Glute Bridge 101: Benefits, Essentials, and Variations

The glute bridge exercise is an excellent way to target the posterior chain. It's an exercise that plays an important role in activating the glutes and helps set the foundation for building the booty your clients want.

In this article, we explore glute anatomy, glute activation, and how to do the glute bridge exercise. Plus, we included a few of our favorite glute bridge variations to shake up your workouts.

Muscles Worked by the Glute Bridge

The glutes are the primary muscle group worked by the glute bridge. Of this muscle group, the gluteus maximus is the most affected.

The secondary muscles worked in a glute bridge include the hamstrings and abdominal muscles. The transverse abdominis muscle is the primary core muscle worked. These muscles engage during the hip extension portion of the exercise.

Anatomy of the Glutes

The glutes are important muscles. Although many clients train their glutes for aesthetic purposes, the gluteal muscles play a significant role in both day-to-day functions and athletic performance.

The glutes are comprised of three muscles:

• Gluteus maximus

• Gluteus medius

• Gluteus minimus

Although they are attached at different angles and depths within the body and have additional attachment points (gluteus maximus: sacrum and coccyx, gluteus minimus: sciatic notch), all three muscles originate on portions of the ilium and insert near the greater trochanter (1)(2)(3).

The gluteus maximus is the largest glute muscle and is responsible for the majority of the shape of the buttocks. It plays a major role in hip extension and supports the lateral rotation of the leg (1).

The gluteus medius is positioned between the gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus. It is responsible for the abduction and medial rotation of the leg (2).

And finally, the gluteus minimus is the smallest and deepest glute muscle. Similar to the gluteus medius, it is responsible for the abduction and medial rotation of the leg (3).

All three work together to stabilize the pelvis and play a huge role in walking, sitting, running, etc.

Glute Activation

Ensuring the activation of the muscles is an important component of success. This can be a challenge with the glutes because tight hip flexors (oftentimes from excessive sitting) and other muscle imbalances can contribute to weak glutes or discourage the glute muscles from firing the way they should.

The glutes play an important role in many movements and are essential in athletic performance but if the glutes aren't firing, other muscles have to take over to support the movement.

The first step in glute training is often corrective exercise. Static and dynamic movement assessments should be used to determine if there is a pelvic tilt or other dysfunction in the kinetic chain impacting glute activation. Then, using the proper exercises, trainers can activate and strengthen the glute muscles.

Benefits of Healthy, Strong Glutes

Because the glutes play such a large role in movement, appearance, and performance, having strong, balanced glutes that fire properly poses some awesome benefits:

• Can provide a nice shape to the buttocks

• Improve performance

• Can help reduce injury

• May reduce pain in the back and knees

The glute bridge is a key exercise that can activate, strengthen, and support the development of healthy glutes.

How to Do the Basic Glute Bridge

Your client will begin lying on their back with a mat between their body and the floor. They will bend their knees and place the bottoms of their feet on the floor (feet should be about hip-width apart). The head and neck should be in a straight line with the rest of the spine and the arms should rest at the sides of the body.

Keeping the upper back pressed into the ground, the client will raise their hips toward the ceiling, squeezing the glutes at the top while pausing for a few seconds before slowly lowering the hips back down to the ground.

Glute Bridge vs Hip Thrust

While they may seem like similar movements, glute bridges and hip thrusts affect the muscles in slightly different ways. The primary difference between these two exercises is in the back positioning. The glute bridge is executed with the back on the floor. The hip thrust is completed with the shoulders and upper back on an elevated surface such as leaning on a bench.

The elevated positioning of the hip thrust creates greater hip flexion than seen in a glute bridge. There is a great range of motion and a bigger stretch through the glutes.

Additionally, while both exercises work the glutes, the glute bridge is typically used for glute activation. The hip thrust focuses on glute strengthening as you adjust the weight of the barbell across the hips (barbell hip thrust).

Glute Bridge Variations

Horizontal loading exercises are ideal for building the glutes. The glute bridge is a good example of that. Plus, the glute bridge has several effective exercise variations for an added challenge or to change up a workout.

1. Single-Leg Glute Bridge

The starting position for the single-leg glute bridge is the same as the basic glute bridge (lying on back, knees bent, bottoms of the feet on the floor, head and spine in alignment, etc.). Lift one foot a few inches off the floor, keep the hips square, and push the pelvis toward the ceiling. Squeeze the glutes for a few seconds at the top and slowly lower back down to the ground. After completing the appropriate number of reps, switch to the opposite side of the body.

2. Banded Glute Bridge

Just like the single-leg glute bridge, the starting position for the banded glute bridge exercise is the same as the basic glute bridge. The client will position a resistance band around their legs, slightly above their knees (ensure the resistance band is the appropriate tension for your client's fitness level). Raise the hips while pressing the knees outward (keeping tension on the band) and squeeze the glutes at the top before slowly lowering the butt back down to the starting position.

3. Barbell Glute Bridge

Beginning in the same starting position as the basic glute bridge, the client will rest a padded barbell (weighted appropriately for the client's fitness level) across their hips just above their pubic bone, keeping a firm grip on the barbell with both hands. With the spine in alignment and the chin tucked, the client will press the hips up and squeeze the glutes at the top and lower back down to the ground.

4. Glute Bridge with Hamstring Curl

If clients can execute the glute bridge with proper form and want to add in a hamstring challenge, this is the exercise for them. The client will start in the same position as the basic glute bridge; however, the heels will rest on top of sliders. When the client reaches the top of the glute bridge, they will use their hamstrings to pull their heels toward their butt, push them back out and then slowly lower the pelvis to the floor.

As with all exercises, proper form is essential. Before adding weight to any glute bridge variation, ensure clients are properly executing the basic glute bridge. They should be able to feel these exercises in the glutes (not in their back), focus on mind-muscle connection, and squeeze the butt (but not hyperextending the lumbar spine) at the top.

Interested in becoming a Certified Glute Specialist?

Check out ISSA's Glute Specialist course! It's a unique credential that helps you master one of the top "trouble areas" of the body and ultimately build the glute shape and function many of your clients desire.

References

1. Elzanie A, Borger J. "Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Maximus Muscle." StatPearls[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020

2. Shah A, Bordoni B. "Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Medius Muscle." StatPearls[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020.

3. Beck M, Sledge JB, Gautier E, Dora CF, Ganz R. "The anatomy and function of the gluteus minimus muscle." J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2000 Apr;82(3):358-63.