How to do a Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Sets Logged
791,388
Popularity Rank
90th
Difficulty
Beginner
Glutes Strength
85 mSCORE 39th
Equipment Required

Target muscles worked

Primary Muscles
Glutes
Secondary Muscles
Hamstrings

Instructions for Proper Form

This 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.

  1. Lay face up on the floor and position your feet flat on the ground roughly shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and position it on top of your hips with one hand on each head of the dumbbell.
  3. Contract your glutes and hamstrings to raise your hips by pushing through your heels into the ground. Stop once your hips are in line with your knees and shoulder.
  4. Tense your glutes and hamstrings and hold this position for the duration of the exercise.
  5. Maintain good posture by keeping your shoulders and feet in contact with the floor.
  6. You should feel tension in your glutes and hamstrings.

Tips & FAQs

  • How effective are weighted glute bridges?

    Weighted glute bridges - with dumbbells - are very effective for strength and lean mass gain. They primarily target the gluteus maximus, and also engage the hamstrings and core muscles for stabilization. Adding a weight, like dumbbells, increases resistance, making the exercise more challenging and enhancing muscle strength and growth in the glutes and posterior chain.

Common Form Mistakes

  • 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 Dumbbell Glute Bridge

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  1. 1. Dumbbell Hip Thrust

    Photo of Dumbbell Hip Thrust being performed
    88.1 mSCORESWAPPED 11,116 TIMES

    This 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.

  2. 2. Hip Thrust

    Photo of Hip Thrust being performed
    97 mSCORESWAPPED 3,242 TIMES

    Hip 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.

  3. 3. Barbell Hip Thrust

    Photo of Barbell Hip Thrust being performed
    95.2 mSCORESWAPPED 3,192 TIMES

    Barbell 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.

  4. 4. Glute Kickback Machine

    Photo of Glute Kickback Machine being performed
    94.6 mSCORESWAPPED 2,791 TIMES

    Glute Kickback Machine is a variation on the more standard Single Leg Kickback. Unlike the standard variation, this exercise uses a machine to add resistance to the movement rather than just bodyweight. This gives you a bit more control over your resistance, and can be more easily scaled to your current capabilities. Additionally, the use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement. This lets you focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.

    • Beginner
    • Glutes
    • Glute Kickback Machine

  5. 5. Single Leg Kickback

    Photo of Single Leg Kickback being performed
    86.2 mSCORESWAPPED 2,780 TIMES

    Single Leg Kickback is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your glutes. The exercise requires you to engage your glutes, and kick your leg back and up with your knees bent. Targeting each side independently is a great way to identify discrepancies in mobility and strength between sides.

  6. 6. Cable Hip Extension

    Photo of Cable Hip Extension being performed
    89.9 mSCORESWAPPED 2,336 TIMES

    Cable 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.

  7. 7. Cable Pull Through

    Photo of Cable Pull Through being performed
    89.6 mSCORESWAPPED 1,990 TIMES

    Cable Pull Through is a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes. This exercise is similar to a kettlebell swing, although it can be performed much slower. The use of a cable allows for consistent tension throughout the movement while still developing your glute drive and hip hinge. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass and strength in their glutes, especially with regards to a hip hinge.

  8. 8. Kettlebell Swing American

    Photo of Kettlebell Swing American being performed
    83 mSCORESWAPPED 1,649 TIMES

    This exercise is a variation on the more common Kettlebell Swing. Like the more standard version, this is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the glutes. By swinging the kettlebell overhead, this exercise can better translate to some more advanced exercises like Snatches. This is a great exercise for developing power.

  9. 9. Single Leg Hip Thrust

    Photo of Single Leg Hip Thrust being performed
    80.4 mSCORESWAPPED 1,647 TIMES

    Single Leg Hip Thrust is a variation on the more standard Hip Thrust. Like other Hip Thrusts, this compound exercise primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. By performing the exercise one leg at a time, you add more instability to the movement, which can help improve muscle activation and address strength discrepancies between sides. This variation provides a greater focus on single-leg strength and balance.

  10. 10. Elevated Hip Bridge

    Photo of Elevated Hip Bridge being performed
    84.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,492 TIMES

    This exercise is a variation on the more standard Hit Thrust. Like Hip Thrust, this is a compound, bodyweight movement that primarily targets the glutes. By elevating your feet on a bench, or other surface, you can increase your range of motion, which can lead to better muscle activation. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their Hip Thrusts a bit more challenging.