The Dumbbell Heels Elevated Hip Thrust is a beginner-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the glutes. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesGlutes
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Dumbbell Heels Elevated Hip Thrust
Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and a dumbbell ready to load across the hips.
Place both heels on a low plate or step about hip-width apart, with the toes lifted off the platform.
Roll the dumbbell into the hip crease and steady it with both hands throughout the set.
Drive through the heels to lift the hips up until the torso and thighs form one straight line at the top.
Squeeze the glutes hard at the top with the ribs down and the chin lightly tucked toward the chest.
Lower the hips under control until they hover just above the floor, then drive back up for the next rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds glute size and strength through a deeper hip range.
Shifts work off the quads and onto the glutes through the heel position.
Trains hip extension power for sprinting, jumping, and lifting.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Pushing through the toes instead of the heels, which shifts the work off the glutes onto the quads.
Hyperextending the lower back at the top instead of finishing with a clean glute squeeze.
Cutting the range short and never letting the hips fully extend at the top of the rep.
Letting the knees cave inward at lockout, which reduces glute drive and stresses the joints.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Heels Elevated Hip Thrust, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
