Single-Leg Hip Thrust with 5-sec Peak Hold

strengthenhipactiveisometricfront-splits

Content last reviewed: 2026-07-10

Single-Leg Hip Thrust with 5-sec Peak Hold — start/setup and end/loaded positions — Left: start / setup position. Right: end / loaded position.

How to do it

Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench.
Plant one foot flat on the floor.
Lift the opposite leg so the hip and knee are bent.
Brace your core and drive through the planted heel.
Lift your hips until your torso and planted-side thigh form a straight line.
Hold the top position for 5 seconds.
Lower slowly and repeat.

Form cues

Push through the heel, not the toes
Keep the ribs down and avoid over-arching the lower back
Squeeze the glute hard at the top
Keep the pelvis level; do not let one hip drop
Chin slightly tucked, eyes forward

Dosage

3 × 10 reps per side

Frequency: 2–3×/week
Volume: 2–4 sets × 6–10 reps per side
Hold: 5 s at the top of each rep.

Muscles worked

gluteus maximus — anatomical illustration — gluteus maximusAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

gluteus medius — anatomical illustration — gluteus mediusAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

hamstrings — anatomical illustration — hamstringsAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

hip adductors — anatomical illustration — hip adductorsAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

core stabilizers — anatomical illustration — core stabilizersAnatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Strengthens: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hamstrings, hip adductors, core stabilizers

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