Did Bret Contreras invent the barbell hip thrust or is he a fraud?

First things first. If you say they’ve been done for ages but can’t come up with any evidence, then go F yourself. Do you know how stupid that sounds? We have a historical account of the evolution of strength training because people took pictures and videos, wrote articles and books, and created documentaries.

I thought of it when I was watching UFC fights on October 10, 2006 and my life was forever changed. I’d never seen anyone hip thrust with weight or with their shoulders elevated.

Since then, I’ve discovered some evidence of hip thrust variations existing, including:

  1. Oldtime floor press variations
  2. Oldtime strongman feats (tomb of Hercules)
  3. Oldtime wrestlers neck bridging
  4. Secret Soviet sports specific sprint exercises
  5. Weighted pelvic bridging
  6. Beyoncé stability ball thrusting

These are the only forms of evidence I’ve gathered in 18 years. If you’re aware of anything else, please let me know.

But never before me did you see heavy barbell hip thrusts off of a bench with a padded barbell loaded up with plates.

I hope you enjoyed the history lesson!

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