This exercise will give you the perfect butt

If you’re working from home, then you know exactly what long time sitting postures really mean. Enough to leave you at the end of the day numb with sore buttocks. To maintain this muscle mass - the largest and most powerful in the body - you usually practice squats or lunges. But according to the fitness influencers on social networks, one bodybuilding exercise would stand out and be sufficient in itself: The Hip Thrust, in other words lifting the pelvis with a weight. As a result, a nice volume and firmer buttocks. 

Sports coach William Chanconie will tell us more about the hip thrust and if it really is that effective. 

A targeted movement

"If when you wear jeans or leggings you find that your butt is soft, sagging or flat, the Hip Thrust is the perfect exercise" says the sports coach. Why? Because it focuses only, according to the professional, on the work of the gluteus maximus muscle, the most voluminous and the one that gives the coveted “rounded” effect, as well as those of the gluteal means on the side, which will form the “slight hollow”. "This is a targeted movement, unlike squats and lunges which work on a set of muscle groups located on the lower limbs" said William Chanconie.

How to do it?

This exercise requires a weight bench, or a sofa or bench if you don’t have the weight bench. To start, sit on the ground, against the edge of the seat, knees bent and feet on the ground, pointed slightly outward "to open the hips well during the movement", says the sports coach.

Then place a weight on your pelvis. "Indoors, we use a bar to which we gradually set weights, depending on the target," explains William Chanconie. If you don't have the necessary equipment, you can replace this load with a dumbbell, water pack, or backpack filled with books, held over the pubic area. "To master the movement well at first, you can start empty, without weight, or with a stick for example" adds the coach.

Before starting, you need to place the shoulders on the bench the right way. To find the right posture, not too close to the edge nor too close to the neck, William Chanconie recommends you stick your shoulders against the edge of the furniture. Then open your elbows to the sides, resting them on the bench or sofa in line with the shoulders.

Once the posture is stabilized, release your arms and grab your weight. Lift your hips skyward while engaging your core. Go up by squeezing the glutes and pushing well into the heels. Stop when your body forms a horizontal line between the knees, hips, and shoulders. “Be careful not to arch, warns the sports coach. You will feel that it pulls at the level of the buttocks and the spine". Breathe out then come back down while inhaling. Repeat.

An exercise adapted to the desired buttocks

The frequency of repetition of the movement will depend on the shape of the buttocks desired. If you want to gain in volume and accentuate their curve, it will be interesting to work in a dynamic way: 4 to 5 sets with 8 to 15 movements. “We can also increase the loads gradually while reducing the number of repetitions: 15 empty repetitions, 12 repetitions with two kilos, 10 repetitions with four kilos and so on” suggests William Chanconie.

If you want to perfect an already muscular posterior and rely on muscle strengthening, the movement should be slower: 4 to 5 sets with 4 to 6 pelvic lifts. Conversely, your buttocks are rather round and you would like to firm them up, or even lift them up? We will focus on the intensity of the repetition (30 to 40 times) with a very light load, or even empty. For optimal results, it is essential to adopt a healthy diet in parallel with the exercises.