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Exercises

Dumbbell hip thrust: how to set it up, how heavy to go, and what comes next

Published October 19, 2026

A dumbbell hip thrust is a hip thrust with your upper back on a bench and a dumbbell resting across your hips. You drive your hips up until your body is flat from shoulders to knees, squeeze your glutes, and lower under control. It trains the glutes hard with nothing more than one dumbbell and a bench or couch, which makes it the go-to version at home or when the barbell setup is taken.

Your last dumbbell hip thrust set

How to do the dumbbell hip thrust

The hip thrust loads the glutes hardest at the top, where your hips are fully straight, and the bench lets you move through a bigger range than a floor bridge. A dumbbell is quick to set up and easy to hold steady across the hips, so you can start training glutes with one weight and a sturdy surface.

Steps

  1. Sit down with the edge of a bench just under your shoulder blades and roll a dumbbell into the crease of your hips, a folded towel underneath it.
  2. Plant your feet flat about hip-width apart, close enough that your shins will be vertical when your hips are up, and hold the dumbbell at both ends.
  3. Tuck your chin slightly and press through your whole foot to lift your hips until your torso and thighs form a flat line.
  4. Pause for a second at the top with your glutes squeezed hard and your ribs pulled down, not flared.
  5. Lower your hips until they are a few inches above the floor and start the next rep from there.

Cues

  • Chin tucked, eyes forward
  • Shins vertical at the top
  • Ribs down, glutes squeezed

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back to get the last inch: stop when your hips are level with your knees and your ribs stay down; the glutes finish the rep, not your spine.
  • Feet too far away or too close: if you feel it mostly in your hamstrings, walk your feet in; if it lands on your quads, walk them out until your shins are vertical at the top.
  • Letting the dumbbell roll toward your stomach: hold both ends and put a folded towel under it so it stays in the hip crease for the whole set.

Swap for: Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Glute Bridge, Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Muscles the dumbbell hip thrust works

The dumbbell hip thrust works your glutes first, mostly the gluteus maximus, with the gluteus medius helping keep your knees in line. Your hamstrings and quads assist, and your abs keep your ribs and pelvis steady. The load is heaviest at the top, at full hip extension.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the dumbbell hip thrust

GoalSets × repsRIRRest
Build glutes 3 × 10–15 1–2 2 min
Use the heaviest dumbbell you can hold steady and still pause at the top of every rep.
One light dumbbell 3 × 15–25 0–1 90 s
When your heaviest dumbbell is too easy, go higher in reps and closer to failure, or switch to the single-leg version.
After squats or deadlifts 2–3 × 12–15 1–2 90 s
As a second glute exercise, a couple of hard sets is enough on top of your main lift.

Dumbbell hip thrust variations

  • Single-Leg Hip Thrust start position

    Single-Leg Hip Thrust

    Lift one foot off the floor when the heaviest dumbbell you own no longer gets you close to failure in 20 reps.

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  • Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust start position

    Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust

    Set one foot farther forward than the other when you want most of the load on one leg without fully lifting the other.

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  • Dumbbell Glute Bridge start position

    Dumbbell Glute Bridge

    Lie flat on the floor instead of against a bench when you have no bench or couch; the range is shorter but the glutes still do the work.

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  • Kettlebell Hip Thrust start position

    Kettlebell Hip Thrust

    Rest a kettlebell on your hips when that is the weight you have; it sits a little higher than a dumbbell, so hold it by the handle.

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Dumbbell hip thrust alternatives

Heavier loading at the gym

  • Hip Thrust start position

    Hip Thrust

    Move to the barbell when your dumbbells run out; a padded bar lets you add plates far past what one dumbbell can give.

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  • Smith Machine Hip Thrust start position

    Smith Machine Hip Thrust

    Use the Smith machine when you want a heavy hip thrust without balancing a free barbell on your hips.

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No weights

  • Band Hip Thrust start position

    Band Hip Thrust

    Loop a band over your hips and under your hands or a bench when there's no dumbbell; the band is hardest at the top.

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  • Single-Leg Glute Bridge start position

    Single-Leg Glute Bridge

    Bridge on one leg from the floor when you have neither a weight nor a bench.

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Glutes from a hinge

  • Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift start position

    Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

    Hinge with dumbbells when you want your glutes loaded at long muscle length, the opposite end from the hip thrust.

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  • Dumbbell B-Stance RDL start position

    Dumbbell B-Stance RDL

    Kickstand one foot back when you want a one-leg-biased hinge with light dumbbells.

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Can you do a dumbbell hip thrust without a bench?

Yes. A couch, a sturdy coffee table, or a box around knee height works as long as it won't slide when you push against it; put it against a wall if it moves. With nothing to lean on, do the glute bridge from the floor instead. It covers the top half of the same movement, which is the part the glutes work hardest in.

How heavy should your dumbbell be?

Pick a dumbbell you can thrust for 10–15 reps with a full pause at the top and still have one or two reps left. Most people outgrow their heaviest home dumbbell quickly, because the glutes are strong. When that happens, slow each rep down, add reps, or go one leg at a time before you buy anything new.

Squats or hip thrusts?

They do different jobs. Squats load your glutes and quads with the hips deeply bent; hip thrusts load the glutes with the hips straight. Doing both in the same week covers the glutes across their full range, which is why most glute plans keep one squat or lunge and one thrust or bridge.

Questions

What do dumbbell hip thrusts target?

They target the glutes, mainly the gluteus maximus. Your hamstrings, quads and core help, but the glutes do most of the work, especially at the top.

Can I do hip thrusts without a machine?

Yes. A dumbbell and a bench, couch or sturdy box is all the dumbbell hip thrust needs. Without a weight, use a band or do single-leg thrusts.

Will my glutes grow if I only do hip thrusts?

They will grow, as long as the sets are hard and the load or reps keep going up. Adding a squat, lunge or Romanian deadlift trains the glutes in their stretched position too, which hip thrusts don't cover.

How heavy should a dumbbell hip thrust be?

Heavy enough that 10–15 reps with a one-second pause at the top leaves you one or two reps short of failure. If you can do 25, switch to the single-leg version or a barbell.

Why don't more men do hip thrusts?

Mostly habit, since squats and deadlifts get more attention. The hip thrust works the glutes the same way in anyone, and it is a solid accessory for men who want stronger hips for sprinting, jumping or deadlifts.

Are dumbbell hip thrusts as good as barbell hip thrusts?

The movement is the same; the barbell just lets you load it much heavier. While a dumbbell is still heavy enough to bring you near failure in 15–20 reps, it works fine.