What muscles do glute bridges work?

Mainly the glutes, with the hamstrings and core helping. Where you put your feet changes the share: further away brings in more hamstrings, closer more quads.

Are glute bridges as good as hip thrusts?

They train the same muscles. The hip thrust has a longer range and is easier to load heavily; the glute bridge needs no bench and is easier to learn. Both have a place.

Why do I feel glute bridges in my hamstrings?

Usually because your feet are too far from your body. Bring your heels closer, push through them, and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Why do I feel it in my lower back?

Most often from arching at the top. Stop when your body forms a straight line, keep your ribs down, and finish the movement with your glutes.

Glute Bridge: Muscles Worked and How to Do It

Glute bridge: muscles worked and how to do it

The glute bridge trains your glutes, with your hamstrings and core helping. Lying on your back with your knees bent, you push your hips up until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.

It needs no equipment, so it works at home, as a warm-up or as a first glute exercise. Add a barbell or a dumbbell across your hips and it becomes a serious strength exercise; with your shoulders on a bench instead of the floor, it becomes the hip thrust.

At a glance

Main muscles: Glutes
Also works: Hamstrings
Core
Movement: Hip extension (bridge)
Equipment: Bodyweight, Barbell
Type: Compound (several joints)

Front

Back

How to do a glute bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart, heels a hand’s length from your glutes.
Put your arms on the floor beside you. If you use a weight, rest it across your hips and hold it in place.
Brace your stomach and tuck your chin slightly.
Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line.
Hold the top for a second, then lower your hips back to the floor under control.

Cues that help

"Push through your heels": your toes can almost lift off the floor.
"Ribs down": finish with your glutes, not by arching your lower back.
"Squeeze at the top": a one-second hold makes a light bridge much harder.
"Knees out": keep them in line with your feet, not falling in.

Common mistakes

Arching the lower back at the top to get the hips higher. The line ends at your hips; going further is your back, not your glutes.
Feet too far from your body, which shifts the work towards the hamstrings (and can cramp them).
Feet too close, which brings in more quads.
Bouncing off the floor instead of lowering under control.

Glute bridge or hip thrust?

They are the same movement. In a glute bridge your shoulders are on the floor, so your hips travel a shorter distance; in a hip thrust your shoulders rest on a bench, which gives a longer range and usually allows more weight.

The bridge is easier to set up and needs only a floor. If you want to load your glutes heavily, the hip thrust is the natural next step.

Sets, reps and weight

Bodyweight: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps, or as a warm-up before squats and deadlifts.
With a weight, for muscle: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
Rest about 1 to 2 minutes between sets.
A pad or folded towel under a barbell makes it much more comfortable on the hips.

Variations and alternatives

Single-leg glute bridge: one foot on the floor, the other leg straight; much harder without any weight.
Banded glute bridge: a band just above the knees, pushing them out.
Barbell glute bridge: a barbell across the hips for heavy sets.
Hip thrust: shoulders on a bench, a longer range.
Romanian deadlift: glutes and hamstrings in a standing hinge.

Tracking your glute bridges

PushBeyond logs the weight and reps of each set, including bodyweight sets, and charts the history of the exercise. Its muscle map counts the glute bridge for your glutes, with your hamstrings and core as helpers.