Intermediate

B-Stance Hip Thrust

The B-stance hip thrust stages one foot slightly forward as a kickstand so the working leg takes most of the load, giving a near-unilateral glute stimulus without the balance challenge of a true single-leg thrust. It lets you overload one side at a time and iron out strength differences. A smart middle step between the bilateral barbell thrust and the single-leg version.

Equipment
Bench, Dumbbell
Body part
Glutes, Hamstring
Type
Strength
Browse by muscle
Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement
Hinge
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Gluteus Medius
Tertiary
Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Rest your upper back on a bench and place a dumbbell across your hips with a pad.

  2. 2

    Set the working foot flat with a vertical shin and slide the other foot forward onto its heel.

  3. 3

    Keep most of your weight on the working foot and tuck your chin.

  4. 4

    Drive through the working heel to lift the hips until the torso is level.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the glute hard at the top and hold for a beat.

  6. 6

    Lower under control and complete all reps before switching sides.

Tips

  • Let the front foot steady you only; keep it light so the working side loads.
  • Finish with the ribs down and a posterior tilt rather than arching the back.
  • Keep the working shin vertical at lockout to keep the glute in charge.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The kickstand foot creeps back level with the working one, and the set turns into a two-legged thrust with a slightly odd stance. Keep it half to one foot length ahead, on the heel.
  • Placing the kickstand foot far out in front turns the setup into a split position, and the hips rotate their way to lockout instead of extending.
  • The dumbbell drifts toward the working side as the hips rise, which tips the pelvis; keep it centered across both hip bones with a hand on each end.
  • Carrying over the load from your two-legged thrust buries the working glute, since it is now taking most of the job on its own. Halve the dumbbell and earn it back.
  • The working knee falls inward as the set gets hard, because the second foot is not there to help it track. Press that knee out over the middle toes on every rep.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the B-stance hip thrust should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?
Three sets of 10 to 12 per side is the sweet spot, with a dumbbell around half of what you use for a two-legged thrust. Do all reps on one side, then switch without resting. Add load before reps here, since the point of the variation is loading one hip at a time; when 12 reps are clean with the heaviest dumbbell you can place on your hips, move to the single-leg version instead.
What can I use instead of a dumbbell for the B-stance hip thrust?
A backpack loaded with books or water bottles sits across the hips well and is easy to add to a little at a time. A resistance band pinned under both feet works too, though it gives you most of its tension at the top. With nothing to hold, slow the lift to three seconds up and three down and hold the lockout, which keeps the working glute honest.
Why do a B-stance hip thrust instead of a normal or single-leg one?
It gives you most of the one-sided loading of a single-leg thrust without spending your effort on balance, so it is the sensible middle step for evening out a strength difference between sides. Skip it when your goal is the heaviest possible hip extension, which the two-legged barbell version does better, and drop it if the front foot keeps taking real load, since the single-leg version will tell you the truth.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises