Glutes exercise

Smith Machine Hip Thrust

Hip extension for glutes, with a short pause at the top. The guided bar keeps a fixed path.

How to do the Smith Machine Hip Thrust

4 steps, in the order you do them.

Rest your upper back on a bench and place the Smith bar over your hips with your feet planted firmly.
Extend your hips, squeezing your glutes, without arching your lower back.
Lower slowly to the starting position and repeat.
Repeat at a controlled pace without using momentum.

What goes wrong most often when you do the Smith Machine Hip Thrust, and how to fix it.

The bench sits far from the bar and the guide pushes your hips toward your feet.
Position the bench so the bar sits right over your hips when you're at the bottom; test it unloaded first.
You don't set the safety stops and the bar can end up resting on you.
Set the stops just below your lowest point so the bar rests on them if you need to let go.
On the way up, your back slides along the bench and the support changes.
Plant your shoulder blades on the edge of the bench and let your torso pivot on that point without sliding.