How to do an Elevated Hip Bridge
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About this exercise
- Sets Logged
- 966,678
- Popularity Rank
- 123rd
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Glutes Strength
- 96 mSCORE 5th
- Equipment Required
Flat Bench
Workouts with Elevated Hip Bridge
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
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.
- Lie flat on your back with your feet elevated onto step or plyo box, hip-width apart, and your knees bent to 90 degrees.
- Place your arms to your side with your palms on the ground.
- Slightly tilt your hips upward while placing tension in the abdomen to keep the back flush with the floor.
- Begin extending your hips by flexing your glutes until your hips are fully extended or there is a straight alignment from your knees to your shoulders.
- Control the movement as you descend your hips back to the ground.
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.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Elevated Hip Bridge standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
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Alternatives & Variations to Elevated Hip Bridge
1. Barbell Hip Thrust
95.2 mSCORESWAPPED 6,696 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. Hip Thrust
97 mSCORESWAPPED 5,221 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.
3. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
69.3 mSCORESWAPPED 4,989 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.
4. Glute Kickback Machine
94.6 mSCORESWAPPED 4,821 TIMESGlute 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.
5. Cable Hip Extension
89.9 mSCORESWAPPED 4,617 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.