Muscles Do Single Leg Hip Thrusts Work Properly?

Do you know the muscles that get worked by the single leg hip thrust? Well, this article will outline several single leg hip thrust exercises; giving you steps you can follow to do them. The hip thrusts target the glutes and other hip muscles. Some hip thrusts exercises that are in the text below, include the single leg hip thrusts with band, single leg thrust on the floor, and many others. In addition to that, the article gives you alternative exercises that you can do in place of single leg hip thrust exercise.

Weighted Single Leg Hip Thrust.

The single leg thrust with weights is good for exercising the glutes. However, the exercise also targets the hamstring, hip flexors, calves, quads, and other lower back. Therefore, to experience the muscles that get worked by this exercise, you can try it out by following the steps below;

1. Firstly, place your bench on the floor and make sure that it’s steady. Then sit down on the floor and make sure that your back rests on the side of a bench. Rest your shoulders on top of the bench for support.
2. Hold the weight plate with your hands against your abs.
3. Raise your left leg off the floor.
4. Then push your hips and torso up
5. Exhale and count up to 2 or 3 in that position
6. Finally, return to the starting position.

Single Leg Hip Thrust With Dumbbell.

The single leg hip thrust with dumbbell exercise primarily strengthens the glutes. In addition, other muscles that get worked are abs and hamstrings. To do the exercise follow the steps below;

1. Sit down on the floor and rest your back against a bench with your legs fully stretched. Place the dumbbell on top of your hips.
2. Go up to rest your back on top of the bench with your fit planted on the ground. Your knees must be bent forming a 90 degree angle.
3. Lift one leg off the ground.
4. Then lower your body down towards the floor and rise up before touching the floor with the lifted leg.
5. Finally, return to the starting position and repeat before exercising the other leg.

Single Leg Hip Thrust With Band.

This exercise also targets the glutes and hip muscles. To do the exercise, you will need a bench and a resistance band. Follow the steps below to do the exercise;

1. Start by placing the band around your lower thighs.
2. Sit on the bench and lower your body to rest your back against the bench.
3. Place your feet on the floor with the knees bent to form 90 degrees.
4. Lift your left foot up towards the ceiling leaving the right foot planted on the floor. The left knee must be left bent as you lift it up.
5. Lower your body down towards the floor.
6. Repeat before exercising the other leg.

Single Leg Hip Thrust On Floor.

Doing a single leg hip thrust exercise on the floor is good if you want to improve glutes strength and power. In addition to that, the exercises engage the hamstring, adductors, and quads. More so, you don’t need any gym equipment. To do this exercises follow the step below;

1. Firstly, lie down with your back on the floor and bend your knees with your feet planted on the floor.
2. Lift your left leg up and lock your fingers around the lifted knee.
3. The balance on the floor with your foot and shoulders as you lift your butt off the ground, pulling your hips ups. Pause and squeeze your glutes.
4. Finally, return to the starting position.
5. You can do 3 sets of 20 to 1 reps.

Single Leg Hip Thrust Benefits.

Some of the leg hip thrust benefits have been outlined in the above texts. Just to remind you, the single leg thrust exercise is good for improving the strength of your glutes and other hip muscles. In addition to that, the exercise is good for preventing hip muscle tears and other injuries.

Furthermore, the single leg hip thrust exercises are easy to do. More so, it has many variations that you can try. For instance, you can do the exercise with or without the weights or other gym equipment.

You can do single leg hip thrust exercise in various ways and levels. For instance, it can be done as a hypertrophy exercise. More so, you can do it as a warm-up movement or you can do it at the end of the main workout to cool down your body.

Single Leg Hip Thrust At Home.

The interesting thing about the hip thrust exercises is that you can do them anywhere. For example, you can do the exercise at the gym, at home, indoors and outdoors. There are many variations of single leg thrust exercises that you can do at home. In addition to that, even if you are doing exercises at home you don’t need sophisticated equipment.

With your weight plate, dumbbells, barbell, and a bench you can do many variations. For instance, some variations include barbell hip thrust, hip thrust with a weight plate, hip thrust with a band, Isohold single hip thrust, and many others.

However, as you do the single-leg hip thrust at home, you should make sure that you do it in the right form to avoid injuries.

Single Leg Hip Thrust alternative.

The single leg hip thrust is well known for targeting the hip muscles such as glutes, hamstrings, quads, and many others. If you cannot do the hip thrusts, there are the alternative exercises that you can do to exercises the hip muscles. Below are some alternative exercises.

Stiff Leg Deadlifts.

The stiff leg deadlifts deliver the same results for these exercises. Therefore, if you have the dumbbells or a barbell you can do the stiff leg details in pac of the hip thrusts. To do the stiff leg deadlifts follow the steps below;

1. Stand with feet at shoulder-width apart and hold dumbbells each in your hands. You must do the overhand grip on the dumbbells.
2. Extend the arms in front of you with your hands holding the dumbbells.
3. Hinge at hips and bend your knees a bit to lower the dumbbells down to your legs.
4. Finally, return to the starting position

Good Mornings With A Barbell.

This exercise is also a good alternative for hip thrusts. Like the single leg hip thrusts, the good morning exercise targets the glutes, hamstrings, and many other hip muscles. To do the exercises follow the steps below;

1. Start by racking the barbell to the upper traps. Keep your back straight with your knees slightly bent and push your hips back to create tension to the hamstrings.
2. Lower your chest towards the ground.
3. Finally, return to the starting position or go ba to the standing position.
4. Do several reps

Cable Pull Through.

This is another exercise that is a good alternative to hip thrusts. The cable pull through exercise primarily targets the glutes low back and hamstrings. To do the exercises follow the steps below;

1. Start by setting up the cable machine and make sure that the rope handle is on the lowest setting.
2. Hold the rope with both hands; one side in each hand. Keep your feet wider than hip-width with the arms fully extended. You must be standing over the cable with back towards the tower.
3. Lower the chest towards the ground with knees slightly bent and hips pushing backwards. This move must give your glutes a tension and stretch the hamstrings.
4. Let the cable pull back through the legs.
5. Allow your body to return to the starting position to stand upright.
6. Make sure that you squeeze the glutes, then start the next rep.

Romanian Deadlift With Resistance Band.

This exercise strengthens the lower body muscles. Specifically targeting the glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and quads. To do the exercise, follow the steps below;

1. Tie your feet with a resistance band; leaving your feet at shoulder-width apart.
2. Slightly bend your knees and grab the resistance band tied to your feet with both of your hands. Keep your back straight and your hands must be in front of you in between your legs.
3. Then pull up to a standing position driving your hips back. Squeeze your glutes at the bottom.
4. The, lower your body to the starting position.
5. Repeat.

Single Leg Hip Thrust Muscles Worked.

There are various muscles that you engage in when doing these exercises. Primarily, the single le hip thrust targets the glutes. Other muscles include flexors, lower backs, quads, hamstrings, calves, and groin.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, doing the single leg hip thrust exercise is good for strengthening the hip muscles. The exercises outlined above show that the hip thrusts exercises are good for training glutes. In addition to that, the hip trusts exercise the hamstrings, flexors, calves, quads, groin, and lower back muscles.  You can exercise these muscles by doing a hip thrust different exercises.

For instance, you can do single leg hip thrust with a band, traditional single leg hip thrust, single leg hip thrust with a dumbbell. However, if you don’t feel like doing these exercises; the above text gives you several alternatives.

These alternatives target the muscles that get worked by the hip thrusts exercises. Some hip thrusts alternatives include Romanian deadlift with a resistance band, deadlifts, cable pull through and many others.

Which hip thrusts exercises are good and which muscles do they work? Share your experiences.