Legs · Smith Machine
Smith Hip Raise
How to do the smith hip raise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Smith Machine
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on your back under the Smith machine with the padded bar across your hips and your upper back supported on a bench. Unrack the bar, drive your hips up until your torso and thighs form a straight line, squeeze your glutes hard, then lower under control.
- 1Glutes driving the bar up and locking out at the top
- 2Hamstrings assisting through the lift
- 3Ribs down and core braced, not arching the low back
Common mistakes
- Pushing through your low back instead of your hips
- Overextending and flaring your ribs at the top
- Letting your knees drift outward or inward
Muscles worked
The smith hip raise mainly works the glutes and hamstrings, with the lower back, lower abs, and quads assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the smith hip raise for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.