5 Expert-Approved Hip Thrust Alternatives for Glute Gains

What Makes the Hip Thrust Effective?

The hip thrust is an excellent exercise for targeting the glutes and moving them through a full range of motion. Unlike squats and deadlifts, where other muscles share the workload, the hip thrust emphasizes the glutes and allows you to go heavy without excessive spinal compression. But as great as it is, it’s not the only way to build glute strength. Many alternatives offer similar benefits without drawbacks if you don’t enjoy it, feel discomfort, or want to add variety.

What to Look For In A Good Alternative

If you’re looking for a solid alternative to the hip thrust, you need movements that check the right boxes and deliver serious glute activation. A good substitute should:

Effectively Target the Glutes: The primary goal of the hip thrust is to train the glutes through full hip extension. Any alternative should do the same by focusing on the hips rather than the quads or lower back.

Allow Progressive Overload: To build stronger, more muscular glutes, you need an exercise that allows you to increase weight, reps, or resistance over time, like the hip thrust.

Be Joint-Friendly: If the barbell hip thrust causes pain or discomfort, a good alternative should still challenge the glutes without unnecessarily stressing the lower back, hips, or knees.

Support Athletic and Strength Training Goals: A strong set of glutes isn’t all about vanity—it improves deadlifts, squats, sprinting speed, and lower-body power. A great alternative should do the same.

5 Hip Thrust Alternatives For More Muscular Glutes

If the barbell hip thrust isn’t working or you need added variety, these five lower-body movements will still help you build strong, muscular glutes without the awkward setup.

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian Split Squat is a unilateral strength exercise emphasizing glutes and hamstrings. It helps build lower-body strength, balance, and mobility. Unlike the hip thrust, it trains the glutes through a larger ROM (because of the elevated rear foot) while improving unilateral strength. To make this more glute-dominant, maintain a slight forward lean to ensure the glutes stay juicy.

Programming Suggestions: 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps per leg.

Cable Pull-Through

The Cable Pull-Through is a pure hip hinge that places constant tension on the glutes and hamstrings, making it an effective alternative to the hip thrust. The combined constant tension from the cable machine, large ROM, and lower back-friendly nature make it an excellent glute alternative, but only if you don’t make friendly eye contact with anyone. For best results, keep the chest up and shoulders down to avoid overusing the lower back. Focus on driving the hips forward and squeezing the glutes at lockout.

Programming Suggestions:

• Sets & Reps: 3-4 sets of 12-16 reps.

Kettlebell Swing

The Kettlebell Swing is a ballistic hip hinge that builds explosive hip power and strengthens the posterior chain and glute lockout strength. Instead of a slow, grinding, heavy hip thrust, it is a dynamic power-based movement that trains the glutes. It also trains the hamstrings and core while improving cardiovascular endurance. Please avoid using your arms to swing the bell to get the most out of it for your glute gains; let the hips do the work.

Programming Suggestions:

• Sets & Reps: 3-5 sets of 15-25 reps.

Resistance Band Hip Thrust

The Resistance Band Hip Thrust is a modified version of the barbell hip thrust, using ascending resistance from a looped band. As the band stretches, the tension increases, creating a strong contraction at the lockout, and this is its most significant advantage over the barbell hip thrust. The band tightens at the top, forcing the glutes to work harder to achieve full hip extension. Ensure the band is secured correctly, and keep your core tight to avoid overworking the lower back.

Programming Suggestions:

• Sets & Reps: 3-4 sets of 10-25 reps.

Mini Band Frog Hip Thrust

The Mini Band Frog Hip Thrust is a high-rep glute isolation exercise incorporating hip abduction and external rotation. It emphasizes the glutes while reducing hamstring and lower-back involvement. Due to the increased hip abduction, this trains the gluteus medius and minimus more than a standard hip thrust for enhanced glute development. To get the best out of it, keep your feet together, knees pushed outward, and glutes squeezed hard at lockout to feel the burn..

Programming Suggestions: 3-4 sets of 20+ reps.

Conclusion

The hip thrust is a great exercise, but it may not be the best option for everyone. The alternatives presented in this article offer a range of options for building strong, muscular glutes without the hassle of setting up a barbell. Remember to focus on progressive overload, joint-friendly exercises, and exercises that support athletic and strength training goals. With these alternatives, you can build the glutes of your dreams without having to rely on the hip thrust alone.

FAQs

Q: Can I still build strong glutes without doing the hip thrust?
A: Yes, there are many alternatives to the hip thrust that can help you build strong, muscular glutes. The exercises presented in this article offer a range of options for targeting the glutes without the need for a barbell.

Q: Are these alternatives as effective as the hip thrust?
A: While the hip thrust is an effective exercise, the alternatives presented in this article can be just as effective in targeting the glutes. It’s all about finding the right exercises that work for your body type and fitness goals.

Q: Can I combine these alternatives with the hip thrust?
A: Absolutely! Combining these alternatives with the hip thrust can help you build a strong, muscular glutes. Remember to always prioritize progressive overload and joint-friendly exercises, and to focus on exercises that support athletic and strength training goals.