← EXERCISE LIBRARYMobility
Glute Bridge
Floor-based hip extension that teaches the glutes to fire before the hamstrings and lower back do. The first hinge most people should own.
- 01Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and roughly hip-width, heels close enough to brush with the fingertips.
- 02Flatten the lower back gently into the floor and breathe out.
- 03Drive through the heels and lift the hips until the shoulders, hips and knees make one line.
- 04Squeeze at the top for a second, then lower the hips to the floor without letting the back arch.
- 01Push the floor away with the heels.
- 02Ribs stay down — the lift comes from the hips, not the spine.
- 03Squeeze the glutes at the top and hold it for a beat.
- 01Arching the lower back to get higher — the extra height comes from the spine and the glutes do less, not more.
- 02Feet too far from the hips, which hands the work to the hamstrings and often cramps them.
- 03Racing the reps and skipping the top squeeze, which is the part that actually teaches the pattern.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.