What Can I Do Instead of Hip Thrusts If the Gym Is Busy and I'm in a Hurry

The 3 Hip Thrust Swaps That Save Your Glute Day

When you're wondering what can I do instead of hip thrusts if the gym is busy and I'm in a hurry, the answer is a single-leg dumbbell hip thrust for 3 sets of 10-15 reps per side. It requires just one dumbbell and a bench, takes seconds to set up, and is often more effective for pure glute isolation than a heavy barbell. You've been there: it's leg day, you're motivated, but every single barbell, squat rack, and bench is taken by someone who seems to have set up camp for the next hour. Your plan called for heavy hip thrusts, the king of glute builders, and now you're just standing there, losing momentum and time. The temptation to just do a few half-hearted bodyweight bridges and call it a day is real. Don't do it. That's a wasted opportunity. Instead of waiting for a 10-foot-wide space to clear, you can grab a single dumbbell and get a better glute workout in a 3-foot space. The solution is unilateral training-working one leg at a time. The top three alternatives you can do right now are the Single-Leg Dumbbell Hip Thrust, the Glute-Focused Bulgarian Split Squat, and the Kettlebell Swing. These aren't just 'good enough' substitutes; they are powerful movements that build muscle, fix strength imbalances, and improve stability in ways bilateral (two-leg) hip thrusts can't.

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Why a 50lb Dumbbell Can Outperform a 225lb Barbell

You might think there's no way a 50-pound dumbbell can compete with a 225-pound barbell hip thrust. But the goal isn't just to move the most weight possible; it's to create the most tension possible in your glutes. Unilateral exercises force this to happen. First, they dramatically increase the stability demand. When you're on one leg, your gluteus medius and minimus-the smaller glute muscles responsible for hip stability-have to fire like crazy to keep you from tipping over. A standard barbell hip thrust barely touches these. This means you're building a rounder, more functional glute. Second, the mind-muscle connection is 10 times stronger. It's far easier to concentrate on squeezing one glute as hard as you can than it is to focus on two at once. This focused contraction leads to greater muscle fiber recruitment. And let's talk about the real math. When you do a single-leg thrust with a 50-pound dumbbell, you're not just lifting 50 pounds. You're also lifting about half your body weight with that one leg. For a 150-pound person, that's 50 lbs + ~75 lbs = 125 pounds of effective load on a single glute. Do that for 12 reps, and the stimulus is immense. The best part? The time-to-tension ratio is unbeatable. It takes 5-10 minutes to find a bench, drag it to a rack, find a barbell, load 225 pounds, and find a pad. It takes 30 seconds to grab a 50-pound dumbbell and sit on a bench. More work, less time.

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The 3-Move Protocol for When You Can't Hip Thrust

Here are the exact, actionable steps to take when the hip thrust station is a no-go. Pick one of these movements and treat it as your main glute exercise for the day. Apply the same intensity you would have for your barbell thrusts. Don't treat it like an accessory.

Option 1: The Single-Leg Dumbbell Hip Thrust (The Direct Replacement)

This is your go-to. It mimics the exact movement pattern of a barbell hip thrust but with the benefits of unilateral work.

• How to do it: Sit on the floor with your upper back against a flat bench. Place one foot flat on the floor, knee bent. The other leg should be bent and held in the air. Place a dumbbell across your hips on the working side. Drive through your heel, lifting your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knee. Squeeze your glute hard at the top for 2 seconds before lowering under control.
• Reps and Sets: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps per leg. The last 2-3 reps should be a real struggle.
• Starting Weight: For women, start with a 20-40 lb dumbbell. For men, start with a 40-70 lb dumbbell. The goal is to fail within the target rep range.

Option 2: The Glute-Focused Bulgarian Split Squat (The Deep Stretch)

This move is brutal but incredibly effective. It puts your glute under a deep stretch at the bottom of the movement, which is a powerful trigger for muscle growth.

• How to do it: Stand about 2-3 feet in front of a bench. Place the top of one foot on the bench behind you. Hold dumbbells in each hand. To make it glute-focused, hinge forward at your hips, keeping your chest up but leaning your torso over your front leg. Lower down until your front thigh is parallel to the ground or slightly below. Drive up through your front heel.
• Reps and Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg.
• Starting Weight: Many people should start with just bodyweight to master the form. Once stable, add 10-25 lb dumbbells in each hand.

Option 3: The Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swing (The Power Builder)

If you want to build explosive power and metabolic stress, the swing is your answer. It teaches you to generate force from your hips, the primary function of the glutes.

• How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell (or one end of a dumbbell) with both hands. Hinge at your hips, sending your butt back while keeping your back flat. Let the weight swing between your legs. Then, explosively drive your hips forward, squeezing your glutes hard. The power from your hips should propel the weight up to chest height. This is not a squat or a front raise.
• Reps and Sets: 4 sets of 15-20 reps. Focus on explosive power on every single rep.
• Starting Weight: For women, a 35 lb (16 kg) kettlebell is a great starting point. For men, a 53 lb (24 kg) kettlebell. Choose a weight that feels challenging to control by the final reps.

Week 1 Will Feel Awkward. That's the Point.

When you switch from a stable, two-footed barbell hip thrust to a wobbly, one-legged dumbbell version, it's going to feel strange. Your first week will not be about lifting heavy; it will be about your brain learning a new movement pattern. Expect to feel shaky. Expect your non-working side to feel like it's cramping. This is normal. It's the feeling of your stabilizer muscles waking up for the first time. By week 2, the shakiness will decrease by about 50%. You'll be able to add 5-10 pounds to the dumbbell and focus more on the glute squeeze. By month one, the movement will feel natural. You'll likely be using a dumbbell that's 15-20 pounds heavier than when you started, and you'll feel an intense, isolated pump in your glutes that you may not have felt with the barbell. The soreness will also be different. Instead of a general ache, you'll feel it higher up on your glute shelf (the glute medius). This is a sign you're building a rounder, more developed look. The trade-off is that you won't get the ego boost of loading three plates on a barbell. But the real-world result-stronger, more developed glutes and the ability to get a killer workout in any crowded gym-is worth far more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can These Fully Replace Barbell Hip Thrusts?

Yes. For the goal of glute hypertrophy (muscle growth), unilateral exercises like the single-leg hip thrust and Bulgarian split squat are just as effective, and in some cases superior, due to increased stability demands and range of motion. You don't ever *need* to do a barbell hip thrust to build great glutes.

My Lower Back Hurts During Single-Leg Thrusts

This is almost always caused by hyper-extending your back at the top of the movement instead of using your glutes. Fix it by tucking your chin to your chest and focusing on moving your hips, not arching your back. Stop the movement when your glutes are fully squeezed.

What If I Don't Have a Bench?

You can perform glute bridges on the floor. To make them harder, perform the single-leg version. For an even greater challenge, perform a 'feet-elevated' glute bridge by placing your working foot on a stack of weight plates or a low box. This increases the range of motion significantly.

Are Cable Pull-Throughs a Good Alternative?

Cable pull-throughs are a decent alternative. They keep constant tension on the glutes through the entire range of motion. They are a great 'hinge' pattern exercise. However, they are more difficult to progressively overload over the long term compared to adding weight to a dumbbell.

How Do I Know What Weight to Start With?

Pick a weight you think you can lift for 15 reps. If you can do more than 15, the weight is too light. If you can't complete at least 8 reps with good form, it's too heavy. This is called 'Reps in Reserve' (RIR). Aim for a weight that leaves you with 1-2 RIR.