How to do a Barbell Glute Bridge
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Barbell Glute Bridge
Workouts with Barbell Glute Bridge
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Barbell Glute Bridge is a weighted variation of the more standard Glute Bridge. Like other Glute Bridge variations, this exercise primarily targets your glutes. By placing a barbell across your hips, you can add significantly more resistance than bodyweight alone. This is a great variation for developing both strength and power in your glutes.
- Lie on your back and position a barbell across your hips. Place your feet flat on the floor.
- Contract your glutes and hamstrings to push your heel through into the ground and raise your hips.
- Hold this position for the duration of this exercise once your hips are inline with your shoulders and knees.
- Slowly allow your hips to descend back into the starting position.
- You should feel tension in your glutes and hamstrings.
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Over Extending
Don’t drive your hips as far as you can. This can increase your risk of injury, and doesn’t benefit the exercise itself. Drive your hips forward to a point where you feel good activation in your glutes, and hold that position.
Alternative Exercises to Barbell Glute Bridge
1. Barbell Hip Thrust
95.2 mSCORESWAPPED 4,621 TIMESBarbell Hip Thrust is a more challenging, weighted variation of the Hip Thrust. Beyond the added resistance from using a barbell, you’ll also place your shoulder blades on a flat bend in or to raise yourself off the ground. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Hip Thrusts more challenging.
2. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
69.3 mSCORESWAPPED 2,735 TIMESThis exercise is a weighted variation of the more common Glute Bridge. Like other Glute Bridge variations, this exercise primarily targets your glutes. By placing a dumbbell against your hips, you can add a bit more resistance to this exercise. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Glute Bridge a bit more challenging.
3. Dumbbell Hip Thrust
88.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,431 TIMESThis exercise is a weighted variation on the more standard Hit Thrust. By holding a dumbbell against your hips, you can add a bit more resistance to this usually bodyweight exercise. This is a great variation for adding a bit more difficulty to your Hip Thrusts.
4. Hip Thrust
97 mSCORESWAPPED 988 TIMESHip Thrust is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your glutes. This is a great beginner exercise that can help you learn and develop your glute drive, which is helpful for a number of different exercises and general movements. It’s a simple and easy to perform exercise that can help you develop strength.
- Beginner
- Glutes
5. Cable Hip Extension
89.9 mSCORESWAPPED 918 TIMESCable Hip Extension is an exercise that involves strapping your leg to a cable machine, and then extending your leg out behind you. The use of a cable allows you to have precise control over the direction your resistance is coming from. This lets you perform this exercise from a standing position unlike many other similar exercises that require you to lay on the ground.
- Beginner
- Glutes
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable