As I’ve written previously (see In Defense of the Hip Thrust), I’m a fan of barbell hip thrusts (and supine bridges). Like most exercises, though, there are some common technique pitfalls. This week, on my Instagram, I featured the four most common mistakes I see in this regard. Check them out:

View this post on Instagram

This week, I’m going to focus on some coaching cues for the barbell hip thrust. Let’s start with the set-up. Often, you’ll see individuals begin with a ribs up position, which means the lower back is arched (hyperextended). The goal with this exercise, however, is to get the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings) to extend the hip, not the lower back. A quick correction to keep the lower back safe is to get the ribs down to re-establish neutral core positioning. Then, get your air, brace the core firmly, and get to work. Thanks to @nickcioffi_14 for the demo and @pete_dupuis For the design work. #cspfamily #hipthrust #glutebridge

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Mar 4, 2019 at 2:47pm PST

View this post on Instagram

This is my second installment of this week’s series on coaching cues for the barbell hip thrust. Today, we’ll focus on weight distribution through the foot. 👇 Often, you’ll see individuals go up to the balls of the feet and toes when they’re at the top position. This can occur because the individual has either set up with the feet too far away from the hips, or because a quad-dominant individual is actually trying to extend the knees to lift the weight. 🤔 In the former instance, the quick fix is to move the heels a bit closer to the body in the starting position so that the knees end up at a 90-degree angle at the top position (hip extension w/knee flexion). In the latter instance, it can help to a) tell the athlete to go barefoot (more heel contact = more posterior chain recruitment) or b) imagine grabbing the floor as if you’re trying to pick up a basketball with your arch. 👍 Thanks to @nickcioffi_14 for the demo and @pete_dupuis for the design work. #cspfamily #hipthrust #glutebridge

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Mar 5, 2019 at 12:26pm PST

View this post on Instagram

This is my third installment of this week’s series on coaching cues for the barbell hip thrust. Today, we’ll cover head/neck posture. 👇 Often, you’ll see individuals go into a forward head posture at the top position. As a result, they wind up jacking up their neck when they’re trying to train the lower body. This can occur because the individual has tried to preserve the line of sight from the starting position even though the torso angle has changed due to the hip extension further down. 👎 A quick “make a double chin” cue usually cleans it up, especially with athletes who’ve built up a lot of context for neutral neck posture with other exercises. If it doesn’t, however, I like to just put the palm of my hand an inch in front of their face on warm-ups as an external focus cue; if they make contact with it, they’re slipping into forward head posture. 👍 Thanks to @nickcioffi_14 for the demo and @pete_dupuis for the formatting. #cspfamily #hipthrust #glutebridge

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Mar 6, 2019 at 3:19pm PST

View this post on Instagram

This is my fourth and final installment of this week’s series on coaching cues for the barbell hip thrust. Today, we’ll look at hip/spine positioning at the finish position. 👇 Often, you’ll see individuals substitute extension of the lumbar spine (lower back) for hip extension, especially at the top position. The gluteus maximus is a terminal hip extensor, which means that those last 10 degrees of hip extension are crucial. It’s very easy to load up a lot of weight and come up short on this exercise – or just find bad motion through the wrong place (spine). 👎 The correct finish position has a straight line from the knees to the top of the head, with the glutes activated in the top position. When done correctly, this exercise should lead to zero lower back discomfort (or soreness the next day). 👍 Thanks to @nickcioffi_14 for the demo and @pete_dupuis for the formatting. #cspfamily #hipthrust #glutebridge

A post shared by Eric Cressey (@ericcressey) on Mar 8, 2019 at 5:27am PST