Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Single-Leg Hip Thrust

The single-leg hip thrust is a bench-supported hip thrust driven by one leg while the other is held in the air. It trains the glute of the working leg through full hip extension and adds a side-to-side pelvic control demand for the gluteus medius.

Also called: SL Hip Thrust, One-Leg Hip Thrust, Single-Leg Bench Hip Thrust, Unilateral Hip Thrust · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: hinge

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How to do it

Step by step

Sit on the floor with your upper back against the long edge of a bench, the edge just below your shoulder blades.
Plant your working foot flat near the midline, close enough that your shin will be vertical at the top. Lift the other foot and hold that knee bent in the air.
Brace your trunk, tuck your chin slightly and keep your ribs down.
Drive through the heel of the working foot and push your hips up until your torso is level with the bench and your hip is fully straight.
At the top, squeeze the glute and tuck your pelvis slightly under, keeping both hips at the same height.
Bring your hips back down under control until your bottom is just above the floor, then drive up again.
Finish all reps on one side, then switch legs.

Coaching cues

Hips level, both sides at the same height
Drive through the heel
Shin vertical at the top
Ribs down, tuck the pelvis at lockout
Chin tucked, eyes forward

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

Muscle	Role	Evidence
Gluteus maximus: lower	Prime mover	C
Gluteus maximus: upper	Prime mover	C
Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head)	Secondary	C
Adductor magnus	Secondary	D
Gluteus medius/minimus	Stabiliser	C
Erector spinae	Stabiliser	D

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Pelvis dropping towards the free leg

Fix: Keep both hip bones level and rise only as high as you can hold them square.

Arching the back at the top

Fix: Keep your ribs down and tuck your pelvis slightly under at lockout.

Hamstring cramping

Fix: Walk your working foot closer to your hips so the knee bends further at the top.

Pushing through the toes

Fix: Keep the whole foot planted and push through your heel.

Short range at the top

Fix: Drive up until your torso is level with the bench and hold for a moment.

Programming

What the research says

Rehab & prehab · first choiceMuscle growthGeneral fitnessSport performanceEndurance

Glute growth — A meta-analysis of hip-extension training found a moderate gain in glute size, and identified single-joint exercises such as the hip thrust as the pick when the goal is glute emphasis over other muscles.
Hip thrust vs squat — In a 9-week trial of untrained adults, barbell hip thrusts and back squats produced similar growth in all three measured regions of the glute.
Muscle activity — An EMG study of the single-leg bridge found high glute max and glute medius activity, and bending the working knee further cut hamstring activity by about two-thirds while glute activity held. Activity is not the same as growth.
Load and effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. Many lifters run bodyweight single-leg thrusts to higher reps or add a dumbbell across the working hip.
Pausing at the top — A one-second hold at lockout is common practice. There is no direct research comparing paused and unpaused hip thrusts.

Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the single-leg hip thrust in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.

General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.