Muscles worked
The muscles are the same as in the barbell hip thrust. Your gluteus maximus does most of the work and is loaded hardest at the top, with your hips fully extended. Your hamstrings and inner thighs help, and your quads hold the knee angle. What differs is the load: a dumbbell usually weighs less than a loaded bar, so this version suits slightly higher reps, learning the movement and training at home.
Common mistakes
- The dumbbell digs into your hip bones. The set then often ends before your glutes are tired. Put a folded towel or mat underneath and hold the dumbbell by both ends, across the crease of your hips.
- Your heels lift. Pushing through your toes shifts the work to your quads. Keep your whole foot down and drive through your heels and midfoot.
- You only add reps once the dumbbell feels light. In the end it is your breathing, not your glutes, that stops you. Pause for two seconds at the top, take three seconds to lower, or shift more of the weight onto one leg.
Variations and alternatives
- The barbell hip thrust is the next step once your heaviest dumbbell is not enough.
- The B-stance hip thrust puts most of the load on one leg, so the same dumbbell feels heavier.
- The single leg hip thrust needs no weight at all and gives each side plenty of work.
- The dumbbell Romanian deadlift trains the same hip extension standing, with the hardest point at the bottom rather than the top.
Sets and reps
Three to four sets of 10 to 15 reps suit most people, with one to two minutes' rest. With a heavy dumbbell 8 to 12 reps works well, and with a light one you can go towards 20 with a pause at the top. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose a range.
Add reps first, then move up a dumbbell size once you reach the top of the range on every set. Without heavier dumbbells, pauses and slower lowering also count as progressive overload. The exercise fits well in a dumbbell programme. If your lower back hurts, rather than your glutes just feeling tired, stop the exercise and have a doctor or physiotherapist look at it.