Hip Thrust or 2n1 Hip Press: which one does your floor need?
Both are glute machines, and they are often treated as two answers to the same question. They are not. The Hip Thrust is built to load the glutes at the top, fully shortened. The 2n1 Hip Press is built to load them at the bottom, fully stretched. A floor with both has the whole range covered.
A glute can be trained hard at either end of its range: squeezed at the top, or stretched at the bottom. Most machines are better at one end than the other, and these two were designed for opposite ends on purpose.
What the Hip Thrust does
It loads the top of the movement. The slanted footplate puts the femur into external rotation, which lets glute max fully shorten at lockout and adds stability. The centre mechanism rotates freely through the rep, so the load sits over the hips whatever the lifter's hip flexion.
It is built so the glutes are what fails, not something else. A full-length back pad supports the lumbar spine, so the abs and stabilisers stop being the limit. The hip pad is one piece of injection-moulded foam rather than a seatbelt, because a belt-driven hip thrust digs into the hips once it is loaded heavily.
The extra-long arm means the machine is heavy without a lot of plates on it, so loading and unloading is a one-person job. It also has an auto unrack, a handle for extra stability and multiple band pegs.
What the 2n1 Hip Press does
It loads the bottom. The hip press was designed to be the best lengthened-range glute exercise we could build, and its support holds at the deepest point of hip flexion, which is where the stretch is.
A centre lock switches it between bilateral and unilateral in seconds, without tools. Running it one leg at a time increases hip flexion and glute stretch on the working side. The back pad adjusts forward and back as well as up and down, to suit the lifter's hip mobility and height, and dual shoulder pads keep the torso still so the hip is the only thing moving.
Side by side
| Hip Thrust | 2n1 Hip Press | |
|---|---|---|
| Loads the glutes | Fully shortened, at the top | Fully stretched, at the bottom |
| Support | Full-length back pad, rotating hip and back pads | Two-way adjustable back pad, dual shoulder pads |
| User range | 142cm to 203cm | 142cm to 203cm |
| Footprint | 1.95 x 1.1m, 1.4m high | 2.3 x 1.6m, 1.7m high |
| Weight | 250kg | 320kg |
Which one to buy first
For a floor buying its first glute machine, the Hip Thrust is usually the place to start. It is a movement most members already know, and it takes the least floor space of the two.
Start with the 2n1 Hip Press when the floor can already train the top of the range and is missing the deep, stretched end. It is also two machines in one, since the centre lock gives you unilateral work on the same frame.
A floor that is serious about glute training ends up with both, because each one is built for the half of the range the other is not.
What they have in common
Both fit lifters from 142cm to 203cm. Both are built from Australian steel, with bearings and indexing pins rated beyond 2 tonnes. Both are plate loaded, with no motor, no electronics and no power supply. Both carry twenty years structural on the welded frame and seven years on moving parts, and both are finished in any powder coat and any upholstery you specify.
Common questions
What is the difference between a hip thrust and a hip press?
Where in the range they load the glutes. The Citadel Hip Thrust loads them at the top, fully shortened, with an angled footplate that biases external rotation of the femur. The 2n1 Hip Press loads them at the bottom, fully stretched, with support that holds at the deepest point of hip flexion. Both are plate loaded and fit lifters from 142cm to 203cm.
Why does the Citadel Hip Thrust use a pad instead of a seatbelt?
Because a seatbelt digs into the hips once the machine is loaded heavily. The hip pad is one piece of injection-moulded foam, so a heavy set is limited by the glutes rather than by discomfort.
Can the 2n1 Hip Press be used one leg at a time?
Yes. A centre lock switches it between bilateral and unilateral in seconds, without tools. Working one leg at a time increases hip flexion and glute stretch on the working side.
Which glute machine should a gym buy first?
Usually the Hip Thrust. It is a movement most members already know, and it has the smaller footprint, at 1.95 by 1.1 metres. Start with the 2n1 Hip Press if the floor can already train the top of the range and is missing the stretched end.
Is the Citadel Hip Thrust hard to load?
No. The extra-long arm means the machine is heavy without a lot of plates on it, so loading and unloading is a one-person job, even at heavy weights.
