A glute bridge is an exercise that strengthens your glutes and hamstrings while enhancing core stability. A glute bridge is extremely easy to add to your strength training workout, especially on those days when you plan on hitting booty and legs.
Just like its name suggests, performing the glute bridge is going to primarily target the glutes, specifically the muscle called the gluteus maximus, which is the biggest and strongest muscle in the gluteus area.
While you are performing the glute bridge, the hamstrings will also jump in to assist in this hip extension part of the exercise.
In addition, the transverse abdominis will be activated as you are keeping your core tight during the movement.
This great exercise will bring many benefits to your body, but some of the most important benefits of a glute bridge include:
– Glute Strength
The glute bridge will help you build some major strength in your lower body. Stronger glutes are going to be a big help in your performance in a variety of exercises, as well as your daily activities outside of the gym.
For example, the glute bridge can serve as a fantastic supplementary exercise if you are trying to reach a personal record on your deadlift, squat, or hip thrust.
Stronger muscles in your gluteal can also boost your performance in athletic movements that rely on lower body explosiveness, such as running or jumping.
– Improved Posture
You might be surprised to hear this, but your spine is not very likely to be the one responsible for your posture! For the majority of people, weak or tight hip flexors may actually be the ones to blame, and the issue is just reflected in your upper body area.
When they are tight or weak, hip flexors cause the lower back to over-activate, leading to back pain or stiffness. To avoid the pain and discomfort in the lower back, many people end up slouching over, especially if they spend a lot of hours every day working a desk job.
The glute bridge, and many other exercises will help you maintain proper posture by taking the pressure off your back muscles.
– Improved Aesthetics
If you are trying to build a bigger, more defined, or more toned butt (and who isn’t?), the glute bridge will be your friend on that journey. The basic glute bridge is an isolation exercise, which means that it directly targets your glute muscles, making your booty appear more balanced and well-rounded.
In order for this (and any other) exercise to be safe and effective, it must be performed in the good form. Here is how to properly do a basic bodyweight glute bridge.
There are several glute bridge variations, and each of them has a different purpose. The most popular variations of the glute bridges include:
The single leg glute bridge is performed similarly to the standard glute bridge, apart from the fact that one leg at the time is kept up, while the movement is performed, and one leg stays on the ground. Because you are using just one leg at a time, a single leg glute bridge is more intense than the bilateral version and will work your core muscles to a much bigger degree to help you with stability.
The weighted glute bridge is a fantastic variation of the glute bridge that will allow you to push your strength by adding weight. The weight can be added in any form (barbell, kettlebell, or dumbbell); make sure to use some cushion if you fell discomfort to your hips. Other than the extra weight, the weighted glute bridge is performed the same way as the standard glute bridge.
Glute Bridge with Band is just what the name suggests: a glute bridge performed with the resistance band. Place it around thighs, just above your knees. The band provides extra resistance, making the muscles work extra hard to complete the move.
It is best to avoid glute bridges if you are in the final stages of pregnancy, or have just delivered, if you are healing from surgery or an injury involving your back, abdomen, pelvis, hips, knees, or ankles or if you have an abdominal hernia. Make sure to stop the exercise if you feel pain in your lower back or in your hips. A burning sensation when you are starting a new exercise is normal, but doing a glute bridge should not hurt.
By strengthening the muscles in your gluteus area, the glute bridges will make your butt appear more toned, muscular, and bigger.
If your fitness goal is to keep yourself fit and strengthen your muscles, glute bridges are the perfect, effective exercise without being too challenging.
The main difference with hip thrust is that when performing a hip thrust you make a bigger range of motion. So if you are a beginner start with glute bridge first and then gradually progress towards hip thrust. But once you master it keep the glute bridge and its variations in your routine with hip thrust for best results.
These exercises are different, and they target muscles differently, but they are both great! Squats are a more compound movement that work legs to a bigger degree and glute bridges make more emphasis on your posterior muscles. The choice will depend on your fitness goals, but the best thing to do is to incorporate them both in your fitness routine.
If performing a glute bridge as a static exercise then the goal should be to hold in the position for about 15-30 seconds and feel the burn in your thighs and glutes during the workout. If that is too challenging initially, try holding for just a few seconds, increasing the time period as you get stronger.
Glute bridges can be done daily as part of a warm-up part of the workouts or a standard part of the strength workout routine. The ideal number of sets and reps would be 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps. If that is too easy then try some of the glute bridge variations.
If done regularly, regular glute bridge can help reduce your belly fat by burning more calories but bigger benefit of glute bridge is keeping your supporting muscles toned and firm.
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