Glutes exercise
Single-Leg Glute BridgeHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Glutes
- Also works
- Hamstrings
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Single-Leg Glute Bridge?
- Lie on your back with one knee bent and that foot flat.
- Straighten the other leg so both thighs are level.
- Press through your heel and squeeze your glute to lift your hips.
- Stop when your shoulders, hips and knee form a straight line.
- Lower slowly, then switch legs after your set.
Cues
- Keep your hips level, like a tray.
- Lifted leg stays in line with your thigh.
- Ribs down, squeeze at the top.
Common mistakes
- Letting one hip drop or twist.
- Arching your lower back to lift higher.
- Letting the lifted leg sag or swing.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Lie on your back on a mat, arms on the floor at the sides, palms down, head resting on the floor. Left knee bent, left foot flat, toes forward, placed in its normal hip-width spot so the heel will sit under the knee at the top (the same foot position as the two-leg glute bridge). Right leg straight, knee locked out softly, held in the air so its thigh lines up with the left thigh; the two thighs stay side by side, parallel. Brace the stomach so the lower back is flat.
The movement
Press the left foot into the floor, weight towards the heel, and squeeze the left glute to lift the hips. The pelvis rises until the shoulders, hips and left knee form one straight line. The right leg rides along with the left thigh, staying straight and in line with it the whole time; it does not swing, kick or drop. The pelvis stays level: the right hip does not sag and the hips do not twist. The shoulder blades stay on the floor, the arms only steady the body, and the neck does not push. Lower under control until the buttocks just touch the floor, then go again.
End position
Top: left hip at neutral extension (0°), a straight line from shoulders to the left knee, left knee bent about 90°, right leg straight and in line with the left thigh.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working foot | left, flat, toes forward | 0–15° out | |
| Working knee flexion at the top | 90° | 80–100° | [1] |
| Hip extension at the top (working side) | 0° | −5° to +5° (no lumbar arch) | [2] |
| Shoulder-hip-knee line at the top | straight | within 5° of straight | [2] |
| Free leg knee flexion | 0° | 0–10° | [3] |
| Free thigh against the working thigh | parallel, side by side | within 10° | [2][3] |
| Pelvis tilt side to side | 0° | under 5° (free side does not drop) | [2] |
| Pelvis rotation | 0° | under 5° | [2] |
| Upper back | shoulder blades on the floor | no weight on the neck | [2] |
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 Single-Leg 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
- Lehecka et al. 2017, Int J Sports Phys Ther 12(4):543–549, Building a better gluteal bridge: electromyographic analysis of hip muscle activity during modified single-leg bridges
- University of Sussex (Sussex Sport), Level One: Single Leg Hip Bridge
- North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, OPTIMISE home exercise programme
