My great friend Bret (the Rear-Admiral) Contreras has done a great job popularizing the hip thrust exercise.
Since I often get asked about it, in this video I share the hip thrust exercise progression used in the Performance U training approach.
A Word on the One-Leg Hip Thrust With Dumbbell
One thing I failed to go into detail about in the video – somehow this important info slipped my mind during filming – was about which side we place the dumbbell on when performing the one-leg hip thrust with dumbbell.
In the video above, I gave Deanna a small dumbbell to use, and I placed it on the side of her non-weightbearing leg – the leg that was elevated.
It’s important to note, when the individual is using a smaller dumbbell – 15lbs or less – we’ll give them a choice as to which side they want to place it on when doing the one-leg hip thrust. However, if one is using a bigger dumbbell – 20lbs or more – we’ll have the client or athlete place the dumbbell on the weight bearing side, as shown below.
Notice how Jackie is holding the dumbbell slightly off-center on her working hip, so that it doesn’t interfere with her range-of motion or jab her in the belly, which is uncomfortable, when she goes down into the bottom position. She keeps her hand pinned down onto her working side hip, and uses that as feedback, to drive her hip into that hand, on the concentric portion of each rep.
