How to Do a Glute Bridge—and Get the Most Out of This Common Exercise

Glute bridges are an excellent move for those who sit all day (Image via Pexels @ Anna Shvets)
Glute bridges are an excellent move for those who sit all day (Image via Pexels @ Anna Shvets)

Glute Bridge exercises can be done in many different ways, and even though they are difficult, they guarantee wonderful results. These exercises are a great addition to any workout plan, no matter how old or fit you are. They target your posterior chain, which is the back of your legs.

Strengthening your back muscles can help you get a stronger lower back and a more stable core. When done right, this exercise can help improve the strength of the muscles around your spine, which can improve your posture.


What are Glute Bridge Exercises?

A glute bridge is an exercise in which you lie on your back on the ground and lift your hips up. It is a simple exercise you can do at home without any equipment to improve glute strength, core stability, and the health of your lower back.

This exercise has many different versions and variations that you can perform in order to target different muscles of your glutes and thighs.

If you spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, which can make your hip flexors less flexible, bridges are a good exercise to add to your routine. They are also a common way to warm up and improve hip flexibility.


How do you Perform Glute Bridge Exercise?

Learn how to do a bridge by following this step-by-step guide:

1) Start by lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent towards the ceiling and your feet hip-width apart on the floor. Put your palms down and rest your arms at your sides. Use a yoga mat to make yourself more comfortable.

2) Next, press into the bottoms of your feet and lift your pelvis off the floor until your lower body is in line with your knees. To keep your back from going too far, squeeze your glutes and keep your stomach flat.

3) Hold the position for a few breaths, making sure to keep pulling down your belly button to keep your core engaged. Then, slowly move back to the starting position.

4) Repeat these steps a few times, then take a break and do another set.

5) You can also try a single-leg bridge for a little extra challenge. Start by lying on your back with one leg stretched up to the ceiling and the other leg planted on the floor with your knee bent.

Then, perform a glute bridge by pressing down on the foot that is on the floor and bringing the other leg up to the ceiling. This will put more weight on one side of your glutes at a time.


What are Glute Bridge Exercises Good For?

Bridges are an excellent exercise for those who sit a lot, as they can help strengthen your glutes, your thighs, and your lower back. Here are some of their benefits:

Strong Glutes: Your buttocks are made up of three different muscle groups--the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus. By doing this exercise, you can work all three of your glute muscles at the same time.

Stable Core: For glute bridges, you need to use your core muscles as you slowly lift your body weight. Core exercises can help you stand up straighter and get stronger. They also strengthen your lower back.

Activate Hamstrings: Your hamstrings are also worked by glute bridges. The longer you stay in a glute bridge, the more your hamstrings will have to work to keep you there.


What Muscles Does the Bridge Exercise Work?

Glute bridges mainly work the muscles of your glutes, thighs and core.

All three gluteal muscles are activated at the same time in this exercise. Your hamstrings also worked out and strengthened. Bridges can also workout your lower back muscles as well as your abs.


Do Glute Bridges Grow your Thighs?

If you are not performing this workout with increased weights, then the exercise will not be able to grow your thighs. Bridges don't work out your quadriceps. They work out your hamstrings, and if you keep performing variations of the exercise without increasing weights, then your thighs won't grow.

Even if you do increase weight up to a certain extent, the exercise will more likely grow your glutes, as the main muscle worked out in the exercise is the gluteus maximus. Hence, bridges are likely to enhance your glutes rather than your thighs.