What is Glute Bridge – A Complete Guide

Glute Bridge Workout and It’s Variations

Bridging or glute bridge workout help to strengthen your glutes and improve core stability. The glute bridge exercise is a very adaptable, tricky and worthwhile workout. Regardless of your age or level of fitness, it’s a great addition to any exercise routine.

Advantages of the Glute Bridge Exercise:

• Enhance core stability
• Strengthen erecter spinae, glutes, quadriceps, obliques, and rectus abdominals
• Gluteus maximus, hip abductors and hamstrings are the stabilizers of the posterior chain that are stretched during a basic bridge workout.
• Improve posture
• Decrease low back pain
• Improve balance
• Improve hip mobility
• Reduce the risk of injury in back, hip and knee

Muscles involved in a Glute Bridge Workout:

• Transversus abdominis
• Rectus abdominals
• Erecter spinae
• Gluteus maximus
• Hip abductor (gluteus minimums and gluteus medius)
• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps

Also Read: Best Workout Split for Muscle Gain

How to Perform Basic Glute Bridge:

Initial position:

• Place your hands by your sides and bend your knees and lie flat on your back on the floor.
• Place your feet shoulder-width apart

Implementation:

• Raise your hips off the ground towards ceiling by pushing mainly with your heels.
• As soon as you get to the peak of the Glute Bridge, contract your glutes
• Hold the position for a short while.
• Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
• Exhale.

16 Variations in Glute Bridge

1.    Single Leg Bridge:

• Start with your glute bridge in the starting position.
  • Lift your pelvis and extend your left leg.
  • Keep your leg lifted and hold this position 5 second, then lower your hips to the floor slowly
  • Switch to your right leg. And perform this activity
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions of this activity

2.    Side Bridge:

• Begin by resting on your side on the floor.
  • Make a 90-degree bend in your knees.
  • Press your forearm into the mat with your elbow exactly beneath your shoulder. Engage your outer thigh and core until your bottom hip lifts off the mat.
  • Pull your shoulder blades together to activate your upper back muscles, and make sure your shoulder is pulled down towards your hips and away from your ears.

• Imagine pushing your inner thighs against each other and your lower abdominal muscles against your lower back.
  • Your neck should be in a neutral position and your vision should be directly ahead of you.
  • After 30 seconds of holding this position, return your hip to the mat.
  • Do the same on the opposite side.
  • Try to complete three or five rounds with good form.

3.    Hip trust/elevated Glute Bridge:

• Lay flat on your back on a raised surface like couch, gym ball or table with your legs bent and your feet resting on the floor
  • Put your arms down by your sides.
  • Lift your hips towards the ceiling simultaneously contracting your abs and glutes, without hunching your back
  • In the highest position, contact your glutes
  • Slowly lower your back and contract your glutes and abs.
  • Perform two sets of 12 repetitions of this activity

4.    Sliding Foot Bridge:

• Start in the traditional bridge position
  • Put on socks or use a towel as a glider under one foot.
  • Put your hands on your ASIS, often known as the front of your hips’ bony points.
  • Elevate your hips off the ground and apply pressure on your feet.
  • Move your foot away from your body by one while maintaining an equal ASIS.
  • Pull your foot back in after pressing your heel into the ground.
  • Switch feet after 10 to 20 repetitions on one leg.
  • Try sliding both feet out and back in together for a challenge.

5.    Resisted band- Bridge:

• Starting position is the same as in basic glute bridge
  • Wrap a resistance Thera-band slightly above your knees around your thighs
  • To raise your hips into the air and make a bridge
  • Extend your knees sideways at the peak of the bridge, pushing against the band’s resistance.
  • Lower your bridge on to the floor and bring your knees back together
  • Perform two sets of 12 repetitions of this activity

6.    Weighted Bridge:

• Start with traditional glute bridge as your starting position.
  • Place a dumbbell or weight across your hips. Using your hands, grasp the dumbbell or weight at both ends.
  • Raise your hips off the ground, slowly push with both heels
  • Hold this position for 5-10 seconds.
  • Breathe in and slowly return to your initial position, one vertebrae at a time, to the floor.
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions of this activity

7.    Bridge Chest Press:

• Maintain your basic glute starting position with a dumble in your hands
  • Raise dumbbell with both hands. With your elbows pointing straight out from your sides, raise your hands to grasp the dumbbells by your chest.
  • In order to raise your pelvis upward to form a bridge, contract your glutes.
  • Press the weights to the ceiling just over your shoulders while holding the bridge, then carefully drop them.
  • Perform thrice as many reps (10–20 sets).

8.    Frog Pump Glute Bridge:

• Start with basic glute bridge in the starting position.

• Bring the soles of your feet together as close as your hips.
  • To raise your hips into the air, contract your glutes and engage core as you press on the sides of your feet.
  • Hold this position for 5-10 seconds then lower your hips back to floor slowly
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions of this activity

9.    Walk-out Glute Bridge:

• Lie flat on your back, with your bend knees, feet flat and hip-width apart, and your arms at your sides with your hands facing down, same as basic glute bridge
  • To raise the hips off the ground, slowly push with both heels.

• Step out with your left foot first, then your right, keeping your entire weight on your heels. Step as many times as you can while switching your feet, being careful not to arch your lower back.
  • Retrace your steps slowly until your ankles and knees line up, then lower the toes. Breathe in and slowly return your hips back to floor.
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions of this activity

10. Bridge on Gym Ball:

• Place your arms by your sides, band your knees, put your heels on a Gym ball, and a flat back on the floor/mat.
  • Raise your back/hips upward, to make bridge and to create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, press your heels into the ball
  • Squeeze your glutes while maintaining the top position for 5-10 seconds as long as you can,
  • Lower your back down to floor gradually.
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions.

11. Long Bridge:

• Start the activity classic bridge initial position.
  • Separate your feet such that your knees are roughly 6 to 8 inches above the ground.
  • Flex your feet so that only your heels are on the ground
  • To raise your hips off the ground, apply pressure to your feet.
  • It will be felt in your hamstrings.
  • Bring the bridge to the floor gently
  • Repeat ten or twenty times of 3 sets.
  • Try a single-leg variation or raise your hands above to add instability for a challenge and more strength.
  • This activity strengthen hamstrings muscles more than the glutes.

12. Pressed through the toes Glute Bridge:

• Start with your glute bridge in the starting position.
  • Press through the toes and raise the heels off the ground.
  • Lift the hips upward towards ceiling, make sure to contract the quadriceps.
  • Maintain the posture for 5 sec
  • Slowly lower your hips while keeping the toes under pressure.
  • Return your hips to the floor gently.
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions of this activity

13. Press through heels Glute Bridge:

• Start with your glute bridge in the starting position.
  • Pull your belly button in the towards of your spine to strengthen your core
  • Press you heels towards the ground and lift your toes up, towards ceiling,
  • Using your heels primarily, raise your hips up and towards the ceiling. Contract your glutes when you reach the top of the Glute Bridge.
  • Maintain the posture for 5 sec
  • Return your hips to the floor gently.

• Perform 2-3 sets of 10–15 repetitions of this activity

14. Long bridge Abduction:

• Position yourself on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the ground, and your palms pressed into the ground at your sides.
  • After identifying a small posterior pelvic tilt, stretch and raise your right leg a few inches off the ground. This is the initial position.
  • As your body makes a straight line from shoulders to knees, press your left heel into the floor to raise your pelvis and bring your right leg with you.
  • At the peak of the motion, take a moment to extend your right heel a few inches, then retract it.
  • To tap the floor, slowly drop your hips.
  • Perform 3 sets of 10–12 repetitions
  • Perform the same on the opposite leg too.

15. Lifted Arm Glute Bridge:

• Start with your glute bridge in the starting position.
  • Extend your elbows upward, point fingers upward and firmly press palms together.
  • Keeping your arms raised, press through your heels to raise your hips.
  • Maintain this position for 5-10 seconds
  • Lower your hips gradually back to the floor
  • Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

16. March Bridge:

• Start with your glute bridge in the starting position.
  • Push through your heels, raise your hips up and towards the ceiling.
  • In order to elevate your right leg till your shin is parallel to the floor, press your left heel into the ground while bending your right knee.
  • Be careful not to drop or tilt your hips in any direction.

• Repeat on the other side after lowering your right leg to the beginning position. It is one rep.
  • Perform 15 reps in 3 sets.

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