Buzz
Hip thrusts are not just fantastic for targeting your glutes (aka butt), they’re also an excellent way to boost your confidence—many people can eventually lift heavy weights once they’ve perfected the technique. However, this progress leads to a small dilemma: how do you manage all that weight on your hips without getting bruised? Let me walk you through it.
Hip thrusts are most effective when you have some form of padding. You can purchase bar pads that wrap around the bar, use cushions that sit on your lap, or get creative with items you find in the gym. (Personally, I love a solution that’s not specifically marketed as a bar pad, but more on that later.)
Before anything, get your positioning right
Before discussing padding, let’s address your positioning. When setting up for hip thrusts, aim to position the bar in the crease of your hip. This should place the bar above your pubic bone (the one right in the center of your crotch), but below your iliac crests (the bones you can feel at the front of each hip, just above the crease).
This is the perfect placement because it avoids contact with those bony areas. If you imagine the bar resting ‘on your lap,’ it might end up sitting directly over your pubic bone. Hopefully, you’re not rolling it up too high toward your belly, but if you are, you could be hitting those iliac crests. Adjust as needed.
If you’re struggling to position the bar in that hip crease area, check your overall setup. If your back is on a bench and you start with your butt on the floor, positioning might be easier if you switch to something lower, like a 12” soft plyo box, a pair of crash pads, or an elevated aerobic step.
Most likely already in your gym: a cylindrical barbell pad
Let’s start with this kind of padding, as your gym likely already has one, and if not, there are plenty of options to buy your own. This is the same type of pad I’ve advised against using for squats (since it can mess with your barbell placement), but it works perfectly for hip thrusts.
You’ll want to use something with fairly dense foam padding. I’ve even heard of people successfully using pool noodles for this purpose; there’s a whole pool noodle fanbase that claims they outperform dedicated barbell pads, though I’m not entirely sold on that idea.
Be sure to choose one that can be secured around the bar, or it will slide around and fall off. A design with straps, like this one, is a solid choice; so is this style that has a velcro flap for extra security.
Upgrade option #1: a square-edged barbell pad
If cylindrical pads aren’t your thing, consider a square-edged pad. This one is essentially a square version of the cylindrical pad above, ensuring it stays in place. Many gym-goers find these pads more comfortable.
Upgrade option #2: a flat cushion
Even better, though, is a large, flat, dense cushion. This one can be strapped onto the bar, combining the benefits of a flat cushion with those of a bar pad like the ones mentioned above. Alternatively, you can use a simple cushion by itself. (Pro tip: These also work great under your knees for ab rollouts, nordic curls, or other kneeling exercises.)
What to use in a pinch
If you find yourself doing hip thrusts at the gym without your own padding and can’t find a suitable barbell pad, look around. One of the best makeshift solutions is a thick yoga mat, folded in half or thirds. You can often find these in the stretching area or where people do floor exercises.
The hidden gem in hip thrust padding: a sandbag
And finally, we reach my personal favorite. While you probably won’t want to carry a heavy sandbag in your gym bag, if your gym has a tightly-packed, preferably rectangular sandbag (like this one), it’s a luxury to use it for hip thrusts.
The compact nature of the sandbag helps spread the weight of the bar over a wider area, significantly reducing discomfort. And since you’re already lifting a heavy load, it won’t be an issue if 25 pounds of that weight ends up in your lap instead of on the bar. (Just keep this in mind when loading the bar; for instance, a 135-pound barbell with a 25-pound sandbag equals a 160-pound lift.) If you have your own home gym, definitely consider using a sandbag. You can use it for a ton of other fun exercises as well.
