2nd Trimester Prenatal Hip Thrust Modification Tips
The hip thrust is a great lower body strengthening exercise, particularly of the glutes.
The hip thrust could be compared to the bench press, as there are three points of contact: both feet and the back.
This makes this movement more stable and easier to lift heavy than the squat or deadlift, which both only have two points of contact: each foot.
We can still hip thrust throughout pregnancy, but we may need to modify the movement to create space for the belly.
The two main places we may experience discomfort is at the bottom fo the movement, where there is limited hip flexion. This causes the belly to push into the bar. And we may experience discomfort with the bar against the belly. Let’s break down a few ways to modify the hip thrust for pregnancy, particularly in the second trimester.
Our 40-week prenatal strength program incorporates modifications for each trimester based on our experience working with in-person prenatal fitness clients. Our programming syncs to your current week of pregnancy, so you can start it at any time! If you are 26 weeks, you’ll start at week 26 of our program. We offer one-time payment options (maintain lifetime of the program access to use for future pregnancies) and also monthly payment options (pay only for the months you need).
1. Add More Padding: Create More Space for Belly at the Bar
One of the places we may experience discomfort while hip thrusting is the belly pushing against the bar. One method is to add more padding!
We can use Fat Gripz, or two firm pads, under our hip thrust pad. This will create a small pocket of space between the Fat Gripz that the bottom edge of your belly can fit comfortably!
In this image and our Instagram reel, we are using the largest size Fat Gripz.
I tried this out at during at 20-weeks pregnant for my hip thrust workout, and it felt great!! Highly recommend it.
2. Elevate the Bar: Decrease Bottom Range of Motion to Create Space
Next, we can elevate the bar to decrease the bottom range of motion. At the bottom of the hip thrust, the thighs are closer to the belly due to hip flexion.
Once our belly starts to grow, our belly will reach between our thighs when we are in hip flexion. This becomes a problem, or really uncomfortable when we put a metal bar through the middle of this path. Look at the images below to see the comparison of hip angle and see how much more space there is for my belly!
The best way to modify the hip thrust for pregnancy in the second trimester is to elevate the bar! You can use blocks like we are in the images, or you can use bumper plates!
Prenatal Hip Thrust Modifications
We can still lift throughout pregnancy, and we can still hip thrust! But we may need to modify to accommodate for our belly while hip thrusting!
Try these modifications for hip thrust out and see if it helps you maintain your glute gains!