Glute Bridge
The Glute Bridge is a bridging exercise: lying on your back, you lift your hips to work the muscles of the buttocks. It is one of the basic movements that safely wakes up hip muscles which tend to stay weak in people who sit for long periods.
| Primary muscles |
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|---|---|
| Secondary muscles |
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| Movement pattern | hinge |
| Level | Beginner |
| Equipment | No equipment (a mat is recommended) |
| How to perform |
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| Breathing | Breathe out as the hips rise and in as they lower. |
| Common mistakes |
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| Easier variation | Reducing the range of movement, or working without the pause at the top |
| Harder variation | The single-leg bridge, placing the feet on a raised surface, or working with a weight across the hips |
| Alternative | Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift |
| Caution | Extended work lying on the back may not be suitable in later pregnancy; if low-back pain increases during the bridge, stop the movement and seek specialist advice where necessary. |
An exercise for a seated age
Sitting all day affects the hip muscles in two ways: they stay in a lengthened position, and they hardly contract at all. The Glute Bridge is a simple tool for reversing that cycle; a floor, a mat and a few minutes are enough. Hips that work strongly help share the load on the knees and lower back in movements such as walking, stairs and getting up from the floor.
Is it the hips working, or the back?
The most common problem in this movement is the lower back taking over from the hips. At the top, the aim is a straight line from shoulder to knee; trying to go higher arches the lower back and moves the work to the wrong place. Deliberately squeezing the hip muscles at the top and keeping the ribs down directs the sensation to the right area.
Ways to progress
When the double-leg bridge becomes easy, a single-leg version, placing the feet on a raised surface, or resting a weight across the hips will increase the difficulty. Developing a solid sense of the hips in the bridge makes things easier before moving on to standing hinge exercises such as the Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift.
Related terms: Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift