First, what is the hip thrust? The hip thrust is a modified bridge exercise that targets the glutes – your butt. While it’s possible to do the exercise without the aid of the machine, or even weights for beginners, the machine is by far the best way to go for the following reasons:
Safety
Unlike doing this exercise on your own, using the machine ensures you won’t get injured. Your body is supported and padded. This means no slipping off the couch or whatever else you’re using to put your shoulders on and thus pulling a muscle, straining your neck or hitting your booty on the floor jarring your spine. You also don’t have to worry about stabilizing the weight you’re using; the machine does that for you. This means you can focus more on your form and the number of repetitions you can do at one time without interruption.
Range of Motion
Doing the hip thrust by yourself limits your range of motion because you have to worry about the stability and support of your body and the weight you’re using. With the hip thrust machine these concerns are moot because it stabilizes the weights and supports you at the same time. The machine as well allows you to use a wider range of motion thus stretching your muscles more than you could on your own. This means not only do your glutes get a full workout but also your hamstrings and lower back muscles.
Comfort and Peace of Mind
It’s not comfortable bracing your shoulders on a couch or bench and your feet on the floor with your arms either at your sides with hands resting on hips or across your chest. You have to worry about slipping or falling because the couch/bench moved or your feet slid on the floor because of your weight. You also have to worry about the weights you’re using unbalancing and hurting you.
The hip thrust machine provides comfort and peace of mind none of those things will happen. The shoulder support and lap bar are padded. The footrest is secured in place and is textured to minimize slippage. Weights are stacked by your feet out of the way so you can’t accidentally drop them on yourself or your trainer.
In conclusion, using the hip thrust machine is by far the better, safer and much more comfortable choice when you want to exercise using the hip thrust. Gyms all over are providing their members with a wide variety of machines from the Smith Machine to the Booty Builder, and trainers are recommending the hip thrust machines for the best workout you can get from this very popular and useful exercise.
