Glute Bridge

The glute bridge is a bodyweight strength exercise where you lie on your back and lift your hips by squeezing your glutes. It trains your glute muscles and teaches the basic hip-hinge motion in a beginner-friendly way.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart. Keep your feet close enough that your fingertips can nearly touch your heels when your arms rest at your sides. Gently press your lower back into the floor so there is no gap beneath it, and relax your neck and shoulders.

Push through both heels, squeeze your glutes, and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause briefly at the top, then lower your hips back down with control and lightly touch the floor before repeating.

Breathe out as you lift your hips and breathe in as you lower them. Keep your ribs down and your abs lightly engaged throughout. To make the exercise easier, reduce how high you lift or simply hold the top position. To make it harder, lift one foot off the floor or add a weight across your hips.

Fault: Arching your lower back and pushing your hips too high. Fix: Lift only until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, and keep your ribs down.

Fault: Rising onto your toes or letting your heels lift off the floor. Fix: Keep your whole foot flat and drive through your heels as you lift.

Fault: Letting your knees cave inward or flare outward. Fix: Keep your knees in line with your toes and hips throughout the movement.