Arching the lower back at the top
Finish with a slight posterior pelvic tilt and ribs down so the glutes, not the spine, complete the lockout.
Isolation · Machine
Glute Drive Machine
The glute drive machine is a plate- or stack-loaded hip thrust: you lean back on a pad, a belt or pad sits across your hips, and you drive them up. It loads the glutes heavily without setting up a barbell, and suits anyone wanting a simple, stable hip thrust.
- Primary
- Glutes
- Secondary
- Hamstrings
- Starting rep range
- 10–15 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 10 kg / one stack step
Muscles worked
The glutes extend the hip and are most loaded near the top of the movement. The hamstrings assist with hip extension; feet farther out increases their contribution, while feet closer keeps the glutes in focus.
How to set up
- Sit on the seat with your upper back against the back pad, around your shoulder blades.
- Position the hip belt or pad across your hip crease, not your stomach.
- Place your feet flat, about hip-width, so your shins are vertical at the top.
- Hold the handles and tuck your chin slightly.
How to do each rep
- Drive through your heels and push your hips up until your torso and thighs form a straight line.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top for a second without arching your lower back.
- Lower under control until your hips drop a few inches below the start of tension.
- Keep your ribs down and gaze forward to avoid overextending.
Common glute drive machine mistakes
Feet too far out
Bring your feet in until shins are vertical at the top if you mostly feel your hamstrings.
Bouncing reps
Pause briefly at the top and control the lowering instead of rebounding off the bottom.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the glute drive machine at 10–15 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Work up in an 8-15 rep range, adding plates once you can hold a clean top squeeze on every rep. Heavier loads are fine as long as the lockout stays crisp.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Glute Drive Machine alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Is the glute drive machine as good as a barbell hip thrust?
For glute development it does the same job and is faster to set up and more comfortable on the hips. The barbell version is more portable and easier to load very heavily in some gyms.
Why do I feel the glute drive in my hamstrings or back?
Hamstrings usually mean your feet are too far out; back means you are arching at the top. Adjust foot position and finish with ribs down.