July Exercise of The Month: The Glute Bridge
The Glute Bridge is a powerful lower-body exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings, and core. It’s low-impact, beginner-friendly, and doesn’t require any equipment—making it a perfect addition to home or gym workouts. Whether you’re working on strengthening your hips and core, improving low back pain, or supporting better movement patterns, the glute bridge is a foundational move with big benefits.
How to Perform the Glute Bridge
Add glute bridges to your strength routine to activate and strengthen your posterior chain—especially the glutes, which play a major role in posture, performance, and injury prevention.
Starting Position:
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart, and arms resting by your sides. Engage your core and keep your lower back in a neutral position.
Lift with Intention:
Press through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top. Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Lower with Control:
Slowly lower your hips back to the ground with control—don’t collapse or rush the movement.
Repeat:
Aim for 8-12 reps for 2–4 sets, depending on your strength level and goals.
Variations
Glute Bridge Hold
Hold the top position of a glute bridge for 20–30 seconds instead of doing reps to build core stability and muscular endurance.
Add a Mini Band or Dumbbell
Place a mini resistance band just above the knees to increase glute activation and prevent your knees from caving in, or add a dumbbell on top of the hips for extra resistance and strength-boosting benefits. Either of these variations will make this exercise more challenging.
Advanced: Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Lift one leg off the floor and perform the bridge on a single leg. This challenges your stability and strength in your core and hips, one side at a time. Unilateral exercises are great for correcting muscular imbalances, improving stability, and for enhancing coordination.
Benefits of This Exercise
Targets the Glutes & Hamstrings:
Strengthens the muscles responsible for hip extension and posture.
Improves Core Stability:
Engages your deep core muscles, supporting better spinal alignment and balance.
Enhances Athletic Performance:
Supports powerful movements like running, jumping, and lifting.
Promotes Lower Back Health:
Strengthening the glutes helps take pressure off the lower back during movement.
Scalable for All Fitness Levels:
Simple to modify and progress depending on your goals and experience.
Try It Today!
Whether you’re recovering from an injury, building strength at home, or looking to spice up your lower-body routine, the glute bridge is a simple but effective move you’ll want to master. Focus on controlled movement, keep your core tight, and feel those hips working with every rep.
Want to see glute bridge in action? Head over to our Instagram for a video tutorial!
Sources
20 Glute Bridge Variations | Redefining Strength