Glute bridge
Log this in the trackerAlso known as: Floor bridge
A floor-based hip extension for the glutes: the regression of the hip thrust.
What it is
A hip-extension movement performed lying on the floor with the knees bent, driving the hips up until the body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. It is the floor regression of the hip thrust: a shorter range, no bench to organise, and a movement almost anyone can start with today.
Muscles worked
Primary: Glutes. Secondary: Hamstrings, Core.
How to perform it
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart, close enough that your fingertips can just graze your heels.
- Brace your core, tuck your chin slightly, and keep the ribs down.
- Drive through your heels to lift the hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for a moment, then lower under control without resting fully between reps.
Common form faults
- Arching the lower back at the top instead of finishing with the glutes. Keep the ribs down and think about a slight posterior tilt: the movement ends when the hips are level with the knees and shoulders, not when the back says so.
- Pushing through the toes. Drive through the heels, and walk the feet slightly closer if the weight keeps drifting forward.
- Feeling it mostly in the hamstrings. The feet are too far away. Bring the heels closer to your hips so the glutes, not the hamstrings, extend the hips.
Programming
Bodyweight in higher reps with a deliberate pause at the top is the starting point, and it is an excellent warm-up drill before squats and hinges. Progress by holding a dumbbell or barbell across the hips, then move to the bench-elevated hip thrust once the range here feels short.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Glute bridge or hip thrust?
- Same movement, different range. The bridge is done from the floor, so it is simpler, needs no equipment and is the right starting point; the hip thrust elevates the shoulders on a bench for a longer range and much heavier loading. Master the bridge, then graduate.
- Is bodyweight enough?
- For beginners and for warm-ups, yes: pauses, single-leg versions and slower tempos keep it productive for a while. Once sets of high reps feel easy, add weight across the hips or move to the hip thrust to keep progressing.