Can You Do Barbell Hip Thrusts While Pregnant

 

Intro

Barbell hip thrusts while pregnant is a controversial topic that requires careful consideration. For those looking to improve their core strength, hip mobility and glute strength during pregnancy, barbell hip thrusts may be a great option. However, there are several dos and don’ts that must be taken into account when determining how to do barbell hip thrusts safely while pregnant. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of barbell hip thrusts while pregnant and provide an overview of the dos and don’ts that should be followed.

Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy

Being active in pregnancy has many benefits for both mother and the baby. Engaging in regular workouts during pregnancy can help maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, improve mood and mental well-being, boost energy levels, promote better sleep, and strengthen muscles to support the body as it changes throughout pregnancy.

While there are certain exercises that may be off-limits during pregnancy, such as high-impact activities or those with a risk of falling, barbell hip thrusts can be safely incorporated into a pregnancy fitness routine with some modifications. These exercises target the glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles, which are important for maintaining strength and stability as the belly grows.

When performing barbell hip thrusts while pregnant, it is crucial to use lighter weights and focus on maintaining proper form and technique. It is also advisable to consult with a healthcare provider or a certified prenatal fitness specialist before starting any new exercise regimen during pregnancy.

Common Concerns and Misconceptions About Exercising During Pregnancy

When it comes to exercising during pregnancy, many women have concerns and misconceptions. One common concern is whether it is safe to perform barbell hip thrusts while pregnant. Some may worry that the weight and intensity of this exercise could harm the baby or put too much strain on the pelvic floor muscles.

However, it is important to note that exercise during pregnancy can have numerous benefits for both the mother and the baby. Regular physical activity can help to improve mood, boost energy levels, manage weight gain, and promote overall health and well-being. It can also help to prepare the body for labor and childbirth.

While there are certain exercises and activities that should be avoided during pregnancy, barbell hip thrusts can generally be safe and beneficial when performed with proper form and technique. It is important to consult with a healthcare provider or a qualified prenatal fitness specialist before starting any exercise program during pregnancy.

Tips for Safe and Effective Barbell Hip Thrusts During Pregnancy

Today we're going to be going over proper execution of the barbell hip thrust. The barbell hip thrust is a nice exercise for make the glutes. It allows you to overload them safely. Unlike some other lower body movements like squats and deadlifts, which present some more inherent risk, it has a relatively easy setup and a lot of really simple, easy to follow. Cues set up for this movement is everything. If you don't do it correctly, you might feel it in your quads a little bit, possibly even in the hamstrings. But if you set up right from the get go, you're going to feel it immediately in the glutes. The first thing you're going to need is a bench and a barbell. You want to rest your upper back across the bench like so making sure that you have some stability. If you're too far forward, you might end up actually pushing the bench out from behind you. But if you set up right on it nice and secure, you'll be okay. A good cue is to make sure that the scapula or the shoulder blades right here are making contact with the bench. From there, we need to get the bar over the pelvis. This can be an issue for some people, especially if you have a bony hips so you can get a bar pad or even use a towel over this portion of the bar to make sure that you don't get too much abrasion on the hip bone. Once you get the bar into position in the back into position, the last thing is the feet and shins. So I like to have my feet about in line with my shoulders, but it's unique for each person. So you're going to have to play around with this a little bit to make sure that you really feel your glutes. But the Shins will stay vertical for everybody If the Shins start going forward and back, that's when you're going to start to feel your quads and your hamstrings, like I mentioned earlier, and that completely ruins the exercise. So once you get into position here, you need to support the barbell with your hands to make sure that obviously it doesn't go off to the side, get vertical shins, make sure that you tuck the chin. We don't want to be here or we're going to put too much excessive stress on the spine. We want to posteriorly tilt the pelvis or tuck the tailbone, which maximally contracts the glutes and keeping vertical shins slowly move through. That range of motion. I like to keep my eyes downward when I do this.  my chin tucked and posteriorly tilting the pelvis. Squeezing for 1 to 2 seconds at the top while you do the movement to make sure that the glutes get optimal time under tension. You don't want to go too quick or you'll lose a lot of that benefit. of motion for the hip thrust is critical and it's going to depend on a few things. The height of your body, the length of your femurs and shins, the height of the bench you're using. If you're using a bench at all, this can be done from the floor. The size barbell, you're using the size plates, right? The big thing here is you've got to play with it. You've got to kind of make it your own. The principles are all the same, right? We want vertical shins. We want to squeeze our glutes. We want to make sure we keep our chin tucked and our pelvis tucked so we can protect our spine. But you're going to have to play around with setup because nobody's the same. The principles apply the same, but everybody's setup is going to be unique. Common Mistakes. I see a lot of people make range quite a bit. One of the big ones is maybe they're feeling it too much in their quad, right? If you're feeling the exercise too much in the quad and not the glute, you need to look at the angle of your shin. Your shin should be straight up and down the entire movement. If it starts to get too forward or backward, you're going to start to feel things like the quad or the hamstring. You're going to take it away from the glutes. Another issue is foot placement. Again, you're going to have to play with that, depending on how tall you are, even what type of footwear you're wearing on that given day. If you're wearing a padded shoe versus like a converse, you might need to adjust your foot placement so that you can drive through your feet more optimally to target your glute and get the pelvic bone into posterior pelvic tilt and max out the glute contraction.