10 Best Twist Hip Lift Alternatives for Home Workouts
If you can’t do the Twist Hip Lift, use single-leg glute bridges, hip thrusts, clamshells, long-step lunges, or Bulgarian split squats to hit the glutes. Focus on driving through the heel, maintaining a neutral pelvis, and squeezing the glute at the top to preserve hip-extension mechanics and lateral glute activation.
Original Exercise: Twist Hip Lift
How to Perform Twist Hip Lift
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands by your sides for support.
- Engage your glutes and lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- While keeping your hips lifted, twist your lower body to the right side, bringing your knees towards the ground.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the twist to the left side.
- Continue alternating twists for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Twist Hip Lift Alternatives
1. Bench Hip Extension
83.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a bench with your back against the bench and your feet flat on the ground.
- Place your hands on the bench for support.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings, then lift your hips off the bench until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Butt Lift (Bridge)
83.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on the floor on your back with the hands by your side and your knees bent. Your feet should be placed around shoulder width. This will be your starting position.
- Pushing mainly with your heels, lift your hips off the floor while keeping your back straight. Breathe out as you perform this part of the motion and hold at the top for a second.
- Slowly go back to the starting position as you breathe in.
3. Band Hip Lift
79.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Place a resistance band just above your knees.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles.
- Press your heels into the ground and lift your hips off the floor, squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
4. Barbell Glute Bridge
74.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by lying flat on your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Place a barbell across your hips, holding it securely with both hands.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles, then lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your glutes.
- Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
5. Band Bent-over Hip Extension
72.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point at ankle height.
- Stand facing away from the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step back to create tension in the band, keeping your knees slightly bent.
- Hinge at the hips and lean forward, maintaining a neutral spine.
- Extend your right leg straight back, squeezing your glutes at the top.
6. Cable Standing Hip Extension
72.3% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Attach a cable to a low pulley and stand facing away from the machine.
- Place the cable around your ankle and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your core engaged and your back straight throughout the exercise.
- Slowly extend your leg straight back, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
7. Band Pull Through
71.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Attach a resistance band to a sturdy anchor point at ground level.
- Stand facing away from the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step forward to create tension in the band, keeping your knees slightly bent.
- Hinge at the hips and push your glutes back, maintaining a slight bend in your knees.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
8. Barbell Glute Bridge Two Legs On Bench (male)
71.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by sitting on the edge of a bench with your upper back resting against it and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
- Place a barbell across your hips, holding it securely with both hands.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles, then press through your heels to lift your hips off the bench, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your glutes.
- Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
9. Barbell Lying Lifting (on Hip)
71.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on your back on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip and position it on your hips.
- Engaging your glutes, lift your hips off the bench until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Dumbbell Sumo Pull Through
71.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed outwards.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands in front of your body, arms extended.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips down into a squat position, keeping your back straight.
- Lower the dumbbell down between your legs, keeping your arms straight.
- Drive through your heels and extend your hips forward, pulling the dumbbell up and in front of your body.
Why You Might Need a Twist Hip Lift Alternative
People substitute the Twist Hip Lift for pain, mobility limits, lack of progressions, or equipment needs. A replacement lets you keep the same glute emphasis while changing load, stability, or range of motion. For example, a hip thrust adds axial load to increase gluteus maximus recruitment, while clamshells bias the gluteus medius for lateral stability. Prioritize movements that preserve hip extension and horizontal abduction mechanics. Cue: brace your core, keep the pelvis neutral, and squeeze the glute at peak contraction to avoid lumbar dominance and maximize posterior-chain activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute by matching movement pattern, loading capacity, and stability demands to your goals and limitations. If you need isolation and unilateral control, use single-leg glute bridges or Bulgarian split squats — cue: drive through the heel and keep the knee aligned over the foot to target the glute. For progressive strength, select hip thrusts or loaded lunges that allow incremental weight increases and preserve hip extension torque. If you have hip or back pain, pick low-shear options (clamshells, side-lying abductions) and emphasize isometric pelvic control to recruit gluteus medius without excessive lumbar compression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Twist Hip Lift work?
The Twist Hip Lift primarily targets the gluteus maximus and the gluteus medius, with secondary hamstring and core stabilization support. Cue: drive through the heel and perform a strong glute squeeze at the top to maximize hip-extension torque and lateral glute activation while minimizing lumbar involvement.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Twist Hip Lift?
The single-leg glute bridge is the best bodyweight alternative because it preserves unilateral hip extension and isolates the glute. Perform it by driving your heel into the floor, keeping the pelvis level, and holding a 1–2 second squeeze at the top to increase gluteus maximus and hamstring recruitment.
Can I build muscle without doing Twist Hip Lift?
Yes — you can build glute muscle using varied exercises that provide progressive overload and correct biomechanics. Use loaded hip thrusts, single-leg bridges, and weighted split squats; cue eccentric control and full top-of-range contractions to maximize muscle tension and hypertrophy stimuli.
More Exercise Alternatives
Find Alternatives for Any Exercise
Use our free tool to discover the best substitute exercises based on your available equipment and goals.
Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →