Pain guide · Back pain

Lower back pain when doing hip thrusts: arching at the top, the bench, the bar and what helps

Lower back pain when you do hip thrusts is usually ordinary back pain, brought on by the back muscles working hard to hold your trunk and by the lower back arching at the top as you push for more height. No study counts what causes back pain in hip thrusts, or has measured the lower back at the top of a loaded one, so the arching explanation is our reading of coaching advice and bridge studies. Where it hurts is the best clue: an ache across the lower back is usually a strain; low on one side, by the dimple at the back of the pelvis, can be the sacroiliac (SI) joint; pain down a leg is a nerve; soreness at the front of the pelvis is the bar. Hip thrusts aren't bad for backs, and bridges are part of National Health Service (NHS) back programmes, but they aren't back-free either: in one lab study, the load at the base of the spine matched a deadlift's at the same effort.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call or accident and emergency (A&E) for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel problems or weakness in both legs, to a same-day check through the NHS's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for back pain with a fever or after a fall, and a GP for a teenager whose back hurts more when arching. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies show (and don't) about the top position, your feet, the bench and the bar, and why a scan rarely helps, shows how to change your hip thrust today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from the floor bridge back to the barbell.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 51 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.
Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): back pain and you feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly.
Same day (NHS 111): back pain after a new, significant injury in the last 7 days, such as a fall from a height (off a box, a bar or rings) or a direct blow to the back.
Same day: leg weakness that is getting worse; new leg pain with a history of cancer, HIV, TB or inflammatory arthritis; or leg pain with a fever, feeling unwell, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss or night sweats.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): new difficulty lifting the front of your foot or toes (foot drop), or a foot that slaps down or catches as you walk, especially if it is getting worse. Weakness in both legs, or with numbness around the genitals or bottom or bladder or bowel changes, is the 999 emergency above.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if you have a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) and very bad tummy pain, you feel sick or you're being sick, you cannot fart or poo, you have a high temperature or you feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Do not drive to A&E. With any other hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, feeling or being sick, vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, constipation, a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery, or sudden confusion, get help from NHS 111.
Same day: you have or have had cancer, and new back pain that is severe and doesn't let up, is getting steadily worse, is worse at night and disturbs your sleep, is worse when you cough, sneeze or strain, or comes with tenderness over the spine. Contact your cancer team or GP urgently. With cancer, new weakness, difficulty walking, numbness or bladder or bowel problems are an emergency.
Call 999: sudden, severe pain in the tummy or back, which can come with breathlessness, pale or grey skin, or collapse. It can be a burst abdominal aortic aneurysm, most common in men aged 65 or over and in people who smoke or used to smoke.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of squats, sit-ups, back extensions or burpees, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): weakness in the leg, or numbness that is spreading quickly or getting worse. Meralgia never makes the leg weak, because the nerve it affects carries only feeling.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Back pain that hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home, stops you doing day-to-day activities, worries you, or you're struggling to cope.
Pain that doesn't improve with rest or is worse at night, or pain that is worse when you sneeze, cough or poo.
Unexplained weight loss, or a lump, swelling or change in the shape of your back.
Pain, tingling or numbness spreading below the knee that isn't settling after a few weeks, is getting worse or stops your normal activities: see a GP.
A teenager or young adult whose low back pain is worse arching backwards and hasn't settled after a couple of weeks: stop the lifts that arch the back and get it checked by a GP or a sports medicine doctor or physiotherapist. It can be a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis), which usually does well without surgery when it's found.
A lump in the groin, upper thigh or tummy, especially one that appears when you cough or strain and goes when you lie down: see a GP, as it may be a true hernia. A femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of the thigh, mainly in women over 50, though it can happen to anyone) needs treating in hospital.
Sudden new back pain after a minor fall, lift, cough or sneeze, from 50 or past the menopause, or if you take long-term steroid tablets; or height loss, a curved spine or a change in posture: see a GP. It can be a spinal fracture.
Back pain that started before 45 and has lasted more than 3 months, especially if it started before 35, wakes you in the second half of the night, comes with buttock pain, gets better with movement or within 48 hours of anti-inflammatory painkillers, or you have or have had arthritis, pain where a tendon attaches to bone (enthesitis) or psoriasis, or a parent, brother, sister or child with spondyloarthritis. These can point to inflammatory back pain (axial spondyloarthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) asks GPs to refer people with 4 or more of these 9 features to a rheumatologist, and to do a blood test for the HLA-B27 gene marker if exactly 3 are present, referring if it is positive.
A strain that is getting worse, or isn't feeling better after looking after it yourself: see a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.
Weakness, a knee that gives way, or trouble climbing stairs or getting up from a chair; numbness that spreads to the front or inside of the thigh, below the knee or into the foot; back pain with the thigh symptoms; or symptoms in both thighs. These point to a nerve in the back or another cause, so see a GP.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

An ache across the lower back, on one or both sides, at the top of the rep or late in a heavy set

Usually ordinary low back pain, often a strain or tired back muscles: by far the commonest pattern. Stopping at a straight line, a lighter load and the floor bridge usually ease it.

Read: Back pain →A sudden catch or sharp pain during one rep, with the muscles locking up

A strained muscle or back spasm: common, and it settles over days to weeks.

Read: Back spasm and pulled back muscle →An even ache across the back and buttocks a day or two after a hard glute day, not during the lift

Usually muscle soreness; our after-workout guide tells soreness from a strain.

Read: Back pain after a workout →Worse arching back or standing up straight, easing when you bend forward, from mid-life

Ordinary back pain with a sore direction, often put down to the facet joints. Our arching guide covers it.

Read: Back pain bending backwards →Low on one side, by the dimple at the back of the pelvis, sometimes into the buttock, worse on single-leg thrusts

Possibly the sacroiliac joint, which is thought to cause about 10% to 25% of long-lasting back pain low down. Use both feet for now.

Read: SI joint pain →Down one leg past the knee, with tingling, numbness or weakness

Sciatica, usually from a disc. A leg that is getting weaker needs a same-day check, as the warning signs say.

Read: Sciatica →A teenager or young adult whose back hurts more arching backwards, building over weeks

Possibly a stress fracture of the spine (spondylolysis): found in 47 of 100 young athletes with back pain in one clinic. Get it checked, as the warning signs say.

Read: Spondylolisthesis →The bony points at the front of the pelvis, under the bar

The bar pressing on the bone. A thick pad and the bar in the crease of the hips usually fix it; a hard knock there is a hip pointer.

Read: Hip pointer →Burning, tingling or numbness on the outside of the thigh after heavy sets with the bar or a tight belt

Possibly meralgia paresthetica, a squeezed skin nerve at the front of the hip. Tight clothing is a known cause; the link to the bar is our reading.

Read: Meralgia paresthetica →A deep pinch at the front of the hip at the top of the rep

The hip joint rather than the back; possibly hip impingement. Try a shorter range or moving your feet.

Read: Hip impingement (FAI) →A lump or bulge in the groin or the top of the thigh, bigger when you strain on heavy sets

A possible hernia: read the warning signs first.

Read: Groin pain →Right at the base of the spine (the tailbone)

Tailbone (coccyx) pain. Our tailbone guide covers sitting and the causes.

Read: Tailbone pain →Sudden pain with a crack, from 50, past the menopause or on long-term steroid tablets

Possibly a spinal fracture from thinning bones (osteoporosis): rare. Get it checked.

Read: Spinal compression fracture →

Understand it

What no study has measured, and what the lab studies showEmerging evidence

No study counts what causes back pain in hip thrusts, none has measured the lower back at the top of a loaded hip thrust, and none has tested the cues coaches give (ribs down, chin tucked, feet placed, bench height) against back pain. So the map on this page comes from what each condition is known to do, lab and muscle activity studies, trials of hip exercise in back pain and health-service pages.

The hip thrust is mainly a hip exercise: in 19 trained men the hip moved through about 75 degrees against about 12 at the pelvis and trunk. But the back muscles work hard to hold the trunk firm. A review of 12 studies lists the back extensors (erector spinae) second after the glutes in its sequence of muscle activity, and in 13 trained men their activity was no different from a deadlift's. In 11 sprinters lifting a weight they could manage 6 times, the turning force at the base of the spine was about the same as in a deadlift (385 against 410 newton-metres) and peaked at the bottom, as the lift turned round, not at the top. Four weeks of hip thrust training didn't make the lower back muscles stronger in 14 men, so the back works to hold still rather than to move.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Arching at the top: our readingEmerging evidence

At the top of a hip thrust, some trained lifters' lower backs extended and others' bent forward: the pelvis and trunk moved 12 degrees on average, but that varied widely (spread of 21 degrees). The only measurement of the lower back at the top of a bridge is a bodyweight bridge, not a loaded hip thrust: it sat about 13 to 15 degrees into extension, close to the range the same people could reach lying still. So pushing past a straight line from shoulders to knees probably takes the lower back towards the end of its range. That is our reading, not a measured fact.

Muscle activity studies point the same way, without measuring pain. Tilting the pelvis back in a bridge raised glute activity and lowered the activity of a deep back muscle (multifidus) against tilting it forward (25 healthy people); drawing in the tummy lowered back muscle activity (30 adults); and in 12 people with back pain, feedback to control the pelvis shifted work from the back muscles to the glutes. A review notes that the common teaching of a neutral spine at the top is often given without a reason.

Sources 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Where it hurts sorts the causesEmerging evidence

The NHS calls back pain very common and says it usually improves within a few weeks; it is very rarely a sign of a broken bone, cancer or an infection. Pain low on one side, by the dimple at the back of the pelvis, can be the SI joint: it is thought to cause about 10% to 25% of persistent back pain below the lowest lumbar bone, and about a third of athletes with back pain in a review of low-quality studies. No single test confirms it; a cluster of pain provocation tests helps a little.

A teenager or young adult whose back hurts more when arching may have a stress fracture of the spine: 47 of 100 adolescent athletes with back pain had one in one clinic, against 5 of 100 adults, and 28% across 93 studies of athletes aged 10 to 19. The bar on the pelvis is a hip thrust problem of its own: ACE (the American Council on Exercise) describes machines built to work without a barbell compressing the bony point at the front of the pelvis. Burning or numbness on the outer thigh can be a squeezed skin nerve (meralgia paresthetica); tight clothing is a known cause, and no case has been reported from hip thrusts.

Sources 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

When a scan or test mattersStrong evidence

Not usually. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says don't routinely offer imaging for low back pain, with or without sciatica, outside specialist care, and NHS inform says you won't normally need an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Disc changes are common in people without pain: across 3,110 people without back pain, disc bulges showed in 30% of 20-year-olds and 84% of 80-year-olds. No examination test reliably picks out the SI joint or the facet joints as the source.

Tests do matter with the warning signs; for a young athlete whose pain is worse arching and lasts more than a couple of weeks, where a scan looks for a stress fracture; and for sudden pain with a crack in someone at risk of osteoporosis.

Sources 21, 22, 23, 13, 15

How it usually goesStrong evidence

No study follows back pain from hip thrusts. Across 33 groups of people with new back pain (11,166 people), average pain fell from 52 to 23 out of 100 in 6 weeks, then more slowly (12 at 26 weeks and 6 at a year). An update of 95 studies found a similar early drop, but pain that had already lasted months changed little over a year (very low certainty). NHS inform expects new back pain to begin to settle within 6 weeks.

Young athletes with a stress fracture of the spine mostly return to sport without surgery (92.2% across 376 people), and 83.9% had a good result without surgery in another pooled analysis. No one can promise a date.

Sources 24, 25, 22, 26, 27

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

The top position, feet and bench: lab studies and coachingEmerging evidence

Feet walked further from the bottom (straighter knees) raised back muscle and hamstring activity in bridges, while knees bent to 90 degrees or more favoured the glutes (25 men). In a computer model of 15 men bridging with their body weight, the load between the lowest lumbar bones was about 200% of body weight with the knees bent to 60 degrees, 175% at 90 and 150% at 120. Foot position also changed which leg muscles worked in hip thrusts (7 trainers). That is why the usual cue is shins about vertical at the top; an NHS trust's bridge brings the feet close to the buttocks.

Bench height hasn't been studied for back pain. One lab used a 36 cm box and its authors say the bench should be sized to the lifter. A band round the knees raised glute activity and reduced forward pelvic tilt in bridges, but didn't change back muscle activity (21 people). None of these studies measured pain.

Sources 28, 29, 30, 2, 31, 32

The floor bridge is a fair swapEmerging evidence

With a barbell, the floor glute bridge drew more glute activity than the hip thrust in 10 men, and the hip thrust worked the multifidus more than a floor bridge in 20 men. In a 9-week trial, hip thrusts and squats grew the glutes about equally. Many exercises load the glutes very highly, including step-ups, split squats and lunges, so a sore back doesn't mean losing your glute training.

Sources 33, 34, 35, 36

Exercise helps back pain; glute work adds little on its ownStrong evidence

Exercise eases long-lasting back pain by about 15 points out of 100 against no treatment (249 trials, moderate certainty). NICE says consider a group exercise programme of any kind, keep up normal activities, and don't offer belts or corsets.

Adding hip strengthening to back exercise gave a small extra benefit for pain in a review of 5 trials (309 people), about 5 points on 100, but no extra benefit in three trials since (80, 70 and 54 people). So glute work is a reasonable part of the plan, not a fix by itself. People with a slipped vertebra (spondylolisthesis) improved their bridge holds during physiotherapy (120 people).

Sources 37, 21, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Bridges in NHS programmesStrong evidence

NHS back programmes use bridges at low doses. A Berkshire Healthcare NHS leaflet uses 1 to 20 repetitions twice a day, lifting your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees; a Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS leaflet holds each bridge for 2 seconds, 10 times; and NHS inform builds back exercises from 2 sets of 8 to a maximum of 2 sets of 15.

Sources 43, 32, 44

Hip thrusts and the spine: not back-freeEmerging evidence

The turning force at the base of the spine matched a deadlift's at the same effort in 11 sprinters, and the peak came at the bottom of the rep. The bar doesn't press down through the spine, which may lower the squeeze on it, but that hasn't been measured. Four weeks of hip thrusts didn't strengthen the lower back muscles in 14 men. One case report describes muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) after a new home routine of glute bridges, pelvic tilts and pelvic floor exercises, so a big jump in volume can catch anyone out.

Sources 2, 1, 5, 45

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to 5 out of 10, settled within an hour or so, and no worse the next morningEmerging evidence

This guide uses the back hub's rule, as our other back movement guides do. Some discomfort during exercise is fine, and it does not mean you are doing damage. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do less next time (fewer reps, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing. Leg symptoms are the exception: stop or shrink any movement that sends pain, pins and needles or numbness further down a leg. NHS inform's back exercises use the same bands (0 to 3 minimal pain, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and ask for no worse the morning after; an NHS trust's back leaflet cuts the repetitions if pain lasts more than 2 hours after exercise; the NHS back pain page is stricter about specific exercises, saying stop if your pain gets worse and see a GP. In long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise into some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise (7 trials, 385 people).

For hip thrusts (our suggestion, built on the same rule): use the step of the ladder (the floor bridge, single-leg and banded bridges, a loaded floor bridge, then the hip thrust) and the height where the last reps stay at 5 out of 10 or less with your ribs down, and your back is no worse the next morning. If it isn't, go back one step or stop a little lower, not to nothing. A young athlete with a suspected stress fracture keeps arching lifts out until it has been checked. Pain down a leg, numbness around the genitals or bottom, a lump in the groin, or numbness or burning on the outer thigh isn't a pain-rule question: see the warning signs.

Sources 44, 32, 11, 46

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep moving, take the bar off

About the first 2 weeks, walking daily and the gym 2 or 3 times a week: settle the pain without resting in bed, find out whether bending forward eases it, and keep your glutes working in a short bridge that passes the pain rule. With a diagnosed condition (sciatica or a disc, a stress fracture or slipped vertebra, SI joint or pelvic girdle pain, a hernia or a repair, or osteoporosis), that guide's plan or your team's comes first.

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

5 to 10 minutes, several times a day · As in our leg press and squat guides (editorial); walking outdoors counts the same. The NHS says stay active and don't stay in bed for long periods

Harder: Treadmill jogging

3D demoCat-cowBeginner · No equipment

8 waves, slower than feels natural, in a comfortable range · The move page's dose

Harder: Half lord of the fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Pelvic tilt into bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoPelvic tilt into bridgeBeginner · No equipment

8 slow repetitions, rest a minute, another 8, 2 to 3 times a day, peeling up only part of the way at first · NHS inform's dose for its back exercises, which include pelvic tilts

Harder: Glute bridge

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

Up to 20 repetitions, twice a day, lifting only to a straight line from shoulders to knees, or less if the top hurts · A Berkshire Healthcare NHS leaflet's bridge dose

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Single knee-to-chest stretch demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle knee-to-chest stretchBeginner · No equipment

Hold 20 to 30 s, 2 to 4 times each side · The move page's dose (editorial). Keep it only if bending forward eases your pain, and leave it out if it sends pain down a leg, as the move page says

Harder: 90/90 hip lift-off

Lying sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLying sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide)Beginner · No equipment

Only with leg symptoms: 10 repetitions with a 1-second pause, 2 to 3 times a day; try it for 2 weeks · The move page's dose (an NHS musculoskeletal service's). Keep it only if it eases your leg

Harder: Seated sciatic nerve slider (nerve glide)

Move on when: You can walk for 10 to 15 minutes and bridge to a straight line without catching pain, and the pain is easing day by day (as in our leg press guide).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Rebuild the bridge

About weeks 2 to 6, 2 or 3 sessions a week: a strong floor bridge with your ribs down, one leg at a time and against a band, with the trunk and hinge work around it.

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

3 sets of 10 to 15 with a 1 or 2 s pause at the top · Our hip thrust guide's step 2 (editorial)

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Staggered-stance bridge (offset bridge) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStaggered-stance bridge (offset bridge)Beginner · No equipment

5 slow repetitions each side once a day, building to 2 sets of 5 to 10 at a somewhat hard effort · The move page's dose, from the LEAP trial programme

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Single-leg glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSingle-leg glute bridgeIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 8 to 12 each side with a 2 s hold, pelvis level · Our hip thrust guide's step 4 (editorial). Leave it out while one-sided pain by the dimple flares

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Barbell hip thrust

Band-resisted glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand-resisted glute bridgeBeginner · A band + An anchor point

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

3D demoBird dogBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 each side, with 3 to 5 s holds · As in our leg press and squat guides (editorial)

Easier: Bird dog, one limb at a time · Harder: Bear crawl

Hip-hinge practice demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHip-hinge practiceBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 10 · As in our leg press and deadlift guides (editorial)

Harder: Kettlebell deadlift

Move on when: 3 sets of 12 to 15 bridges with a pause and 3 sets of 8 single-leg bridges pass the pain rule with your ribs down, and your back is no worse the next morning, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to the hip thrust

From about week 3 to 6, later after sciatica: load comes back on the floor first, then the bench, one change at a time by the written steps below. No trial has tested a return to hip thrusts after back pain, so the order is editorial, following our hip thrust guide's ladder.

Stability ball hip bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStability ball hip bridgeBeginner · Exercise ball

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose: the hip thrust's shape with your body weight

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Barbell glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBarbell glute bridgeIntermediate · A barbell

3 sets of 8 to 12, with a light bar and a thick pad · Our hip thrust guide's step 5 (editorial)

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Barbell back squat

Barbell hip thrust demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBarbell hip thrustIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box

2 sets, stopping with 3 or 4 reps to spare, for the first 2 weeks; then 3 sets of 6 to 10, adding the smallest weight step when every set reaches 10 · Our hip thrust guide's and glute workout plan's doses (editorial). Start at about half your old working weight

Easier: Glute bridge · Harder: Barbell back squat

Kettlebell deadlift demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKettlebell deadliftBeginner · A kettlebell

3 sets of 10, with a day between sessions · As in our leg press guide (editorial)

Easier: Hip-hinge practice · Harder: Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Back extension on a 45-degree bench demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBack extension on a 45-degree benchIntermediate · A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 · As in our leg press guide (editorial). Move slowly and never fling into the top, as the move page says

Easier: Ball back extension · Harder: Horizontal back extension (hyperextension, Roman chair)

Knee side plank demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKnee side plankBeginner · No equipment

3 holds of 15 to 20 s each side · As in our leg press and squat guides (editorial)

Harder: Side plank

Move on when: Your usual hip thrust sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks. Keep two strength sessions a week with a hinge and a bridge or thrust after the pain has gone, and if it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your hip thrust for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show all of these. They come from our hip thrust guide, coaching sources, lab studies and NHS leaflets; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a change to the hip thrust for back pain, and the top position advice is our reading of bridge studies.

1. The top: stop when your shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line, ribs down, chin tucked, eyes forward, and squeeze your glutes rather than arching for more height (our hip thrust guide). A small backward tuck of the pelvis shifted work from a back muscle to the glutes in a bridge study.
2. Feet: flat, about hip-width, placed so your shins are about vertical at the top. Feet walked far out raised back muscle activity and modelled lower back load in bridge studies; an NHS leaflet's bridge brings the feet close to the buttocks.
3. Bench: about knee height or a little lower, pushed against a wall so it can't slide, with its edge just below your shoulder blades (our hip thrust guide). No study has tested bench height against back pain; one lab used a 36 cm box.
4. Bar and pad: a thick pad, the bar rolled into the crease of your hips rather than onto the bony points, and loaded and unloaded with your hips on the floor (our hip thrust guide). ACE notes the barbell presses on the bony point at the front of the pelvis.
5. Lower under control rather than dropping: the load at the base of the spine peaks at the bottom, as the lift turns round.
6. Load: lighter, stopping 2 or 3 reps short, with no maximal attempts while it's sore, and breathe out as you rise (editorial).
7. Swap to the floor bridge while it's sore: as much glute work, less work for the multifidus and a shorter range.
8. With one-sided pain low by the dimple, keep both feet down for now (editorial).

Sources 7, 28, 29, 32, 2, 18, 5, 33, 34

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how hip thrusts come back after back pain, so these steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. One change at a time: the bench, then load, then single-leg or paused versions.
2. Add load in small steps, about 2% to 10%, when the last set has reps to spare and your back is fine the next morning (the American College of Sports Medicine's steps for healthy lifters, as our squat guide uses).
3. On a hip thrust machine or with a belt across the hips, the same pad and pressure rules apply.
4. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing.

Sciatica, a disc, the thigh nerve, a hernia and everyday life

With sciatica or a herniated disc, the NHS says that even if moving hurts, it's not harmful, and that the type of exercise isn't important as long as it doesn't cause pain or make your back pain worse. Stop or shorten anything that sends pain further down your leg, and follow your clinician's advice if you have weakness or numbness.

Numbness or burning on the outer thigh from a squeezed skin nerve usually settles once the pressure is off; an NHS service calls it benign and says most people need no further treatment. Weakness, or numbness that spreads, points elsewhere: see the warning signs. The NHS femoral hernia page names lifting heavy weights among the causes and advises avoiding heavy lifting for about 4 to 6 weeks after a repair, so follow your surgeon.

Everyday life comes back alongside the plan: walking first, sitting in shorter spells, lifting at work with the load close to your body, and sleeping in whatever position is comfortable (editorial). The NHS says stay active.

Sources 47, 48, 19, 49, 50, 51, 11

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Arching for extra height at the top	Past a straight line from shoulders to knees, the extra height comes from your back; in a bridge study the lower back already sat near the end of its range at the top.	Stop at a straight line, ribs down and chin tucked, or use the floor bridge.Try: Glute bridge
Feet walked far from your bottom	Back muscle activity and modelled lower back load rose as the knees straightened in bridge studies.	Shins about vertical at the top.
Heavy hip thrusts while it's sore	The load at the base of the spine matched a deadlift's at the same effort in a lab study.	The floor bridge, then a light barbell bridge.Try: Barbell glute bridge
A thin pad, or the bar on your hip bones	The barbell presses on the bony point at the front of the pelvis, and a squeezed skin nerve there can numb the outer thigh.	A thick pad with the bar in the crease of your hips.
A bench that can slide	You can tip backwards (our hip thrust guide).	A bench pushed against a wall.
Dropping into the bottom	The load at the base of the spine peaks as the lift turns round at the bottom.	Lower under control.
Single-leg thrusts with one-sided pain by the dimple	One-sided loading can stir up SI joint pain, as our SI joint guide says.	Both feet down for now.Try: Glute bridge
High-rep glute challenges	A sudden big session can break down muscle, even with bridges.	Stop 2 or 3 reps short, with rest days between.
Resting in bed or stopping all training	The NHS says stay active and don't stay in bed for long periods.	Walking and the stage 1 moves.Try: Pelvic tilt into bridge
Counting on a belt to protect a sore back	NICE doesn't offer belts or corsets for managing low back pain.	Build back gradually with the plan.

Routines to follow

Glute workout at home

A 25-minute glute workout with bodyweight and a mini band: bridges, clamshells, band walks, kickbacks and lunges.

25 minBeginner9 movesA wall, A band

Glute workout (gym)

A 50-minute gym glute workout: hip thrusts, deep squats, Bulgarian split squats, back extensions and hip abduction, with sets, reps and rest.

50 minIntermediate11 movesA band, A barbell

Beginner core workout

A 15-minute beginner core workout on the floor: dead bugs, bird dogs, knee planks, side planks and curl-ups.

15 minBeginner6 movesNo equipment

Lower back strengthening workout: bird dogs to supermans, no equipment

A 20-minute floor workout for your back muscles: bird dogs and bridges, then a face-down ladder from the locust to the superman, with side planks and dead bugs.

20 minBeginner13 movesNo equipment

McGill big 3 core routine

The McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.

12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipment

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my lower back hurt when I do hip thrusts?

Usually because your back muscles work hard to hold your trunk firm, and the lower back can arch past a straight line at the top. It is usually ordinary back pain or a strained muscle, which usually settles within weeks. Pain or tingling down a leg is a nerve: see the warning signs.

Why do I feel hip thrusts in my lower back instead of my glutes?

Your back muscles are meant to work in a hip thrust; in one study they worked as hard as in a deadlift. Feeling it more in your back than your glutes often means you're arching to finish the rep or your feet are too far away, so stop at a straight line with your ribs down and move your feet until your shins are vertical.

How do I avoid lower back pain on hip thrusts?

Ribs down and a straight line at the top, shins about vertical, the bench edge just below your shoulder blades, a thick pad, and a load you can lower under control. The floor glute bridge is a good swap while it's sore.

Are hip thrusts bad for your back?

No study shows they are, but they aren't back-free: in one lab study the load at the base of the spine matched a deadlift's at the same effort. Heavy sets, arching and too much too soon are the usual problems.

Can I do hip thrusts with lower back pain?

Usually yes, changed: bridges are part of NHS back programmes. Start with the floor bridge in a short range, keep pain at 5 out of 10 or less and no worse the next morning, and bring the bar back gradually.

What bench height is best for hip thrusts?

About knee height or a little lower, with the edge just below your shoulder blades. No study has tested bench height for back pain; one lab used a 36 cm box.

Should I tuck my pelvis at the top?

A small tuck is fine, and it shifted work towards the glutes in a bridge study. You don't need to force it; the aim is to stop your lower back arching.

Why do hip thrusts hurt my hip bones, or make my thigh go numb?

The bar presses on the bony points at the front of your pelvis, so use a thick pad and roll the bar into the crease of your hips. Burning or numbness on the outside of the thigh can be a squeezed skin nerve, which usually settles once the pressure is off; weakness, or numbness that spreads down the leg, needs checking.

Can I do hip thrusts with a herniated disc or sciatica?

Often, in a range that doesn't send pain further down your leg, but follow the sciatica and disc guides first. The NHS says moving with sciatica isn't harmful even if it hurts, and that the type of exercise matters less than whether it makes your pain worse.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not: NICE says don't routinely image back pain, and disc changes are common in people without pain. A teenager whose back hurts more arching backwards for more than a couple of weeks needs checking.

How long until I can hip thrust heavy again?

No one can promise a date. New back pain improves most in the first 6 weeks, and many people keep doing bridges throughout and bring the bar back over a few weeks.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 for numbness around your genitals or bottom, new bladder or bowel problems or symptoms in both legs, and get a same-day check for back pain with a fever, after a fall or with a leg that's getting weaker. See a GP if it isn't better after a few weeks; in the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.