ADDUCTORS

On the inside of the thighs are the adductor muscles and their function during the hip thrust is to provide stability and assist with hip flexion. As secondary movers, it’s normal to feel them while the glute max, the primary muscle, works. However, if you feel the adductors too much, then the issue might be a matter of your foot placement being too wide apart, as well as the possible angle of your feet.

QUADRICEPS

During hip thrusts, the quadriceps are used to drive the body upwards but they contribute very little to the movement and shouldn’t be felt much. However, if the quads overpower the glutes when it comes to sensation, then the odds are high that your feet are too close to your hips. As such, the solution is to move your feet further forward, which would ideally be so that your shins are vertical enough for your knees to form a 90° angle at the top of the movement.

Adjustment of the feet should remedy most instances where the quads come into play more than the glutes in performance of hip thrusts. But in cases where the quads still make up the bulk of what’s felt, then the issue might be one of a muscle imbalance where the quadriceps are significantly stronger than the glutes or a matter of the load being too heavy. Either one or a combination of both can result in the quads dominating the exercise.

So being that a muscle imbalance can increase involvement of the quads during hip thrusts, a possible solution is to prime the glutes with glute activation drills prior to hip thrusts, in addition to working on strengthening the glutes with other exercises to lessen the disparity. As for the weight, if it’s to blame for overactivation of your quads, then lessen the load so you’re able to reach full extension and then pause at the top of the movement where the glutes are under the most tension. Another alternative is to switch hip thrusts for Kas glute bridges or heel-elevated glute bridges, as the execution of either calls for less recruitment of the quads.

HAMSTRINGS

Any exercise with a hip-hinge pattern utilizes the posterior chain, or the muscles making up the back of the legs, which is where the glutes and hamstrings are located. So being the case that hip thrusts have a hip-hinge movement pattern, that means that not only should you feel the glutes but the hamstrings as well. What you feel in the hams shouldn’t be overbearing but if it is, then it’s likely because your feet are positioned too far ahead, which forces recruitment of the hamstrings when you bridge into the air. To correct this, play around with your foot placement by bringing your feet closer toward your body until you find a position where you feel activation in the glutes.

In most instances, experiencing hip thrusts in the hams instead of the glutes can be fixed by adjusting the feet. In situations where that doesn’t work, however, then there might be an issue where your hamstrings are your dominant hip extensors and are trying to fulfill the role of the glutes. Here, it might be beneficial to stretch your hamstrings prior to performing hip thrusts, as lengthening the muscle should temporarily weaken it and then allow the glutes to do more of the work in extending the hips. It might also help to stretch the hip flexors as well to inhibit them so you get additional contribution from the glutes.

LOWER BACK

While you should feel muscle groups like the adductors, quads, and hams to a lesser degree than the glutes when performing hip thrusts, there absolutely shouldn’t be anything felt in the lower back. If there is pain or discomfort in the back, then possible reasons include a weak core or it not getting properly braced; your lumbar spine not remaining neutral throughout the movement; the use of too much weight; or an issue with your spinal alignment because the height of the bench or box is too high or the load is positioned too low across your hips.