Video Series - The Bridge

Find those glutes! WE know, we know! we sound like a recording stuck on repeat.  But, finding those glutes is a huge part of keeping you active!

This is a great exercise for learning to recruit your glutes and strengthening them and your core. Although it looks and sounds deceptively simple, it can be hard for many to feel this exercise and thus they go through the motions of doing it but don’t get the benefit. Make sure to really slow down and take the time to figure out what variation and position works for you.

Anyone from beginner to more experienced athlete can benefit from adding Bridges to their routine.

Bridge

Lie on your back, bend your knees so that your feet are relatively close to your glutes and in alignment (ie toes are pointing forward). Engage your core, press firmly down through your heels and slightly lift up your hips (activating a slight pelvic tilt). Then roll up one vertebra at a time until your body is in a straight line. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Hold and slowly lower reversing the roll through your vertebra.

Note: for yoga positioning, Bridge Pose often emphasizes opening your chest and shoulders. For this strength exercise we are really emphasizing glutes and core stability. Keep your entire back flat and core engaged with no excessive low back arch. 

Where do you feel this?

If you are only feeling this in your hamstrings or the back of your legs, come back down and bring your feet in just a bit closer to your hips so your fingertips just touch your heels. Again push through your heels and slowly start to raise your hips. 

If you find you simply cannot feel your glutes, try this alternative:

Bridge with alternating heel lift. Once you are in bridge position, lift just your left heel keeping your left toes on the ground. Press your heel back down and now raise just your right heel keeping your toes on the ground. 

Bridge with Alternating Heel Lift

Other Variations

With the basic Bridge, there are many variations to try as you build strength. You’ll find that some work better for you than others and everyone is different. We particularly like some of the one-legged variations. It’s quite likely that you’ll find one side is stronger than the other. That’s very common!

Bridge March

Once in bridge position, slowly raise one foot completely off the ground. The tendency is for your hip with your raised leg to drop. Make sure that your hips stay even. Coach often tells an athlete to imagine a water glass on each hipbone that is filled to the top that you don’t want to spill. If your hip drops it spills so sometimes this helps visualize how to do this exercise better. This does not need to be a big motion and if you find you cannot raise the entire foot, just try raising your heel. As you gain strength and control, you can progress.

Bridge March

One-Legged Bridge with Crossed Leg or Held Knee

Lie on your back with legs bent and bring one ankle up to the other knee so it is crossed. Slowly rise into Bridge. Lift and lower keeping this position. When you are done on one side switch to the other. This is also a hip opener and if you find the position does not work for you, instead of crossing the leg, bend your knee and bring to your chest and hold with your hands. Then perform Bridge.

Bridge with Crossed Knee

Single-Leg Bridge

This more advanced move forces core and glute stability to maintain even hips. Lie on your back with one foot planted close to your hips and the other leg straight up in the air. Without arching your back, initiate your glutes to bring you up in to a bridge. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions or until you can not maintain form or you start to feel this in your back and then switch sides.

No matter which variation you use, make sure you working to fire the correct muscles slowly and in control. This is more important than hitting any particular number of repetitions or jumping directly to the more challenging versions. If you are not feeling it in your glutes, try shifting positions and try some other variations. Remember, if you build it, strength will come!