How To Do Hip Thrusts At Home Without A Bench (3 Alternatives For Gains)

Not everyone has regular access to a gym which means knowing how to do hip thrusts at home without a bench, equipment or machine can give you a big advantage.

Hip thrust is one of the undisputed kings of glute building exercises. 

When done right and consistently, your glutes have one choice, to grow bigger and rounder. 

In this guide, you’ll learn how to properly do a hip thrust at home without any bench or equipment. Plus, 3 more hip thrust variations you can do to hit the glutes harder for bigger gains.

How To Do Hip Thrusts At Home Without A Bench At Home

You can do hip thrusts on common household items such as:

• Chair
• Couch
• Bed
• Swiss ball
• Sturdy low table (non-glass)
• Long enough step

But to keep things simple use a chair or couch. This way you can put the chair back against a wall for support while you perform the movement. If you’re using a couch it’s even easier as most are heavy and sturdy.

Steps To Do Thrusts Correctly Without A Bench

• Get into starting position A as shown above with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your hip lowered to the ground
• Next, thrust your hips upwards until your thighs are parallel to the ground while keeping your back straight and your core engaged
• Hold and squeeze your glutes for 2-3 seconds at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your hips back to the starting position
• Do 4 sets of 10-12 reps

If you want to make the exercise more challenging, you can hold a weight in your hands or place a weight plate on your lap. 

You can also do the exercise one leg at a time by lifting one foot off the ground and keeping it hovering above the ground throughout the movement.

3 Hip Thrust Alternatives At Home That Doesn’t Require Equipment

These hip thrusts variations will take your glutes growth to the next level. Start doing them with just your bodyweight to learn the moves properly then add weights for more resistance.

1. Single Hip Thrust Freeze 

Not only will this hip thrust variation stimulate growth but also makes your upper glutes more perkier. This move is key to getting that “butt lift” look naturally.

How to do:

• Get into the starting position A as demonstrated in the image above with upper back on the edge of chair and lower body supported by only your left leg
• Your right leg should be extended straight in front
• Slowly push your hips upwards with your left leg until your torso and leg is parallel to the ground as shown in position B.
• Hold that peak position for 15 seconds and squeeze the glutes as hard as possible
• After that return to the starting position and repeat the move
• Aim to do 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg

2. Reverse Hip Thrust

This is a very creative hip thrust variation as it really uses your body weight to its maximum potential. 

Plus, you won’t need a chair to perform the exercise. Not only will you work the gluteal muscles but it can help to tone your upper body from arms, back and shoulder.

How to do:

• Position A as shown above will be your starting point with both hands flat on the ground and feet bent shoulder width apart
• You’re going to slowly push your hips upwards until your torso and legs are parallel to the ground as shown in position B
• But most importantly at the top of the movement hold and squeeze your glutes for 2-3 seconds from maximum glutes engagement
• After that return to the starting position and repeat the movement

3. Extended Reverse Hip Thrust

Kind of similar to the Reverse Hip Thrust above except this time your body will be extended while being supported by your hands and heels. 

This hip thrust alternative is very powerful and really forces your glutes to “feel the burn” during the movement.

If you’re someone who struggles with “Sleepy Glutes” which simply means your glutes aren’t fired-up during glute exercises, this is a perfect move to start doing.

Even though the goal of this guide is to show you how to do hip thrusts at home without a bench, it’s teaching you the exercises that help you develop a mind-to-muscle connection which is super important for glute development.

How to do:

• Get into starting position A with both hands flat on the ground, butt and legs resting on the ground and core engaged
• Now slowly brace your hips upwards until your body is straight as shown in position B
• While in position B, squeeze both glutes as hard as possible from 2-3 seconds
• After that return to the starting position and repeat the move
• Aim to do 4 sets of 12 reps for maximum glute engagement

3 Reasons Why Hip Thrusts Are Better Than Squats For Growing Glutes

They are superior to squats in a few key ways.

#1: Hip Thrusts Better Isolate The Glutes

When you squat, your quads and hamstrings get activated to a greater extent than when you do hip thrusts.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if your goal is to grow your glutes, you want to make sure they are getting the most work possible.

#2: Hip Thrusts Place Your Glutes In A Better Position To Produce Force

When your hips are in a flexed position like they are in a hip thrust, your glutes can generate more force than when they are in the extended position during a squat.

#3: You Can Use More Weight In A Hip Thrust Than You Can In A Squat

This is due to the fact that you are able to generate more force in a hip thrust and also because the range of motion is shorter.

Hip thrusts are a more natural movement. Our bodies are designed to move in a hip-hinge pattern, which is what a hip thrust is.

Squats, on the other hand, are a more quad-dominant movement. So, if your goal is to build bigger, stronger glutes, hip thrusts are the way to go.

How Many Times A Week Should I Do Hip Thrusts?

If you’re new to hip thrusts, start with 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps, 2-3 times per week. As your glutes get stronger, you can increase the number of sets and reps, and/or the frequency of your hip thrusts.

And if your goal is to build glute size, try to add extra resistance to the movement when using a dumbbell or resistance band as it really challenges your glutes to get stronger which leads to increase in size.

Ultimately, the best way to find out how often you should do hip thrusts is to experiment and see what works best for you. If want to know how often you should be working your glutes look at this glute training frequency guide.

Now You Know How To Do Hip Thrusts At Home Without A Bench

You can reap the benefits of the powerful glute building exercise as you’ve just learned how to do hip thrusts at home without a bench, equipment or machine.

You can use hip thrust to grow bigger and rounder glutes right in the comfort of your home.

Don’t forget to add the 3 hip thrust variations mentioned above to challenge your glutes even more. This way butt workout will be more interesting instead of just doing only the traditional hip thrust exercise.