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Kate Upton’s followers on Instagram know it she is serious when it comes to working out. The supermodel has shared all kinds of physical feats on the social media platform, often posting gym workout videos with his trainer Ben Bruno. More recent, Bruno shared a clip of Upton smashing through a series of eccentric single-leg hip thrusts, despite facing the adorable distractions of her dog, Norman.
In the video, Upton demonstrates what Bruno called “one of the best glute exercises you’ve ever tried” using a barbell with weights designed to look like donuts and pizza. Watch the video of Bruno from Upton smashing this glute-building move with Norman by his side below, then find out how to complete the exercise yourself at home.
How to do a single leg hip thrust
A. Start in a seated position with your upper back against the edge of an exercise bench, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor together.
b. Support the bar on your hips with a pad in the middle to act as a cushion.
c. Press through your feet to lift your hips until they’re roughly parallel to the floor. Squeeze your glutes at the top and brace your core to avoid arching your lower back.
d Raise one foot off the ground with a slight bend in the knee. Pause.
ME. Keeping your foot raised, slowly lower your hips back to the starting position, taking 2-3 seconds to lower with control.
Do 6 reps on one side, then repeat on the other side
To better understand why this glute exercise is so powerful, you’ll want to know the difference between the eccentric and concentric portions of an exercise. The eccentric portion of an exercise focuses on lengthening the working muscles, but this often requires resisting gravity (as Upton shows by slowly lowering the bar to the floor instead of slamming it down). “Eccentric contractions can also literally cause muscle fibers to grow, making the muscle physically longer,” Ally McKinney, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer at Gold’s Gym and GOLD AMP trainer previously said Way.
This differs from the isometric and concentric portions (the other types of movement that make up all strength training exercises). The isometric part of an exercise involves standing still or pausing mid-motion to fully engage your muscles. Think: high planks, wall squats, suspended pull-up bar. Finally, the concentric portion of an exercise focuses on contracting the muscles, like the upward motion of a bicep curl or squat.
While Upton takes things up a notch with single-leg reps, all variations of hip thrusts have great benefits. In addition to the obvious advantage of strengthening the gluteal muscles, they also target the hamstrings and recruit the core. Additionally, hip thrusts help improve hip mobility as they require a wide range of motion. “Start by working on the weightless hip thrust range of motion. Get comfortable there. Then add weight, this will help you build strength within the newfound range of motion,” Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, Founder of motion vaulta mobility and functional movement program previously said Way.
Whether you’re planning to try this single leg hip thrust or just want to be inspired by Upton’s fun fitness vibes, everyone will be laughing as Norman tries to get into action in the second video of the Instagram carousel. . Enjoy!
