# Shoulder Bridge: how to do it

- Main muscles: glutes, hamstrings
- Also works: abs, lower back
- Equipment: yoga mat
- Level: intermediate
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/shoulder_bridge/3742eef23c/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat, and roll up into a bridge on your shoulder blades.
2. Keeping your hips level, lift your right foot and stretch the leg to the ceiling, foot pointed.
3. Breathe in, flex the foot and lower the straight leg to the height of your other knee.
4. Breathe out, point the foot and kick the leg back up.
5. Do 3–5 kicks, place the foot down and change legs.

## Cues

- Hips level and lifted.
- Reach the leg long, kick from the hip.
- Press through the standing foot.

## Common mistakes

- Dropping the hips: keep the kicks smaller.
- Arching the back: draw the ribs in and keep the line from shoulders to knees.
- Rushing: control the lowering, then kick.

## The version in our demo

The classical mat Shoulder Bridge (Joseph Pilates, Return to Life; Balanced Body mat manual) with the leg kicks: in a bridge on the shoulder blades, one leg reaches to the ceiling, lowers straight with the foot flexed and kicks back up with the foot pointed, the pelvis level.

## Starting position

Roll up into a bridge (as pelviccurl): shoulders, hips and knees in a line, arms long, palms down.

## The movement

Keep the hips level and lift the right foot, stretching the leg to the ceiling, foot pointed. Flex the foot and lower the straight leg until it's level with the other knee; point the foot and kick it back up. After 3–5 kicks bend the knee, set the foot down and change legs.

## Breathing

In as the leg lowers, out as it kicks up.

## Tempo

6 s: bridge 0.3 s, leg up with control 1.3 s (the knee comes up, the shin passes level, the leg extends), lower 1.2 s (in), kick up 1 s (out), foot down 1.5 s (the knee bends and the foot returns the same way), bridge 0.7 s. Real practice: 3–5 kicks each leg.

## Form in numbers

- Bridge: shoulders, hips and knees in a line (within 4–8°), hips 29–32 cm up and still (0.0 cm), weight on the shoulder blades, head on the mat.
- Kicking leg: straight (knee 7°) at the top, vertical, foot pointed; lowered straight until the ankle is level with the other knee, foot flexed.
- Standing foot flat; arms long, palms pressing.

## Sources

1. J. Pilates and W. J. Miller, Return to Life through Contrology (1945), "The Shoulder Bridge".
2. Balanced Body, Pilates Mat instructor manual

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/shoulder-bridge