58: Exercise Crazes - The Barbell Hip Thrust & More with Bill DeSimone

Biomechanics expert Bill DeSimone is back by popular demand for the 3rd time! In this episode, a deep look and discussion into the latest internet sensation—the barbell hip-thrust and related movements. What is a barbell hip-thrust? What are the benefits? Does it work as advertised? Is it worth the risk?

DeSimone, together with Adam and Mike go on to offer critical insight into potentially better alternatives, answer the most commonly asked questions, and moreover, remind us that not all exercises are created equal and each needs to be analyzed objectively for safety and efficacy. Listen and learn how we set apart the popular exercise crazes from those worth doing

BodyBuilding.com – Barbell Hip Thrust

https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/barbell-hip-thrust

Bill DeSimone Website

Optimalexercisenj.com

Bill DeSimone - Congruent Exercise

https://www.facebook.com/CongruentExercise

Adam Zickerman – Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution:

http://bit.ly/ThePowerofTen

For a FREE 20-Minute strength training full-body workout & to find a location nearest you:

http://bit.ly/Podcast_FreeWorkout

Inform_DeSimone 1_May 23 Transcript

Arlene [00:00:01] The Inform Fitness podcast with Adam Zickerman and co-host Mike Rogers is a presentation of informed fitness studios a small family of personal training facilities specializing in safe efficient high intensity strength training. On our bi monthly podcast Adam and Mike discuss the latest findings in the areas of exercise nutrition and recovery with leading experts and scientists. We aim to debunk the popular misconceptions and the urban myths that are so prevalent in the fields of health and fitness. And to replace those sacred cows with scientific based up to the minute information on a variety of subjects. We'll cover exercise protocols and techniques nutrition sleep recovery the role of genetics in the response to exercise and much more. 

Adam [00:00:53] Greetings everybody. This is Adam Zickerman. Just wanted to let you know that we're going to be talking about for this episode an exercise called the barbell hip thrust and we're also going to be talking about related exercises such as the glute bridge. If you're not familiar with these exercises I recommend you going to our show notes and clicking on the link there to see what these exercises look like. You'll have a better idea of what we're talking about as we discuss this. Enjoy the show and thanks for listening. 

Arlene [00:01:31] On this episode the barbell hip thrust and other exercise crazes. We welcome back biomechanics expert Bill DeSimone. 

Bill [00:01:41]  People's glutes burn and they get pumped up and clients may find that gratifying and you feel muscle get pumped. And again as a trainer with experience sometimes you do want to do something that registers on the client whether it has a kind of long term result or not because really the secret to a good butt is to be born with it then have the trainer take credit for it that's really the secret. 

Adam [00:02:04] Bill DeSimone is a personal trainer specializing in joint friendly fitness as he likes to say he has over 30 years experience. Is a A certified health coach an orthopedic exercise specialist and he has his own studio called Optimal Exercise in Cranberry New Jersey. Where is that? His book  Congruent Exercise which is basically my Bible subtitled How to make weight training easier on your joints is available in print and on Kindle. Joint friendly fitness emphasizes protecting your joints and spine as you get into shape and it applies material from anatomy biomechanics and rehabilitation to fitness goals. The result is you get more fit toned and flexible without the injuries associated with the more extreme approaches. 

 [00:02:51] Now Bill and I go back quite a while. How many years I don't know anymore. And I have to say and you know I don't really kiss your butt too often. But I have to say you really have changed my whole approach to exercise. When I read your material for the first time I mean I always knew that exercise had to think about safety but you really gave me the ins and outs of that. It wasn't just surface talk it was it was deep learning on on biomechanics that that I. I cannot look at a machine now without those numbers going through my head and levers and and strength curves. It's great. And the best part about is you've broken it down for somebody that doesn't have a degree in mechanical mechanics mechanical engineering and you able to just have the typical layperson actually understand this stuff. So kudos to you and that's why I have you on the show. 

Mike [00:03:49] All the trainers feel that way and like not to kiss your butt also, Bill...  We always learn something from you every time we have a conversation. I was very happy to have you back. 

Bill [00:04:02] Well thanks. So injuring myself didn't go for nothing. 

Adam [00:04:05] Exactly. So today we're gonna talk about something that's a kind of a pet peeve of yours and you actually asked me to talk about this with you. So I'm all for it because it's true. And what we're gonna be talking about is the barbell hip thrust or. And also glute bridges and something called a machine based glute bridge called the glute drive station. I think by Nautilus and companies is like that. So we're talking about the efficacy of basically glute bridges what they do for you. The barbell hip thrust so apparently the last dozen or so years the barbell hip thrust has become an Internet favorite. You have videos of attractive young ladies in skin tight clothes thrusting a barbell and it's really almost become a cliche on an Instagram more recently right Bill the Hollywood superheroes and really you see a lot of these barbell thrusts being done by NFL players. So let me ask you a question are we as trainers. In facilities such as ours where safety is of utmost importance though are we shortchanging our clients by not jumping on or shall I say thrusting on the bandwagon. Are we as trains passing of a passing up on some magical benefits by not you know dry humping a barbell. 

Bill [00:05:29] So the short answer is no we're not missing anything. Okay. And what what set me off was a video of the Nautilus glute drive station which apparently came out in the spring of last year. Popped up on my LinkedIn feed and I saw all the fawning comments about it. I kind of snapped. So if you're determined to do this exercise the glute drive station is marginally safer than using a barbell for it. 

Adam [00:06:03] All right. First of all I want to describe what a barbell hip thrust actually is and what it's for. 

Bill [00:06:09] Well so what it looks like is the exerciser has a shoulder blades on a bench. Their feet are on the floor with the knees and their hips bent. And there's a barbell lying across the ...