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Exercises like the deadlift and the squat are relatively simple looking, but it’s shocking how often people get injured doing these movements because of poor technique, bad posture, and not scaling weight properly. And when it comes to building that butt, the hip thrust may prove even more effective than the squat, since it loads by loading your glutes in a maximally-contracted position with no loss of tension. The hip thrust motion mainly targets the glutes — both the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius — as well as the hamstrings.Protect your knees and increase blood flow with this selection of our favorite knee sleeves for every kind of lifter. This material offers excellent skin traction, stabilizing the barbell/padding for hip thrusts or squats combination and preventing the hip thrust pad from sliding over. The range of motion here will be greater than a standard hip thrust — try to drop down lower than you would if you were on the ground.

Powerlifters will appreciate the strengthened hip flexors, giving them a better ability to close out a lift. But what sets this pad apart from the others are the collection of straps and resistance band that come with it. The square shape is a great alternative for hip thrusters who want to eliminate barbell rolling when performing this glute-blasting exercise.

As part of our quest to introduce as much animal print to our fitness gear as possible, we had to include this leopard print barbell pad from FITGIRL. Unlike most hinges, like the hip thrust, which require heavy loads that tax the entirety of your posterior chain, the cable pull-through will get your glutes in the game without leaving you fatigued for the rest of your workout. Many lifters might resort to using their gym towels or rolled-up yoga mats as supports or makeshift bar cushion for hip thrusts and squats. Iron Bull is a common "house brand" in weight rooms, so there's a solid chance you already know this pad. Because it seems like if I wanted to hit the hamstrings a little harder as well, it’d be good to have the feet out a little further so that the knee isn’t as flexed, letting more of the hamstrings contribute.

However, if you’re squatting as a replacement for the hip thrust, make sure to break parallel if you want the lift to function as a glute-builder above all. Rogue, who also makes some of my garage gym gear, including their bumper plates and flat weight bench, built this pad 1. This pad from REP lands right between "thick enough for heavy hip thrusts" and "not so thick that it'll roll off your back during squats. As a low-impact unilateral exercise, the cable kickback allows you to maximize time under tension and improve your mind-muscle connection with your glutes. If you’re on a tight budget but still looking for a decent option, you might want to consider the Lxuemlu barbell pad.Set the pin of a cable tree to the lowest possible height and secure your foot with an ankle strap attachment. Again, I’ve been lifting for over 5 years and I know what a hip thrust feels like and I’m telling you that a yoga mat protect my hip bones MUCH BETTER than this pad.

Instead of bruising yourself up and being conservative with the number of plates you load on the bar, you can chase heavier weights without the fear of gnashing up your hips.Once the bar is set over the crease of the hips you will need to get your feet set in the proper position. Available in both black and pink, Power Guidance offers a no-questions-asked refund policy for the pad.