You've heard it before: Don't make eye contact with anyone when using the abductor machine or doing the hip thrust. It's just... awkward.
Well, here's another glute exercise where you might want to limit eye contact. It might come across a little "suggestive" but the kneeling thrust is a great high-rep backside builder.
You'll need a high-strength resistance band for this one, or double up some lighter ones. Attach your band to the bottom of a rack or anything that's sturdy. Use a pad for your knees. Set the bench as far away as you need, depending on your band length and resistance.
Once you're in position, the execution is like a barbell hip thrust, but you'll be kneeling. You'll be driving your knees down into the pad while pulling down on the bench – a little like a straight-arm pulldown.
The pulling-down part works twofold, both to offer support in front and to engage your anterior core. This affects what happens at your hips and further enhances the glute contraction. The bench assists somewhat.
The support from the bench also encourages more of a bowing (hinging) movement. Additionally, you seem to get more "cock up" (posterior pelvic tilt) when there's something to aim for... another reason to limit eye contact.
Because band tension increases as it's stretched, using a strong resistance band will help load your glutes in their fully shortened position.
Here's another way to do them with a band set inside a power rack:
The benefits are the same, but this setup will allow you to double up your resistance band and get more load through your hips. Being positioned like this in a rack might provide you with more support. Where there's more support, there's more output.
One final way to perform this glute exercise is with a set of cables and a dipping belt:
The advantage of using the cable is in the constant load throughout the movement (as opposed to a band where the load is varied). There are merits to both forms of resistance, as well as drawbacks.
If you've already got a monster-strong ass, the heaviest band available might not suffice. Using a dipping belt in the cables might be more uncomfortable or limit range of motion on the way back (if the belt is too thick). Experiment with different setups and see which one feels best.
High reps work best. Do 2-3 sets of 20-30 reps for an intense butt pump towards the backend of your workout. It's no replacement for the big-daddy, barbell hip thrust, but it's a great accompaniment.
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