Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 10 years, you’ve undoubtedly either performed or witnessed a hip thrust, aka the ultimate glute builder. Working with athletes, glute training has always been at the top of the list for developing bigger, stronger, and faster athletes. Not to mention, the mainstream lifting scene has become obsessed with everything glute training.
From developing bigger booties to the amazing strength gains associated with having strong glutes, everyone is now incorporating some form of direct glute work. The hip thrust exercise is usually the go-to for glute training, as the skill and mobility required for performing it is quite low, the bang is quite big!
Unfortunately, a nasty little side effect of doing this exercise, called low back pain, is now popping up from all the thrusting going on. Don’t fret guys, because I’m going to go over all things hip thrusting, and give you the two exercises you need to keep your lower back out of this booty builder.
WHAT ARE HIP THRUSTS?
Hip thrusts are a popular exercise in strength training routines that primarily target the gluteus maximus, one of the largest muscles in the body, by executing hip extension (driving your femur backward).
They involve thrusting the hips upward by driving your feet through the floor, with your upper back resting on a pad or bench. A barbell, sandbag, resistance band, kettlebell, and even a dumbbell can be added to increase the degree of difficulty.
BENEFITS OF HIP THRUSTS
Hip thrusts are a great isolation exercise for strengthening the glutes, improving hip extension, and enhancing overall lower body strength. Science has shown time and time again that having strong glutes improves athletic performance, speed, and explosive power, and makes just about every lift in the gym much easier.
WHAT MUSCLES ARE WORKING DURING A HIP THRUST?
During a hip thrust, the primary muscles worked include the gluteus maximus, along with secondary activation of the hamstrings, core muscles, and deep hip rotators.
Other Exercises that Work the Same Muscles via Hip Extension:
Fortunately, there are a ton of different ways to build stronger glutes with these alternative exercises that target the same muscles as hip thrusts:
Glute bridge
Kettlebell swing
Romanian deadlift
Conventional deadlift
Trap bar deadlift
Cable pull-throughs
Glute-ham raises
Glute kickbacks
Back foot elevated split squats
Back squats
Reverse hyperextension
Good mornings
Walking lunge
As you can see, there are plenty of options to get those glute gains, however, if you’re experiencing lower back pain from hip thrusts, you’ll probably run into the same issue with these alternatives.
WHERE SHOULD YOU FEEL A HIP THRUST?
The main muscles you should primarily feel a hip thrust in are your glute muscles. Feeling different muscle groups like the hamstrings, inner and outer thighs, and core muscles to a much lesser degree is very common. If you feel your lower back during the movement, your technique is incorrect.
ARE HIP THRUSTS BAD FOR YOUR LOWER BACK?
Hip thrusts themselves are not inherently bad for the lower back, however, improper form, excessive weight, and/or the inability to keep your spine neutral while moving will lead to irritation in your lower back.
HOW THE LOWER BACK SHOULD WORK IN A HIP THRUST
The lower back should remain in a neutral position throughout the movement, with the emphasis placed on extending at the hips, rather than the lumbar spine. Think of the lower back in the hip thrust, much like the squat or deadlift. It should work isometrically, meaning it does not change in length but maintains constant tension providing a support-like structure for the movement.
WHY DO HIP THRUSTS HURT MY LOWER BACK?
The #1 reason hip thrusts hurt your lower back is because you’re not maintaining a neutral lumbar spine throughout the movement. This can be looked at from two different perspectives.
Perspective #1: Lumbar Movement Under Load
For years, coaches (including myself), have insisted on overly flexing the lower back at the top of the movement to promote more glute activation. If you’ve ever seen someone overly tucking their tailbone at the top of a squat or deadlift, then you know what I’m talking about.
However, when lowering back towards the floor, maintaining this lumbar flexion is extremely challenging, which causes the lower back to extend as you lower towards the floor. Having this lumbar movement under load is going to most likely result in some form of lower back discomfort or pain.
Perspective #2: Hyperextending
On the other end of the spectrum, lifters will keep their lower back hyperextended throughout the movement simply because they don’t know any better, and their natural spinal alignment is biased toward lumbar extension (sticking your butt and chest out). When performing hip thrusts, their lower back is now hyperactive (meaning it’s always being contracted), resulting in extremely fatigued lumbar extensors that leads to lower back pain and injuries.
Other reasons hip thrusts may cause lower back pain are using too much weight or performing too many repetitions.
See more: 2 Exercises to Relieve Low Back Pain
See more: Simple Core Exercise For Lower Back Pain
WHAT NOT TO DO IF YOU HAVE LOWER BACK PAIN FROM HIP THRUSTS
If your lower back pain is being exacerbated by a hip thrust workout, you must stop doing them immediately and consult a licensed practitioner to see what’s going on. I would also recommend stopping doing squats, deadlifts, and the other hip thrust variations listed above until you have a better idea of what’s going on, as these exercises can produce similar symptoms.
HOW TO DO HIP THRUSTS WITHOUT CAUSING LOWER BACK PAIN
To perform hip thrusts without causing lower back pain you must learn to control your lumbar spine while moving your hips, via your front core. This may sound super simple in theory, however, doing so in real-time is way more challenging.
To get you back to doing hip thrusts without causing lower back pain, we’re going to first teach you how to prevent your lumbar spine from moving with an exercise called dead bugs. We’ll then follow that up with a great hip thrust alternative that teaches you how to not use your lower back.
Exercise #1: Dead Bugs
First up, we need to teach your core how to stay strong and contracted throughout the hip thrust with dead bugs. This exercise teaches you how to brace your core by contracting your deep abdominal muscles, and keeping them still while moving your arms and/or legs. Once you’ve gotten a handle on this exercise, then progress to the hip thrust alternative outlined below.
How to Perform the Dead Bug:
Start by lying flat on your back, with your arms and legs straight up in the air
Contract your abs by pressing your lower back into the floor
Maintain this tension throughout the exercise. If your lower back starts to come away from the floor, stop the exercise, and regress accordingly
Beginners, only move one leg down towards the floor without anything else moving and then bring it back up to the starting position
More advanced users may now move the same side arm and leg, or opposite arm and leg down towards the floor, and then back up to the starting position
Start with whichever version is appropriate for you for 2 sets of 10 reps, and then progress to 3 sets of 15 reps
Exercise #2: Hip Thrust with Neutral Spine
As I mentioned, the goal of this exercise is to teach you how to know if your lower back is changing while performing the hip thrust. During this entire exercise, work on building the connection between your brain, your abdominal muscles which control the movement, and the sensations coming from your lower back.
How to Perform the Hip Thrust with Neutral Spine
Grab a bench or box that you would normally use for hip thrusts
Lay your upper back on the bench, so the edge of the bench is sitting just below your shoulder blades
Place your feet flat and far enough away from the bench, so when your body is parallel to the floor, your shin bones are perpendicular to the floor
Place one thumb on your sternum and the other thumb in your belly button. The distance between the two of them CANNOT CHANGE throughout the exercise. If they spread apart, you extended your spine. If they came together, you flexed your spine.
The starting position is where your butt is about 1-2 inches off the floor and your knees are bent
Maintaining a neutral spine the entire time by bracing your abs, drive your feet through the floor to raise your hips until they’re parallel with the floor
Hold the top position for a moment, then slowly lower your hips down toward the floor, returning to the starting position
Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions and 2-3 sets
HOW TO GET RID OF LOWER BACK PAIN CAUSED BY HIP THRUSTS
By incorporating the two exercises above, you’re well on your way to getting rid of lower back pain caused by hip thrusts. Perform these two movements for 3-4 weeks, 2-3 times per week. At the end of 3 weeks, you can start to reintroduce load to your hip thrusts, utilizing the skills you’ve learned, and see how your lower back feels and responds. If everything is feeling well, start to slowly add more weight and volume, always keeping in mind the two skills you’ve learned.
In conclusion, while hip thrusts are a great exercise for building strong glutes and enhancing lower body strength and athleticism, they do have some necessary prerequisites to keep your lower back from responding poorly. By incorporating the strategies above, you can still achieve excellent results while minimizing discomfort and risk of injury. Remember, it's essential to listen to your body and adjust your workout routine accordingly to ensure long-term success and health.
GET TO WORK ON YOUR MOBILITY
And if you want to work on that mobility, be sure to check out the link below for a mobility toolkit I put together that includes my 3 favorite mobility exercises to address any pain you’re having. It’s free so give it a shot.
ABOUT COACH MATT PIPPIN
Matt is a Strength and Mobility Coach with over 15 years experience in his field. He's coached over a thousand professional, collegiate and everyday athletes with the goal to help them move, feel and perform at their highest level. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Certifications:
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Level 3: Fascial Stretch Specialist
Level 1: Institute of Motion Health Coach
Certified FRC Mobility Specialist (FRCms)
Level 1 Kinstretch Instructor
Weck Method Qualified