Glutes exercise
Banded Glute BridgeHow to do it, with form in numbers
How to do it
How do you do the Banded Glute Bridge?
- Loop a mini band just above your knees.
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart.
- Press your knees out gently so the band is tight.
- Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips.
- Stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees, then lower slowly.
Cues
- Push your knees out against the band.
- Knees stay over your feet.
- Ribs down, squeeze at the top.
Common mistakes
- Letting the band pull your knees in.
- Arching your lower back at the top.
- Wearing the band on your kneecaps.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Lie on your back on a mat, knees bent, feet flat, hip-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead. Place the feet so the heels will sit under the knees at the top. Arms on the floor at the sides, palms down, head resting on the floor. Press the knees gently out so the band is taut and the knees sit over the feet. Brace the stomach so the lower back is flat.
The movement
As the glute bridge, with steady outward knee pressure. Keep pushing the knees out against the band, just enough that they stay in line with the hips and feet; they never cave in and never flare past the feet. Press the whole foot into the floor, weight towards the heels, and squeeze the glutes to lift the hips until the shoulders, hips and knees form one straight line. The shoulder blades stay on the floor; the ribs stay down. Lower under control until the buttocks just touch the floor, band still taut, then go again.
End position
Top: hips at neutral extension (0°), a straight line from shoulders to knees, knees bent about 90° and over the feet. With the knees over hip-width feet, the thighs are close to parallel, so hip abduction stays within a few degrees.
Tempo
About 2 s up, 1 s hold at the top, 2 s down, a short touch at the bottom without relaxing.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band position | just above the knees | lower third of the thigh, never on the kneecap | [1] |
| Stance width (heel centres) | 25 cm (hip-width) | 20–30 cm | [1] |
| Toe angle | 0° | 0–10° out | [1] |
| Knee spacing (front view) | over the feet, band taut | knee width equal to foot width, up to 5 cm wider | [1][2] |
| Hip extension at the top | 0° | −5° to +5° (no lumbar arch) | |
| Shoulder-hip-knee line at the top | straight | within 5° of straight | |
| Knee flexion at the top | 90° | 80–100° | |
| Upper back | shoulder blades on the floor | no weight on the neck |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Banded Glute Bridge is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- NASM, Active Recovery: Benefits and Best Practices (Kinsey Cave, NASM Master Instructor)
- Choi et al. 2015, J Electromyogr Kinesiol 25(2):310–315, Isometric hip abduction using a Thera-Band alters gluteus maximus muscle activity and the anterior pelvic tilt angle during bridging exercise
- Kennedy, Casebolt, Farren and Bartlett 2023, Int J Strength Cond 3(1), Effects of band-resisted abduction on muscle activity between the barbell hip thrust and barbell glute bridge
