Band Hip Thrust

HingeBandBench

Hip thrust with resistance provided by a band anchored under the feet and looped over the hips (or a mini-band around the knees for added glute medius activation), giving accommodating resistance that increases at end-range extension.

Demo: Bret Contreras / The Glute Lab

Sets

3

Reps

12-20

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Same as other hip thrust variants — caution with extension-intolerant low back pain or irritable SI joints. Ensure band anchor is secure to avoid snap-back injury.

Setup

Upper back on bench, band looped over the hip crease and anchored under both feet or a rack base, feet flat, knees ~90 degrees.

Execution

  1. 1Drive through the heels against increasing band tension
  2. 2Squeeze glutes hard at full extension where band tension peaks
  3. 3Lower under control, keeping tension in the band throughout
  4. 4Optionally add a mini-band above the knees and drive knees outward

Key cues

  • Fight the band at the top — that's where tension is highest
  • Drive heels, not toes
  • Knees out against a mini-band if added
  • Full range of motion, don't shortchange the top

Common faults

  • Band slipping off the hips mid-set
  • Losing knee-out tension against a mini-band
  • Hyperextending the low back to compensate for band pull
  • Insufficient band tension to challenge the top of the range

Tweaks

  • Layer a band over the barbell hip thrust for accommodating resistance
  • Combine with a mini-band around the knees
  • Use heavier bands as strength increases

Regressions

Glute Bridge (Bodyweight)

Progressions

Barbell Hip Thrust

Muscles

Primary: Gluteus Maximus

Secondary: Gluteus Medius, Hamstrings

Notes

Band resistance is a legitimate cable-machine substitute for hip extension work — accommodating resistance mimics the strength curve of the hip thrust well.

Sources

Attribution: Bret Contreras