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Glute Bridge

Also called: Bodyweight hip bridge

Primary muscles: Gluteus maximus

Joints / actions: Hip joint (coxal joint) (extension)

Plane: sagittal

Equipment: bodyweight

What it is

Lying on the back with knees bent and feet flat, driving the hips upward into a straight line, then lowering under control.

Purpose

A beginner-friendly, equipment-free way to build hip-extension strength and glute activation before progressing to the hip thrust.

Starting position

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart, arms at your sides.

Step by step

  1. Brace the core and drive through the heels, lifting the hips until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
  2. Squeeze the glutes firmly at the top; avoid overarching the low back.
  3. Lower the hips under control back to the floor and repeat.

Breathing

Exhale as the hips rise; inhale as they lower.

Coaching cues

"Drive through the heels, squeeze the glutes, keep the ribs down."

Common mistakes

Overarching the low back rather than extending through the hips; pushing through the toes instead of the heels; rushing the tempo.

Easier regression

Reduce range of motion, or perform with feet closer to the hips for an easier lever.

Harder progression

Single-leg glute bridge, or add a light weight across the hips, then progress to the barbell hip thrust.

Alternatives

Barbell hip thrust, single-leg glute bridge.

Who may benefit

Beginners and anyone learning the hip-extension pattern, or rehabbing back into glute-focused training.

Who should modify or avoid it

Those with acute low back pain that worsens with hip extension should reduce range and check bracing technique.

Why this exercise works

It trains the same hip-extension pattern as the hip thrust with body weight only, letting beginners groove the 'drive through the heels, squeeze the glutes' pattern before adding external load.

⚠ Safety note

A comfortable, low-load exercise for most people; if the low back — not the glutes — is what feels like it's working, focus on the bracing cues before adding load.

Sources

“The gluteus maximus extends the thigh at the hip joint.”

Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.6 Appendicular Muscles of the Pelvic Girdle and Lower Limbs

Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19

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