Smith machine hip thrust

Name: Smith machine hip thrust exercise demonstration
Uploaded: 2026-09-13
Duration: PT6.57S
Description: The Smith machine hip thrust loads a hip thrust with a bar that runs on fixed rails. Rest your upper back on a bench, keep both feet on the floor and lift the bar with your hips. The gluteus maximus is the main target.

What is a Smith machine hip thrust?

The Smith machine hip thrust loads a hip thrust with a bar that runs on fixed rails. Rest your upper back on a bench, keep both feet on the floor and lift the bar with your hips. The gluteus maximus is the main target.

Two anatomical illustrations of a woman performing a Smith machine hip thrust with her upper back on a bench, hips lowered on the left and raised on the right, with red shading on the buttocks and legs.

How do you perform a Smith machine hip thrust?

Set up

Secure a bench across the machine, set the racked bar just above your hips in the starting position and place the safety stops below your planned depth. Test the hooks with a light bar.
Rest your upper back against the bench, place a bar pad across your hip crease and plant both feet about hip-width apart.
Hold the bar, brace your trunk and lift your hips slightly, then rotate the bar to release the hooks.

Execution

Lower your hips smoothly while keeping your upper back on the bench and your feet planted.
Push through both feet to bring your hips up until your torso and thighs form a roughly level line.
Lower for the next repetition. After your last rep, engage the hooks and check that the bar is secure before getting out.

Common mistakes

Using a bench that slides
A moving support changes your position under the fixed bar. Stabilize the bench before beginning.
Placing the bar on the abdomen
Keep the padded bar in the hip crease so the load rests over the pelvis.
Lifting higher by arching the back
End the rep when your hips reach the line of your torso; extra arching adds back movement.

Where it fits in a session

Use it as a main glute exercise or after your other lower-body lifts.

Practice the release and rerack with a light bar. Record the same machine, bench placement and load convention each session, since Smith bars can differ in their starting resistance.

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Primary

Secondary

None listed in this guide

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The gluteus maximus extends the hip as you raise the bar.

Variations

Barbell hip thrustA free bar crosses the hips while the upper back rests on a bench.
Hip thrust machineUses a dedicated machine with its own hip pad and back support.
Dumbbell hip thrustUses a dumbbell across the hips instead of a guided bar.

Related tools

One-rep max calculator

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Smith machine hip thrust work?

The gluteus maximus is the main target. It extends the hips to lift the bar.

Where should I place the bench?

Place it so your upper back stays supported while the bar rests over your hip crease. Test the full movement with a light bar and secure the bench against sliding.

Can I use an angled Smith machine?

Test its path with a light bar and adjust the bench until the bar stays comfortably over your hips throughout the rep. Follow the machine instructions; use another setup if you cannot release and secure it comfortably.

How high should I raise my hips?

Stop when your torso and thighs are roughly level. Keep your ribs down rather than arching your back to lift higher.

Sources

Adel Elzanie and Judith Borger. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Maximus Muscle. StatPearls, updated 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK538193/