Before I tell you about the Hip Thrust, just want to remind everyone that our current XTrain pre-sale prices will end Oct 30th. Now, let me tell you about perhaps the best exercise you can do for your glutes and best of all – you can do it at home.
The Glutes are an area that a lot of you’re interested in strengthening and toning up. There are lots of exercises you can do for your glutes, but if you could only do one exercise for your glutes research shows that one of the best exercises you could select is a barbell Hip Thrust and that is why I have included this amazing exercise as one of my XTrain’s 100 rep challenges. Don’t get me wrong, you need to do other exercises for this muscle group besides just a barbell hip thrust, but a barbell hip thrust certainly ranks as one of the best exercises you can do. When combined with a 100 rep challenge, the barbell hip thrust will leave no doubt that you have worked your glutes to the max!
I first became aware of the barbell hip thrust after reading a lot of research that Bret Contreras, MA, CSCS had done on glute training. Bret is the author of Advanced Techniques in Glutei Maximi Strengthening and is currently working on his PHD and is known in the fitness world as “the glute guy”. Bret has done a tremendous amount of research on which exercises work the glute muscles most effectively and has done a lot of EMG studies on various glute exercises. From his studies the hip thrust seems to stand out as the “rock star” of all the glute exercises ranking much higher than squats and lunges. If you would like to learn more about Bret’s research on glute training you can visit his website at http://bretcontreras.com/ or purchase his ebook: Advanced Techniques in Glutei Maximi Strengthening.
In XTrain I asked Amanda to help demonstrate the barbell hip thrust. We don’t use a barbell in any of the regular XTrain workouts (only dumbbells), but if you really want to work your glutes, nothing is better than a barbell hip thrust and that’s is why we’re using a barbell for this challenge. The hip thrust can also be done without any weight, but if you want to continue to progress you will need to use a barbell to further challenge your glutes as they are very strong muscles. You can also do hip thrusters unilaterally, but for the XTrain 100 rep challenge we use both legs.
Here is how you do an XTrain 100 rep challenge for the hip thrust. Firstly, Amanda uses a 44 pound barbell with a barbell pad for comfort for her 100 rep challenge. You will need to select a weight that is appropriate for you. According to Contreras this moves works best with two or three risers on each side of your step. To align yourself properly on the step lean your body against the step with your outstretched arms resting along the front edge of the step. You should position your barbell so that it rest just above your pubic bone on your lower abs and hip flexors. A barbell pad, like Amanda uses in XTRain can help to make this more comfortable. You can also fold up a yoga mat and place it under your bar for comfort.
Secondly, Point your feet so that they flare slightly outward. Keep your head and neck neutral. Keep your Torso rigid while doing a hip thrust and try not to hyperextend your spine. Always bend at your hips and push through your heels. Start with your butt on the ground and your barbell resting on your hip flexors. Then raise the barbell off the ground by extending your hips upward until your body’s torso is about parallel to the floor and even with your shoulders. Your feet and knees should not move. At the top of the move pause briefly and tighten your glutes, then slowly lower your butt back to the floor still not moving your shoulders, knees and feet.
Finally, with all 100 rep challenges your goal is to get somewhere around 30 to 35 reps on your first set. If you’re getting less than 25 you should lower your weight the next time you do this challenge. Do as many sets as it takes to do a total of 100 reps for this exercise. Try to keep your rest to 30 seconds, but if you need more recovery time – take it!
We look forward to sharing the barbell hip thrust and all of the other XTrain 100 rep challenges with you soon.
*Pre-Sale prices end Oct 30th. You can learn more or Pre- order XTRAIN now at: Click Here
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Thank you Cathe! As always, you are so informative, giving us the best workouts! I am so excited to get this series. All these sneak peeks are great teasers to what’s coming & this one is amazing!
So exciting!!! I cannot wait!! Thanks Cathe for the explicit write up on how to do the Hip Thrust. Do you also plan on explaining it explicitly on the workout video? I love your tips and how you give great pointers on all of your workouts and especially the STS videos. Will the workout manager be updated to include the 100 rep challenges with the video clips?
I can’t wait to learn more about 100 rep challenges. So how often do you recommend that one does a 100 rep challenge? Is it only recommended once a week, maybe 3 times a week?
I’d love to see more videos with 100 rep challenges!! So can you pretty much do all of your exercises in the workout manager with 100 rep challenge? Maybe you could put out videos of 100 rep challenges that one could do weekly and the videos will have pointers. It would be so much fun to do them with the videos and having your pointers and encouraging words to get us through!!
Leave it to Cathe to always keep exercise fresh and exciting!! Your’e the best!!!
I LOVE seeing NEW moves! I am very interested in giving all the 100 Rep Challenges a gooo! Thanks Cathe! I love how you make new workouts so fresh & NEW! (And, thanks to Bret too! :))
Cathe you never cease to amaze me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the research and enthusiasm you put into your work. Can’t wait to get these new workouts. Bring it on! 🙂
Wow Barbell Hip Thrusts I’m so convinced that Cathe is hands down the best trainer ever!! I credit you for my body love you Cathe!!! #IamaCathlete!!
Cathe all i want to say is thank you so much, you are the best.
To Eva,
I am looking forward to this move as well. I did asked cathe the question about how often we should be doing this 100 reps challenge. Her answer was twice per week added to our regular routine.
Can not wait to board the warrior (x)TRAIN…chu chu chu 🙂
WOW!! I just tried this move, VERY CAREFULLY. I used to be a daily Cathalete, but 5 years ago, for no apparent reason, I came down with Permanent Nerve Damage, and it is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. They won’t operate on my back because I was told I would die or become parapalegic, BUT I’ve always believed in exercise, so I am very slowly coming back. I used an 18lb body bar to do the move, just to be on the safe side. I have a barbell, but that’s too much for me right now. I used 2 raisers on each side of the STEP, and putting the Body Bar accross my pubic bone, I was able to crack out about 12!!! I could definately feel the burn in the Butt and glutes, and NO BACK PAIN!!! I think I’ll stick to this move and a little aerobics first. But I am on SSI and can never work again, so if I can do this, and I did 12 for the first time, anyone can!!! Thank you Cathe!! I’m handicapped and desperately need to loose weight to protect my back!!!