Do you ever feel the burn more in your quads or hamstrings when hip thrusting, opposed to your glutes?
This can be quite common and I often get this feedback from clients who are new to the movement, but not to fear! This can usually be fixed almost instantly and here are 3 tips that could help you get the most 'bang for your buck' when targeting the glutes on this exercise...
#1 Leg Angle
Check that your legs are angled at 90 degrees.
Too far away with a wider angle, and you're most likely going to feel it more in the hamstrings that will be lengthened.
Too close to your body with a shorter angle, and the quads (thighs) will be lengthened which will cause them to burn much more than normal during the exercise.
A good tip is to video your sets from the side to give an idea of your set-up.
#2 Ankle/Foot Position
First of all, never come onto your toes. Always ensure you have at least flat feet and are driving up through your heels.
Some clients prefer to reinforce this by flexing their ankle/pointing their toes in the air - which will also take your calves out of the equation, if you are feeling it in that area throughout your set.
#3 Posterior Pelvic Tilt
A common mistake many people make when hip thrusting is trying to drive their hips as high as they can. This usually causes the lower back to extend and more often than not, involves the quads much more.
One of the four functions of the glutes is to posteriorly tilt the pelvis, which along wth hip extension, helps to maximally contract the muscles.
See the video below to learn how you can implement these 3 tips into your own set-up and get the most out of hip thrusts!
Comments