The glute bridge is such a versatile exercise that can be performed anywhere, anytime.
If you’re looking for an exercise that can help you alleviate various pains from sitting all day at an office job, glute bridges can help provide some of that relief.
It does so by activating the glutes. The glutes, in modern work culture, are consistently deactivated and if you aren’t careful, atrophying as well. This means, the muscle group is losing muscle because it is not in use.
That’s why glute bridges are such an important exercise.
Assuming you are healthy enough to get on and off the floor, this bodyweight exercise can help you reestablish the mind-muscle connection with your bottom, and if performed with consistent frequency, can even help you shape your glutes over time.
With all that said, in this article I am going to provide you with instructions on how to perform the exercise, how to add it to your workout routines, and provide some variations you can go and explore if you want to spice up your workouts in the future.
Keep in mind this is all for information purposes. Please consult with your health care provider before beginning any exercise program.
Let’s get started.
How to Perform the Glute Bridge
All you need to perform the glute bridge is your own body, and perhaps a mat if you are opposed to lying directly on the floor.
- Position yourself on the floor by lying down on your back.
- Place your feet about a foot in front of you and hip-width apart.
- Ground your upper body by placing your arms to your side palms pressing down.
- Brace your core and begin to press through your feet.
- Flex your glutes and extend your hips toward the ceiling until your have created a straight line from your knees, hips, all the way to your shoulders.
- Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
What Muscles Are Worked During the Glute Bridge?
The glute bridge primarily targets the muscles of the glutes. It also indirectly targets the muscles of the hamstrings and your core muscles. There may also be some slight calf activation when pressing through your feet.
If you feel the exercise mostly in your hamstrings, your foot placement is too far in front of you. Try to slide your feet closer to your bottom to place more of the tension on your glutes.
How to Add Glute Bridges to Your Workout Routine
Glute bridges are often seen as a mid-late workout exercise. Some may use the exercise at the beginning of their workout as an activation exercise. This can be especially important if you work an office job and sit throughout the day. Any bit of glute activation and glute-focused work will be beneficial to keep your glutes healthy.
Set ranges will generally be anywhere between 2-4 sets and rep ranges have a wide variety depending on the goals of the lifter. Most will perform between 8-12 repetitions. Some may choose to go as high as 15-20 repetitions for the exercise.
If you primarily use full body workouts, you may not include this exercise into your programs at all. If you do, it may be used on more of an isolation full body workout day to focus on lagging muscle groups, as an activation exercise, or at the end of your workouts if glutes are a focus area for you.
If you perform upper/lower workouts, the exercise may be used during your lower body workout days and will likely be one of the exercises performed after your main compound lifts of the session.
If you perform push/pull/leg splits, the exercise will be utilized during your leg workouts and will likely be performed after your main compound lifts of the session.
Similarly, if you perform bro split style workouts, the exercise will be included during your leg workouts and will be performed after your main compound lifts. Possibly as the finisher exercise of the training session.
Lastly, some may opt to add glute-focused workouts to their workout routine as stand-alone workouts. In this case, the placement of the glute bridge may vary depending on your approach to training glutes.
Glute Bridge Variations
- Single Leg Glute Bridge
- Glute Bridge Iso Hold
- Mini Band Glute Bridge
- Dumbbell Glute Bridge
- Kettlebell Glute Bridge
- Barbell Glute Bridge
- Hip Thrust and Hip Thrust Variations
- Frog Pump
Conclusion
The glute bridge is great for anyone looking to activate and build the muscles of the glutes without putting much strain on other muscle groups.
Whether you choose to use it as an activation exercise during your workouts or as a way to increase your weekly volume of glute work, the glute bridge can help you build healthy and strong glutes.
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