How to do a glute bridge
The glute bridge strengthens your glutes and hamstrings while you lie on your back, so it is gentle on your knees and great for beginners. Strong glutes help your posture, your running and your lifting, and can take strain off your lower back.
Step by step
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
- Rest your arms by your sides, palms down, and brace your core.
- Press through your heels and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top for a second without arching your lower back.
- Lower your hips slowly back to the floor and repeat.
Common mistakes the coach checks
- Back arching. Stop when shoulders, hips and knees line up; pushing higher arches your lower back.
- Hips not high enough. Push through your heels until your shoulders, hips and knees make a straight line.
- Short at the top. Finish each rep with a hard squeeze of your glutes.
- Dropping too fast. Take a second or two to lower your hips back to the floor.
Sets and reps
Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 bridges with a one-second squeeze at the top. When 20 feel easy, try single-leg bridges or rest a weight across your hips.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Lift your hips only part of the way, or hold the top position for a few seconds instead of doing reps.
- Harder: Single-leg bridges, feet raised on a step, or hip thrusts with your upper back on a bench.
Stay safe
Stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees: pushing higher arches your lower back. If you feel it more in your hamstrings or back than your glutes, bring your feet a little closer to your hips.
Check your form with the AI coach
Put your phone on the floor, 2 m to your side, in landscape if you can. Side-on I can see how high your hips rise and whether your back arches. Then press Start training and go: there's nothing to pick, the AI detects that you're doing glute bridges, counts your reps and tells you out loud when your form slips.
Start trainingJust counting? See the free AI rep counter.