The hip thrust builds strong glutes only when the hips do the work. Most people turn it into a back extension or a quad press, so set the bench and your feet first and the thrust takes care of itself. Work through the positions below in order, on every set.
Set the bench and your back
Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench or box roughly knee height. Your shoulder blades should rest on the pad, chin tucked so you look forward and slightly down through the whole rep. That tucked chin keeps your ribs down and stops the lower back from taking over.
Shuffle until the bench edge sits just below your shoulder blades. If the bench slides, brace it against a wall or rack; a set done on a moving bench teaches nothing but balance.
Place your feet and load the hips
Plant both feet flat on the floor, roughly hip-width apart, shins close to vertical at the top. Roll the bar over your hips and pad it well — a thick bar pad or folded mat makes heavy sets tolerable. Hold the bar in place with your hands so it cannot roll toward your knees.
Before the first rep, squeeze your glutes lightly and tilt your pelvis slightly under. That posterior tilt is your locked trunk for the set: ribs down, abs braced, back flat.
Drive up through your heels
Push your whole foot into the floor — think heels — and drive your hips straight up until your body forms a line from shoulders to knees. Exhale as you pass the hardest part and squeeze your glutes hard for a full second at the top, knees tracking over your toes.
Do not overshoot. If your ribs flare and your lower back arches at lockout, the weight went past your glutes and into your spine; stop the hips where the squeeze peaks, not where the bar stops.
Lower with control and repeat
Lower your hips over about two seconds until your glutes hover just above the floor. Keep the chin tucked and the tension on — no resting between reps, no bouncing off the ground. Touch down lightly and drive straight back up.
Keep your feet still for the whole set. If your heels lift or your feet slide forward, stop, reset your stance, and continue; chasing a drifting foot position turns every rep into a different exercise.
Fix the mistakes and progress
Back arching, feet too far forward, and rushing the lockout are the big three faults. Tuck the chin, bring the feet back until the shins are vertical at the top, and pause a full second on every rep, and the weight you temporarily lose will come back with better leverage.
Film a set from the side now and then; the angle reveals rib flare you cannot feel. Master bodyweight reps first, then add load in small jumps. Log bench height, foot width, and how your glutes felt in Bulky so every session starts from data, not memory.