Smith Machine Hip Thrust

The guided bar lets you focus on hip extension without balancing the load.

• Compound
• Machine
• Beginner

How to do it

• Bar over the hips with a pad, bench at upper-back height
• Upper back on the bench and chin tucked
• Drive through the heels and lock out by squeezing the glutes, without arching the lower back

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 8–15 reps · 0–2 RIR

Tempo: Drive up for 1 s to full extension, squeeze 1–2 s at the top, lower for 2 s

Common mistakes

• Hyperextending your lower back instead of extending your hips
• Placing the bench so far from the rails that the bar does not sit over the hips

Muscles worked

Primary

• Glutes

Secondary

• Hamstrings
• Quads

Alternatives

• Hip Thrust
• Cable Glute Kickback
• Barbell Back Squat
• Romanian Deadlift