leg you will recruit your core and gluteal muscles with a more forceful contraction increasing core and gluteal strength. This exercise is considered unilateral training which I have blogged about in the past. This will help improve muscular and flexibility imbalances in the lower body.
The exercise is executed the exact same way as the Hip Thrust but using only one leg on the floor. The other leg is elevated in the air making the muscles in the planted leg work harder and will also cause the stabilizing muscles to be engaged more as well.
To make it more challenging, place your foot on a step, Bosu Ball or physio ball. For even more of a challenge and a bonus core workout, hold your arms over your chest! This will reduce your stability increasing the workload placed on all your core muscles as well.
The Barbell Hip Thrust
The Barbell Hip Thrust is one of the greatest exercises for specifically targeting the butt! When performed correctly, it will work the muscles in glutes and hips as well as the core, quadriceps and hamstrings. This exercise allows for a greater range of motion and use of resistance which will build up a flat butt in no time. This is a more advanced exercise and should only be attempted after you've mastered the first two versions of the Hip Thrust.
Lay on a sturdy bench with just your head and upper back contacting the bench and your feet flat on the floor with your knees bent 90 degrees. Place a weighted barbell across your hips. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND USING A THICK PAD or wrapping the bar with a thick towel etc. for comfort. Make sure the bar is secure on your hips and not the abdominal muscles! It is easier to have a workout partner place and remove the bar on your hips once you get set into position.
Perform the exercise the same as you would with the Pelvic Hip Thrust. You can increase the range of motion by lowering your butt as you perform the exercise. I recommend you don't go much lower than parallel as this may increase the risk for lower back injury or cause the bench to move causing injury. Be sure to not arch your back during the movement and keep the abdominal muscles contracted throughout the entire range of motion.
This is one of those exercises I recommend you have a Certified Personal Trainer demonstrate to ensure you're doing it safely. I do not recommend doing this exercise with the advanced movements or if you have back issues!
* Consult your physician and a Certified Personal Trainer before attempting this or any other exercise program to ensure you are able to exercise with no restrictions and to prevent injury.