Kneeling Banded Hip Thrust
The kneeling banded hip thrust anchors a band behind you so the glutes fight against it to snap the hips forward from a kneeling hinge. Taking the feet and balance out of the equation makes it easy to feel the glutes and keep tension high for reps. It is a joint-friendly, low-skill way to build hip extension power at home or as a warm-up.
- Equipment
- Band
- Body part
- Glutes
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Gluteus Maximus
- Browse by movement
- Hinge
- Target
- Gluteus Maximus
- Secondary
- Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Erector Spinae
- Tertiary
- Abdominal External Oblique
How to do it
- 1
Anchor a band behind you at about hip height and loop it across the front of your hips.
- 2
Kneel tall on a pad facing away from the anchor, far enough forward that the band is under tension.
- 3
Brace the abs and tuck the ribs down to lock the spine.
- 4
Hinge back at the hips, letting the band pull you toward the anchor.
- 5
Drive the hips forward to stand tall on your knees against the band.
- 6
Squeeze the glutes at lockout, then return to the hinge under control.
Tips
- Keep the movement at the hips; the torso should stay tall and rigid.
- Do not let the low back arch to finish; end with a glute squeeze instead.
- Move further from the anchor to add band tension if the resistance feels too light.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Sitting back onto your heels at the bottom parks your weight on the knees and unloads the glutes. The hips should travel backward, not down.
- Kneel too close to the anchor and there is no tension until you are already halfway up, which leaves the hinge unloaded exactly where the glutes should be stretched.
- The chest folds forward on the hinge instead of the hips moving back, which rounds the upper back and hands the return trip to the lower back.
- An anchor point set too high pulls the band up your torso and turns the drill into a chest-height tug of war. Keep the anchor at or a little below hip height.
- Knees on a hard floor go numb before the glutes are anywhere near tired, so the set ends for the wrong reason. Kneel on a folded mat or a doubled towel.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the kneeling banded hip thrust should a beginner do?
- As a standalone exercise, 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps with a firm squeeze at the top and 45 seconds of rest. As a primer before squats or deadlifts, two sets of 12 is enough to wake the glutes without tiring them. Progress by stepping further from the anchor to add tension rather than by piling on reps, and stop the set when the hinge starts turning into a bow at the waist.
- What can I do instead of the kneeling banded hip thrust with no band?
- A floor glute bridge with a dumbbell across the hips trains the same lockout from your back instead of your knees. If you have a cable machine, a rope pull-through from a low pulley gives you the same forward hip snap against a horizontal pull, standing rather than kneeling.
- What is the kneeling banded hip thrust good for?
- It teaches the forward hip snap that swings and cleans are built on, with no bench, no bar and nothing loading your spine, which makes it a strong opener before lower-body work and an easy home exercise. It is a poor choice when you want maximum glute strength, because band tension runs out quickly, and it is uncomfortable for anyone whose knees dislike kneeling even on a pad.
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