Glute Bridge

1. 1

   Set up on the floor

   Show position 1

   Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat about hip-width apart. Rest the arms beside you and relax the shoulders.^{4Building stronger legsMatthew Solan · Harvard Health Publishing · reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD · 1 Dec 2025; bridge …}

2. 2

   Brace and breathe

   Show position 1

   Gently tighten the abdominals before moving. Exhale while lifting and inhale while lowering; keep the abdominal tension.^{1Glute Bridge ExerciseAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 49 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oc…}

3. 3

   Lift from the hips

   Show position 2

   Press through the feet and squeeze the glutes. Lift towards a line through shoulders, hips and knees, keeping the shoulder blades down.^{3Build Lower-Body Strength One Bridge at a TimeCleveland Clinic Health Essentials · Rebecca Justen, DPT, quoted · 25 Aug 2026; article read 15 Oc…}

   CueSqueeze the glutes as you lift.^{5Squat Alternatives — Floor BridgesNASM · displayed byline Heather Cherry, author link names Kinsey Mahaffey · updated 1 Oct 2025; Fl…}

4. 4

   Return under control

   Show position 1

   Lower slowly to the starting position. Do not let the hips fall to the mat.^{1Glute Bridge ExerciseAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 49 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oc…5Squat Alternatives — Floor BridgesNASM · displayed byline Heather Cherry, author link names Kinsey Mahaffey · updated 1 Oct 2025; Fl…}

These positions let you record your current version. They are not compulsory unlocks or a repetition programme.

• Chasing height

  Pushing too high tends to arch the lower back. Keep the abdominals engaged.^{1Glute Bridge ExerciseAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 49 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oc…}

• Lifting the shoulders

  Keep the shoulder blades on the floor; choose a comfortable height.^{3Build Lower-Body Strength One Bridge at a TimeCleveland Clinic Health Essentials · Rebecca Justen, DPT, quoted · 25 Aug 2026; article read 15 Oc…}

• Holding the breath

  Maintain the brace while continuing to breathe.^{1Glute Bridge ExerciseAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 49 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oc…}

• Losing control on the way down

  Lower gradually rather than dropping out of the top position.^{2Glute Bridge: Single-Leg ProgressionAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 145 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 O…5Squat Alternatives — Floor BridgesNASM · displayed byline Heather Cherry, author link names Kinsey Mahaffey · updated 1 Oct 2025; Fl…}

• Upper back on a bench

  Equipment

  The bench-supported version changes the upper-body support. ACE demonstrates it with dumbbells. It is not a synonym for the floor bridge.^{6Elevated Glute BridgeAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 367 · no byline/date; short description read 1…}

• Bridge march

  Hold the bridge and alternate lifting the feet while keeping the hips steady.^{3Build Lower-Body Strength One Bridge at a TimeCleveland Clinic Health Essentials · Rebecca Justen, DPT, quoted · 25 Aug 2026; article read 15 Oc…}

• Band above the knees

  Equipment

  Add a band above the knees and gently press out against it while lifting.^{3Build Lower-Body Strength One Bridge at a TimeCleveland Clinic Health Essentials · Rebecca Justen, DPT, quoted · 25 Aug 2026; article read 15 Oc…}

• Weight across the hips

  Load

  NASM adds a dumbbell or sandbag at the hips while retaining the floor setup.^{5Squat Alternatives — Floor BridgesNASM · displayed byline Heather Cherry, author link names Kinsey Mahaffey · updated 1 Oct 2025; Fl…}

• Feet on a stability ball

  Equipment

  Rest the feet on a stability ball. Keep it still while lifting and lowering.^{7Glute Bridge — stability ballAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 66 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oc…}

Related skillsBodyweight SquatLungePlank

On Calisthenics Balkan

• Read about Fundamentals in LearnThe movement family this skill belongs to, and how it fits into calisthenics.
• Athletes with Glute Bridge on their profileSkill labels on profiles are set by the athletes themselves and are not verified.
• All movements in the AtlasCalisthenics movements, one at a time: what they are, how they are done and the steps that lead to them.

What this page relies on. Titles and publishers are written as published.

The small numbers in the text point to the entries below.

1. 1Glute Bridge ExerciseAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 49 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oct 2026; research S-0114 (corrected URL)
2. 2Glute Bridge: Single-Leg ProgressionAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 145 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oct 2026; demonstrates a tucked free knee, not this page's extended-leg figure
3. 3Build Lower-Body Strength One Bridge at a TimeCleveland Clinic Health Essentials · Rebecca Justen, DPT, quoted · 25 Aug 2026; article read 15 Oct 2026; technique and variation descriptions only, benefit claims not used
4. 4Building stronger legsMatthew Solan · Harvard Health Publishing · reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD · 1 Dec 2025; bridge instructions read 15 Oct 2026
5. 5Squat Alternatives — Floor BridgesNASM · displayed byline Heather Cherry, author link names Kinsey Mahaffey · updated 1 Oct 2025; Floor Bridges section read 15 Oct 2026; therapeutic claims not used
6. 6Elevated Glute BridgeAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 367 · no byline/date; short description read 15 Oct 2026; bench-supported version with dumbbells
7. 7Glute Bridge — stability ballAmerican Council on Exercise · exercise library, ID 66 · no byline/date; technique text read 15 Oct 2026; a separate apparatus variation

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