Intermediate

Frog Hip Thrust

Turning the feet out into a frog stance externally rotates the hips and shifts emphasis toward the upper and outer glute fibers. The narrower effective base takes the hamstrings out of the picture, so the glutes work in a shortened, heavily contracted position. It is a strong accessory for building glute shape once the basic thrust is mastered.

Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Body part
Glutes
Type
Strength
Browse by muscle
Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement
Hinge
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Biceps Femoris
Tertiary
Adductor Magnus

How to do it

  1. 1

    Rest your upper back on a bench and place a padded barbell across your hips.

  2. 2

    Press the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open into a frog position.

  3. 3

    Brace your core and tuck the ribs down.

  4. 4

    Drive through the outer edges of your feet to push the hips up.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the glutes hard at the top, then lower under control and repeat.

Tips

  • Actively push the knees apart throughout the rep to keep the external rotation.
  • Expect a shorter range than a standard thrust; prioritize the squeeze over height.
  • Start lighter than your normal thrust load while you learn the foot position.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Drive coming from the heels rather than the outer edges of the feet rotates the hips back inward and cancels the frog position you set up.
  • The feet slide away from the hips as the set goes on, opening the knee angle and flattening the whole setup into an ordinary thrust with turned-out feet.
  • Forcing the knees toward the floor past what your hips will give strains the groin. Open only as far as you can still press the soles firmly together.
  • The soles come apart mid-rep and the feet drift into a wide, toes-out stance, which is a different exercise with a different muscle doing the work.
  • The lower back arches to buy back the height the frog stance takes away, so the rep looks bigger while the glutes do less of it.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the frog hip thrust should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Run it as accessory work after your main thrust: 3 sets of 12 to 15 with a two-second squeeze, using around 60 percent of your normal thrust load while you learn the foot position. Rest 60 to 90 seconds. Progress with the squeeze first, then small load jumps, and expect the working weight to stay well below a flat-footed thrust for good.
What can I use instead of a barbell for the frog hip thrust?
A heavy dumbbell stood on end across the hips is the simplest swap and is easier to set up in a frog position than a bar. A band anchored under a fixed base also works and suits the short range well. With nothing at all, do frog pumps on the floor for high reps, keeping the same soles-together position.
What is the frog hip thrust good for?
Turning the hips out shifts the emphasis toward the upper and outer glute and takes the hamstrings largely out of it, which makes it a useful shaping and accessory exercise once the standard thrust is solid. As your only glute exercise it falls short, since the range is short and the load stays light, and it is a poor fit for anyone whose hips or groin dislike being held in deep external rotation.

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