How Do I Keep My Bench From Sliding During Hip Thrusts? (Solved!)

What can you do to prevent the bench from slipping while performing hip thrusts, which might just be the ultimate glute exercise?

Let’s face facts, as great an exercise as they are, hip thrusts can be extremely awkward.

This is especially true when it comes to getting yourself into the right position.

However, this is typically made worse by a moving bench.

So, allow me to explain how you can stop the bench from sliding whenever you perform hip thrusts.

How Do I Keep My Bench From Sliding During Hip Thrusts?

The easiest way to stop the bench from sliding during hip thrusts is to brace it from behind with something. You could either place the bench against a wall or stick a couple of 45lbs weight plates behind the bench. With that being said, you could actually be too short to use a bench for hip thrusts, so you would be better off using a smaller plyo box. However, resting your back against a decline bench is the perfect solution for all lifters.

Weight Plates or a Wall Will Stop the Bench From Sliding

The most obvious solution to stop the bench from sliding during hip thrusts is to place something behind it in order to brace the bench.

The easiest way to do this is to place the bench against a wall.

Admittedly, this may not be an option in your gym, so you could also place a couple of 45lbs behind the bench.

In the vast majority of cases this should be enough to ensure the bench doesn’t slide about.

With that being said, even once you braced the bench you may still find that the bench simply won’t stay still.

One of the main reasons for this is that you haven’t got a consistent point of contact with the bench.

In effect, your upper body moves with every single rep.

Plus, this is generally made worse if you’re sweaty.

Furthermore, as you progress through your set you may find that you’re pushing back even harder to provide yourself with some leverage.

And of course, regardless of whether you’ve braced the bench or not, this additional pushing will often see the bench tip.

I will also say that sometimes it can be difficult to hold the barbell in a way that your arms and elbows are in a comfortable position.

Once more this can lead to excessive pushing or simply having to squirm about on the bench with every single rep.

So, while bracing the back of the bench will work in the vast majority of cases, this isn’t always the case.

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Use a Plyo Box Instead of a Bench

Something else to consider if the bench is sliding about during hip thrusts is your height.

In essence, we all typically use the same bench when performing hip thrusts, irrespective of how tall we are.

So, someone who’s 6ft 6in will still use the same bench as someone who’s 5ft 2in.

However, it’s quite easy to see where this can cause problems.

If you find that the bench is still sliding even when it’s braced, this could be a sign that you’re too short to hip thrust from a standard-sized bench.

You can usually tell if the bench is the right height for you by where your shoulders are when you sit on the floor.

If you find that the bench is high up on your shoulders you’re going to struggle performing hip thrusts, while also keeping the bench still.

Personally, not being the tallest person in the world, I know this is an issue for me.

If you find that this is also the case for you then you’ll need to find something else to support your back during hip thrusts.

One option would be to use a plyo box to support your upper back.

Most gyms should have a selection of plyo boxes, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

However, don’t forget that a plyo box is much lighter than a bench, so you will be required to brace the box from behind as well.

Once again, you could place the box against a wall or put a few weight plates behind it.

I would suggest that you place a few more weight plates behind the box than you would for a bench.

With that being said, if you find the perfect box height you’ll generally find that it will remain still throughout your set.

I would also advise that you concentrate much more on the hip hinge movement while performing your hip thrusts.

There is a tendency to push back when performing hip thrusts, especially if the weight is too heavy or you’re nearing the end of a set.

Personally, I prefer using lighter weight for higher reps and really concentrating on hitting the perfect hip hinge.

Do Hip Thrusts on a Decline Bench

The perfect solution for sliding benches during hip thrusts is to do them against a decline bench.

In fact, this is something that everyone can do, no matter how tall or short they are.

There are a number of ways you can go about this.

Firstly, many gyms have decline benches already set up, whether for bench pressing or decline sit ups/crunches.

This provides you with the perfect opportunity to set a barbell up in front of the bench and then hit your hip thrusts.

You can of course just use a standard bench, as long as it allows you to put it into a decline position.

Now unfortunately, many gym benches only allow you to create an incline, which doesn’t really solve the issue.

Basically, the seat will be in the way of where you’d like to place your back.

If this is the case, you could place the seated end of the bench onto an aerobic step or even a plyo box.

In effect, by raising the seated end of an incline bench you will have converted it into a decline bench.

You should also find that this supports your back perfectly during hip thrusts.

Plus, as most standard gym benches are between 15-19 inches wide, you’ll have plenty of room to comfortably place your arms and elbows.

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Final Thoughts

So, as you can see, there are a number of ways to keep the bench from sliding during hip thrusts.

The easiest option is to simply place the bench against a wall.

If you don’t have this option in your gym you can brace the back of the bench with some 45lbs plates.

However, this may not always stop the bench from actually moving.

This is especially true if you’re too short for the bench.

You’ll be able to determine this if the back of the bench is in line with the top of your shoulders when you’re seated on the floor.

If this is the case then you could try using a plyo box to support your upper back during hip thrusts.

The best solution would be to actually hip thrust against a decline bench.

Most lifters can achieve the perfect hip thrusting position, regardless of their height.

The hip thrust may be viewed as the greatest glute exercise there is, but you’ll always need something extra in order to produce a fantastic butt. There just so happens to be a 4-week glute-focused workout program that will introduce you to a total of 36 fantastic glute exercises. So, if you want a stronger, firmer, and rounder butt check out my review of the Unlock Your Glutes workout program.