How many reps of the TRX hip press should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, pausing for a full squeeze at the top of every rep rather than rushing to the next one. Once 15 reps feel solid with a strong top squeeze, add a two-second hold at the top before adding more reps.

What can I use instead of a TRX for the hip press?

A standard glute bridge or hip thrust with the feet flat on the floor trains the same muscles without needing straps, though it loses the extra stability challenge. If you want a similar unstable-feet demand, resting the heels on a stability ball or a bench edge with feet close together gets close.

What is the TRX hip press good for, and when should I skip it?

Suspending the feet forces the hamstrings and glutes to stabilize a wobbling base while still driving a strong hip extension, which makes it a good glute activation drill or finisher. Skip it, or switch to a floor bridge, if your lower back tends to overarch under load, since the instability here makes that habit harder to control.

Intermediate

TRX Hip Press

Lying on your back with both heels in the straps, you drive the hips up into a bridge while the suspended feet force the hamstrings and glutes to stabilize a wobbling load. It delivers a strong glute contraction with a hefty stability tax that the floor version never provides. Use it as a glute activation drill or a burnout finisher.

Equipment: TRX
Body part: Glutes, Hamstring
Type: Balance, Strength
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Lie on your back under the anchor and place both heels in the foot cradles.
2
Set the straps so your knees are bent around ninety degrees.
3
Press your arms into the floor for a stable base and brace the abs.
4
Drive the heels down and lift your hips toward the ceiling.
5
Squeeze the glutes hard at the top with the body in a straight line.
6
Lower the hips under control while keeping the feet steady in the cradles.

Tips

Keep the straps from swinging by pressing the heels down firmly.
Push through the heels, not the toes, to keep the glutes loaded.
Do not overarch the lower back at the top; finish with the glutes.

Variations

Common mistakes

The feet swing loose in the cradles instead of pressing down firmly, so the straps sway and the base wobbles through the whole set.
Pushing through the toes instead of the heels shifts the drive into the calves and takes tension off the glutes.
The lower back overarches at the top to gain extra height, finishing the rep with the spine instead of the glutes.
The hips drop unevenly on the way down, side to side, instead of lowering as one straight line, letting one hip creep ahead of the other.
Setting the straps too long puts the knees well past ninety degrees, which flattens the angle the glutes need to press against.
Rushing to the top and bouncing off the floor between reps replaces the glute squeeze with momentum from the bounce.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the TRX hip press should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, pausing for a full squeeze at the top of every rep rather than rushing to the next one. Once 15 reps feel solid with a strong top squeeze, add a two-second hold at the top before adding more reps.
What can I use instead of a TRX for the hip press?: A standard glute bridge or hip thrust with the feet flat on the floor trains the same muscles without needing straps, though it loses the extra stability challenge. If you want a similar unstable-feet demand, resting the heels on a stability ball or a bench edge with feet close together gets close.
What is the TRX hip press good for, and when should I skip it?: Suspending the feet forces the hamstrings and glutes to stabilize a wobbling base while still driving a strong hip extension, which makes it a good glute activation drill or finisher. Skip it, or switch to a floor bridge, if your lower back tends to overarch under load, since the instability here makes that habit harder to control.

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