If you want to work your booty, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to a standard set of glute bridges during your exercise routine. But if you want to mix things up, that’s when you would add in a few fancy glute bridge variations.
A standard glute bridge is the bodyweight exercise where you lie on your back, bend your knees, and lift your hips off the floor, explains Dr. Tessa Spencer, PharmD, CNC, CPT, a certified personal trainer. It’s a go-to for any butt workout because it effectively targets your glutes, though it also strengthens your hamstrings and core muscles, too.
Glute bridges contribute to overall lower body strength, which is important for functional strength, aka your ability to feel strong and stable as you go about your day. According to Emily Skye, a trainer and owner of the virtual fitness program Emily Skye FIT, a glute bridge is also helpful for keeping your posture balanced.
“It works the muscles at the front of the hips, for an all-round stronger pelvic region,” she tells Bustle, noting that this is what keeps the rest of your body in alignment. It’s why the move is also known as a stabilization exercise, as it activates the stability muscles in your spine, resulting in improved posture during everyday movements.
A classic glute bridge — or any of its many variations — can be done every day as part of a pre-workout warmup or stretch routine, says Skye. Simply plop down on a mat and do a few reps to loosen your hips or light up the lower half of your body before running, walking, or doing another lower-body exercises, like squats or lunges.
You can also do bridges as part of a strength training routine (perhaps on butt day). To strengthen your lower body and see the most benefit, Skye recommends adding glute bridge variations three to four days a week. Here, trainers break down 16 different glute bridge exercises to help you get started. Pick and a choose a few to try!
1. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
According to Skye, this power move is great for the posterior chain, aka the muscles that run down the back of your body, like your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. And here’s a quick tip: “If bridges give you a cramp in your hamstrings, try raising your toes off the ground and using just the heels of your feet to keep you stable,” she says.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your feet hip-distance apart.
- Extend one leg straight off the ground.
- Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes.
- Push through your planted foot to slowly lift your hips into the air.
- Hold the bridge for a moment before slowly lowering back down.
- Do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side.
2. Resistance Band Glute Bridge Abduction
Want to truly feel the burn? By adding an abduction or sideways movement with a resistance band, Skye says you’ll effectively target all the muscles in your butt at once.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor about hip-distance apart.
- Place a resistance band around your thighs, just above your knees.
- Activate your core.
- Squeeze your glutes and push through your heels to lift your hips into the air.
- At the top of the bridge, widen your knees out to the side, pushing against the resistance of the band.
- Bring your knees back together and lower your hips back down.
- Raise and lower for 40 seconds.
3. Frog Pumps
To effectively zero in on your booty muscles, try this variation. “Frog pumps take your hamstrings and lower back out of the equation and make your gluteus maximus and minimus do all the work — a great way to activate sleeping muscles,” says Skye.
- Lie on your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing down or tucked under your butt.
- Bring the soles of your feet together.
- Scooch them up as close to your hips as possible.
- Let your knees fall open out to the sides.
- Engage your core and squeeze your glutes as you push against the sides of your feet to lift your hips into the air.
- Hold for a moment at the top of the pump and squeeze.
- Lower your hips back down.
- Raise and lower for 40 seconds.
4. Sliding Bridge
According to Kate Hamm, a fitness and yoga instructor and owner of AnamBliss, this bridge exercise activates the hamstrings and improves hip stabilization. “Maintaining an even pelvis strengthens the gluteus minimus and medius for more stable hips that can aid in walking and running,” she tells Bustle. And that helps prevent injury, too.
- Begin in a traditional bridge position on your back with your knees bent.
- Put socks on or slide a towel under one foot to use as a glider.
- Rest your hands on your ASIS, aka the bony points of the front of the hips.
- Press into your feet and lift your hips up off the ground.
- Slide one foot away from your body, making sure your hips stay even. (You may notice that hip of the moving leg wants to dip down.)
- Press your heel into the ground and pull your foot back in.
- Repeat 10 to 20 times on one leg, then switch feet.
- For a challenge, try sliding both feet out and back in at the same time.
5. Long Bridge Variation
This glute bridge exercise involves a different foot placement that works to activate your hamstrings more than your glutes. If you have tight hammies or back pain, Hamm says this move can help loosen things up.
- Begin in a traditional bridge position on your back with your knees bent.
- Move your feet away from your body until your knees are about 6 to 8 inches off the ground.
- If it feels better, flex your feet so just your heels are on the ground.
- Press into your feet to lift your hips off the ground.
- Feel the burn in your hamstrings.
- Lower the hips down to the ground.
- Repeat 10 to 20 times.
- For a challenge, reach your hands up in the air to increase instability or try a single-leg variation.
6. Elevated Glute Bridge
According to Weilin Wu, PT, a personal trainer with Blink Fitness, an elevated glute bridge increases the distance your hips have to travel, which can help you better target your posterior chain.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- Lift your feet and rest them on an elevated surface, like a step, bench, exercise ball, or couch.
- Rest your arms by your sides.
- Squeeze your glutes and abs as you lift your hips toward the ceiling.
- Raise your hips as high as you can go without arching your back. (You don’t want to put pressure on your neck.)
- Squeeze your glutes.
- Slowly lower your hips back down to the floor, engaging your abs and glutes as you go.
- Do two sets of 12 reps, with a one-second pause at the bottom.
7. Marching Glute Bridge
According to Kristina Centenari, a Tonal coach, Nike Run coach, and registered yoga trainer, this version of the glute bridge targets your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet slightly in front of your knees.
- Push your feet into the floor to lift your hips.
- Keep your hips lifted as you march one knee toward your chest at a time.
- Aim for 3 sets of 16 to 20 reps.
- 3 sets, 16-20 reps
8. Glute Bridge Hold
Exercises that require you to hold yourself steady for an extended period of time are a great way to keep your core, spine, and body well-supported, says Spencer. “They also help create balance in your day-to-day activities and prevent injury.”
- Lie back on the floor, bend your knees.
- Place your feet flat on the ground hip-width apart.
- Let your arms rest at your sides or cross them at the chest.
- To lift your hips, drive down through your heels.
- Lift your hips as high as possible.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top.
- Keep your belly button drawn in so you don’t hyper-extend your back.
- Make sure your knees remain in line with your hips and ankles.
- Keep squeezing your glutes.
- Hold at the top for at least 30 seconds.
- Slowly lower back down.
- Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
- For a challenge, try a single-leg glute hold.
9. Barbell Glute Bridge
To take things up a notch, Centenari recommends this move, which adds extra weight to target your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core.
- Start lying on the floor with the barbell placed across your hips.
- Keep your feet hip-width apart and slight in front of your bent knees.
- Push your feet into the floor to lift your hips against the weight.
- Lower with control and repeat.
- Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
10. Glute Bridge To Walk-Outs
To add a tricky element to your glute bridge, try walking your feet out to add in a core workout while lighting up your posterior chain.
- Start in a normal bridge.
- Brace your abs.
- Lift your hips
- Walk your feet away from your hips.
- Keep your body stable and don’t put your weight on your neck.
- Walk until your body is in almost a straight line, with your hips and booty still off th floor.
- Walk your feet back in to the start position.
- Try one rep to start.
11. Kickstand Glute Bridge
“This is a great way to focus on one side of the glutes while still maintaining pelvic stability,” says Leigh Taylor Weissman, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach based in New York City. “It’s ideal for targeting the gluteus maximus and medius, and helps address imbalances while building strength on each side.” As a bonus, this move can improve overall lower-body performance. (Looking at you, weekend kickball team.)
- Start lying on your back with one foot flat and the other slightly forward, so only the heel is touching the ground.
- Drive through the heel of the flat foot to lift your hips.
- Squeeze the glute at the top.
- Do 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
12. Glute Bridge With Tempo
To really light up your buns, Weissman recommends doing a tempo-based variation to increase your muscles’ time under pressure, while also adding a cardio element. “This extended range helps build better control and engagement, especially in the glute max and glute med,” she says.
- Get into a classic glute bridge position.
- Perform a full rep, lower halfway, lift again to the top, then lower all the way down — that’s one rep.
- Do 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
13. Hip Thrusts
Been wondering about hip thrusts? They use the same mechanics as a bridge and can help zero in on more muscles. “By elevating the back onto a bench or platform, the hip thrust adds hip flexion, increasing the range of motion,” says Weissman. “It’s one of the best variations for building glute strength and size. I recommend keeping the form tight — feet flat, spine neutral, and a big squeeze at the top.”
- Choose a barbell that’s the correct weight for your workout.
- Sit on the ground with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and knees bent.
- Your shoulders should be resting on a workout bench and your head should be slightly off the edge.
- To thrust, drive your hips up towards the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Lower down and repeat.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
14. Seesaw Bridge
According to Nicole Glor, a NASM-certified trainer and group fitness instructor, this move is also called the “seesaw bridge” because you rock from a bridge into a sit-up.
- Start on your back with your feet hip-width apart.
- Lift your hips into a bridge.
- Low them back down.
- As you lower, engage your core and do a crunch.
- Do 3 sets of 20 reps.
- Lift your hips.
15. Articulated Bridge
According to Portia Page, CPT, a Pilates instructor, the articulated bridge is a great spine stretch, but it also works your glute and hammies.
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Think of your pelvis like a wheel.
- Lift your hips slowly and “peel” your spine off the floor, one vertebra at a time, until you are in a bridge position.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Lower the same way in reverse.
16. Glute Bridge With Pilates Ball
Glor is also a fan of adding a small Pilates ball for an extra squeeze. This will work your inner thighs or adductor muscles, as well as your glutes and core. It’s all thanks to the way your body works to stabilize and hold the ball in place.
- Start on your back with your feet hip-width apart.
- Place a mini Pilates ball between your thighs.
- Lift your hips into a bridge.
- Squeeze your legs in on the ball.
- Release.
- Low your hips back down.
- Do 3 sets of 20 reps.
Studies referenced:
Choi, K. (2016). The effects of performing a one-legged bridge with hip abduction and use of a sling on trunk and lower extremity muscle activation in healthy adults. J Phys Ther Sci. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5080190/
Huxel Bliven, K. C. (2013.) Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports health. doi.org/10.1177/1941738113481200.
Yoon, J. O. (2018.) Effect of modified bridge exercise on trunk muscle activity in healthy adults: a cross sectional study. Brazilian journal of physical therapy. doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2017.09.005.
Sources:
Dr. Tessa Spencer, PharmD, CNC, CPT, certified personal trainer
Emily Skye, trainer
Kate Hamm, fitness and yoga instructor
Weilin Wu, PT, personal trainer
Kristina Centenari, Tonal Coach, Nike Run Coach, RRCA-certified running coach, registered yoga trainer, and functional range conditioning certified
Leigh Taylor Weissman, certified personal trainer, nutrition coach
Portia Page, CPT, Pilates instructor
Nicole Glor, NASM-certified trainer, group fitness instructor
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