When it comes to strength training, the most popular muscles exercised are the chest, abs, biceps and quadriceps.1 While training them consistently may help you as an athlete, other muscle groups should also be exercised to create a well-balanced, high-performance body.
One good example is the gluteus muscles, which are found in the buttocks. These muscles, or "glutes," are normally trained for aesthetic purposes, but there are far better reasons for exercising them.
In an article in Coach magazine, Bret Contreras, Ph.D. says that glute training can help improve athletic performance. The glutes play a role in your ability to run, jump and squat. Exercises such as the deadlift also require significant glute activation. By strengthening your glutes, you'll be able to improve your performances in these exercises as well.2
If you want to improve your physical performance while getting nice-looking buttocks along the way, then training your glutes is a must. One exercise that you can get started on right away is the glute bridge.
What Is a Glute Bridge?
The glute bridge is an exercise designed to isolate the gluteus muscles found in your buttocks. Your hamstrings and abs can get a good workout as well if done correctly. It can also be used as a rehab exercise, improving the lower back and hips of patients.3
Secondary muscles engaged by the glute bridge include the erector spinae, quadriceps and stabilizer muscles. All in all, the glute bridge can be an effective exercise for strengthening your lower torso when performed properly.4
Guide to Performing the Glute Bridge
The basic glute bridge is a simple exercise, but it requires focus. Here's how to do the glute bridge (without weights), according to Coach magazine:5
![basic glute bridge]()
1. Lie down on the floor. Keep your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Raise your hips from the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Engage your gluteus muscles and your abs drawn in to prevent overextending your back.
3. Hold the position for two seconds before coming down slowly.
8 Variations of Glute Bridge to Try
The great thing about the glute bridge is that it has several variations you can perform, depending on the equipment available or if you're looking for additional challenge. Variety helps keep your muscles guessing by activating different muscle fibers that weren't targeted before. Here are popular variations of the glute bridge:
Barbell Glute Bridge
The barbell glute bridge is a weighted variation of the basic glute bridge. Aside from the weight of the barbell itself, plates are added to increase the weight further. To perform this maneuver, follow these steps:6
![barbell glute bridge]()
1. Lie down on the ground with your feet spread shoulder-width. Bend your knees approximately 90 degrees while keeping your heels flat on the ground. Place the barbell at the hips, just above the pubic bone.
2. Hold the barbell with your hands firmly, but don't put any weight on it. Raise the barbell by using your glutes and the surrounding muscles, pushing through the heels.
3. Fully extend your hip until your body forms a straight line with your legs. Squeeze the glute muscles once you reach the top.
4. Slowly lower the barbell and return to the starting position.
When performing this exercise, try experimenting with the width of your stance — the shoulder-width for your feet is just a suggestion for beginners. Some people prefer doing this exercise with a hip-width stance, which may give you better glute activation.
It's important that you don't overextend your back when you reach the top during your repetitions. If your range of motion is limited by the size of the plates, try using smaller plates, while still maintaining the same total weight.7
Single-Leg Bridge
The single-leg bridge is a harder version of the traditional glute bridge. As the name implies, it uses only one leg to perform the movement, and everything stays the same. Removing one leg causes your gluteus muscles to work harder, and is recommended once you have gained enough experience doing basic glute bridges.
Removing one leg also targets stabilizer muscles in your hips and core harder, because you have to maintain your balance with one leg only. Follow these steps to perform the exercise:8
![single leg bridge]()
1. Lie down on the floor, with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Raise your hips as you would in a standard glute bridge, then raise one leg off the floor. The leg can be straight into the air or parallel to the ground.
3. Slowly lower your hips until you're near the floor. Lift your hips again until you reach the top of the movement, still keeping your leg extended. Pause at the top.
Medicine Ball Glute Bridge
A medicine ball is a weighted ball that can come in various sizes and weights. They're useful in a variety of exercises, and are convenient to have at home.9 In the context of the glute bridge, adding a medicine ball to the workout can make it more challenging. Here's how you can do a medicine ball glute bridge:10
![medicine ball glute bridge]()
1. Lie down on the floor, preferably with a gym mat. This will help maintain grip on the medicine ball.
2. Lift both of your feet and place them on top of the medicine ball, then raise your hips as you would on a normal glute bridge. Remember to keep your core engaged and squeeze your glutes at the top.
3. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position, but don't let the glutes touch the floor to maintain tension throughout the set.
Glute Bridge and Curl
The glute bridge and curl is an advanced exercise because it involves more hamstring activation than usual. In this variation, the hamstrings are curled once your hip reaches the top movement. To do it properly, your feet must be placed on sliders or towels to facilitate smooth curling on the floor.
If you're performing this variation for the first time, it's recommended you do the one-legged version before attempting both legs simultaneously:11
![one legged glute bridge and curl]()
1. Lied down on the floor with one towel or slider placed under one leg.
2. Raise your hips to do a glute bridge, and then extend the leg with the towel or slider.
3. Driving through your heel, return the extended leg back to position.
![two legged glute bridge and curl]()
To do the version with both legs, follow this procedure:12
1. Place both feet on one towel only, or a slider under each foot.
2. Raise your hips until you reach a bridge position, and extend both legs outward. Be sure that your core is engaged to maintain stability.
3. Curl the hamstrings back to a starting bridge position.
Glute Bridge March
The glute bridge march adds complexity to a standard glute bridge by raising one leg a time, giving the impression that you're marching. It can help further develop your ability to balance. To do the glute bridge march, follow these instructions:13
![glute bridge march]()
1. Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent.
2. Raise your hips until as you would on a normal glute bridge.
3. At the top position, engage your abs and lift one leg, like you would do on a single-leg glute bridge.
4. Hold for two seconds, then lower your leg.
5. Raise your other leg and repeat step 3. You complete one repetition once both legs are lifted.
Frog Bridge
If you are looking to do another challenging version of the glute bridge, the frog bridge may be for you. By placing your feet together, your hips create an external rotation when rising. This allows more glute activation than a traditional glute bridge.14 To perform the frog bridge, just follow these steps:15
![frog bridge]()
1. Lie down on the ground and place your feet together. Bend and open your knees as if you're doing a butterfly stretch
2. Bend elbows to 90 degrees and place them on your ground, with your arms pointing toward the ceiling.
3. Raise your hips, creating a glute bridge. Remember to squeeze your glutes as you lift.
4. Lower your hips, but keep in mind that your knees should not come back together. You must maintain the split.
Glute Bridge With Alternating Overhead Reach
The glute bridge can be modified in such a way that can help improve other muscle groups better. In the case of this exercise, doing alternating overhead extensions can help strengthen the core. Give this workout a go using these steps:16
![glute bridge with alternating overhead reach]()
1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent.
2. Raise your hips, driving your heels to the floor for support.
3. Once you have reached the bridge position, reach towards the back diagonally with one hand, letting it touch the floor.
4. Lower the hips back to the floor. Return the arm to the starting position as well.
5. Repeat the same steps for the other arm.
Mini Band Glute Bridge
This exercise is also known as the hip bride pulse. As you raise your hips, the glutes get additional resistance, making the muscles work harder. Here's how to do it properly:17
![mini band glute bridge]()
1. Place the band above both of your knees and lie down on the floor. Place arms at a 45-degree angle.
2. Raise your hips by squeezing your glutes. Remember to drive your heels to the floor.
3. Slightly push out the band with your legs as the bridge goes up.
4. Lower hips to the starting position once you reach the top of the movement.
When doing the mini band glute bridge, make sure that your lower back doesn't arch as you raise your hips. The stance of your knees should not be wider than your feet when you push out on the band.
Glute Bridge Vs. Hip Thrust: What's the Difference?
Many people tend to confuse hip thrusts and glute bridges, and sometimes, they're interchanged carelessly. From afar, both movements look the same — you're raising your hips upward to lift a weight. However, there are some key differences.
When performing a glute bridge, you begin lying down flat on the floor. The hip thrust, on the other hand, starts with your back on the bench. Here are the key areas that highlight the differences between the glute bridge and the hip thrust:18
• Muscles worked — Both the glute bridge and the hip thrust target the glutes, with hamstrings being secondary muscles.
• Glute activation — Depending on the anatomy of the person and their skill level, a person can choose between glute bridges and hip thrusts (or do both) to target the glutes effectively.
• Comfort on hips — Both exercises can be done using weights, but the positioning of the hip thrust allows you to use a heavier load via a barbell. If you try heavy hip thrusts and your hips become uncomfortable, pad the barbell using a foam or a yoga mat.
• Difficulty level — When training the glutes and surrounding muscles, you must consider the difficulty of the exercise. Glute bridges are generally easier because of their smaller range of motion.
• Ability to load — Glute bridges and hip thrusts can be more challenging by adding weights. But if you want to go as heavy as you can, hip thrusts may be better because they have a higher range of motion compared to the glute bridge.
• Equipment — Both workouts can be done using your own bodyweight and free weights. However, the hip thrust requires a bench, which is something to consider depending on the availability of your equipment.
5 Benefits of Doing the Glute Bridge
Strong gluteal muscles can help improve your performance in sports and your posture for everyday life. Here are five benefits of training glutes regularly, according to Tamara Grand, a certified personal trainer and published fitness author:19
• Better posture — Training your glutes may help improve poor posture caused by sitting too much, especially for those who work long hours in the office. Bad posture causes your hips to enter a forward-tilting position as well, causing the illusion of a big tummy, even if you don't have belly fat.
• Pain reduction and lowered risk of injury — Having strong glutes can support better lower back posture and reduce the risk of lower back pain.
If the glutes are not strong enough to perform its normal functions, surrounding muscles will work harder to compensate for proper posture. In the long run, these muscles will become overworked and overstressed because they're doing movements that they aren't originally designed to do.
• Boost in athletic performance — The gluteus muscles are responsible for generating power crucial for sports. They play a role in speed, vertical distance, endurance and acceleration. Training the glutes and the surrounding muscles can help you perform better in sports that require leg power, such as cycling and running.
• Higher bone density — Training the glutes places controlled amounts of mechanical stress on the surrounding bones, strengthening them in the long run. Exercising this area can reduce the risk of losing bone density as you age.
• Improved weight management — Glutes are one of the largest muscle groups in the body, as well as the hamstrings. Since both muscles are activated during glute bridges, doing this workout can contribute to a higher number of burned calories, leading to more effective weight management.
Glute bridges can have cosmetic benefits for your body as well. It's a popular exercise to help create well-defined buttocks, especially when done with weights. Furthermore, it can help strengthen your core as it activates some abdominal muscles, leading to a better-looking stomach.20
How Many Glute Bridges Should You Do?
Determining the number of repetitions you should do for glute bridges depends on your goals. When it comes to strength training, there are three approaches you can have:21
• Endurance — This type of workout intensity focuses on helping your muscles go the distance. This is mainly beneficial for athletes focusing on cycling and running. Repetitions are 12 to 20, with a rest period of 30 seconds to one minute only. Light weights are used only.
• Size — Those who want to build bigger gluteus muscles for cosmetic purposes can induce muscle hypertrophy. Repetitions are usually 6 to 12, with 3 to 5 sets. Rest time is 60 to 90 seconds.
• Strength — Training your muscles to become stronger, but not necessarily bigger, can be done by doing low repetitions, usually just 1 to 5. However, the weight is considerably higher, shocking your muscles and forcing them to adapt to become stronger.
Now that you know the three types of strength training goals, you need to compute how much you can actually lift with the optimal number of repetitions. This will help you achieve your fitness goals better because you can now choose how to exercise your glutes, or any muscle group for that matter.
How to Compute the Load of Your Weighted Glute Bridge
The weight of your preferred workout intensity is computed by doing one maximum repetition, often called the 1RM. Simply put, the 1RM is the heaviest weight you can lift without breaking good form.22 In the case of this article, you will need to find out your 1RM for glute bridges.
Men's Health has an easy way of calculating your 1RM. Simply lift the heaviest weight you can four to six times and use this equation: (4 to 6 repetitions [with max weight] x 1.09703) + 14.2546.
Round up the last decimal point for your weight. Hypothetically, if you were able to do 5 repetitions with a weight of 30 kilograms, the computation should look like this: (30 x 1.09703) + 14.2546.23 Once you have computed your 1RM, follow these this table depending on your goals, according to the American Council on Exercise:24
Training Goal |
Repetitions |
Intensity (Percentage of 1RM) |
Endurance |
12 |
67% |
Hypertrophy |
6 to 12 |
67% to 85% |
Strength |
6 |
85% |
Before attempting your 1RM, here are some important tips to remember to reduce your chances of injury:25
• Do a few sets of glute bridges to get the muscles warmed up. Doing so can reduce muscle injury, especially when you're adding a heavy weight you haven't tried before.
• Make sure your body is properly rested for at least a full day before attempting a 1RM. Don't use the same muscles you're going use for your 1RM if you've already exercised in the morning.
• When attempting your 1RM, enlist the help of a spotter. They will be there to help you out immediately should an accident occur.
3 Safety Tips When Performing the Glute Bridge
The glute bridge can be performed by most people, even those who have lower back issues. When performing this exercise, it's important to warm up properly and practice good form to lower the risk of injury. Here are three important things to keep in mind when doing the glute bridge:26
• Don't hyperextend your back at the top of the movement.
• Engage your core to stabilize your body to keep your spine straight.
• Remember to drive your heels to the ground.
The Glute Bridge Can Bring Better Mobility
The glute bridge is one of the best exercises you can do to help improve your overall physical performance, even if you're not an athlete. The many variations of the exercise will also challenge your muscles, ensuring that you're activating every fiber in your glutes. Remember to warm up properly and eat a healthy diet so that you can perform the glute bridge at your best.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Glute Bridge
Q: What muscles does the glute bridge work?
A: The glute bridge primarily targets the gluteal muscles. Secondary muscles include hamstrings and erectors.27
Q: Are glute bridges good for glutes?
A: Yes, glute bridges target the gluteus muscles.28
Q: Do glute bridges work abs?
A: Yes, doing glute bridges also targets your abs.29