How to do a Single Leg Glute Bridge
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Single Leg Glute Bridge
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is a variation on the more common Glute Bridge. Like Glute Bridge, this is a bodyweight exercise that targets your glutes. By performing the exercise one side at a time, you can ensure that you aren’t compensating for any discrepancies between sides. In addition, by performing this exercise with one leg at a time, you add more instability to the movement, which can help improve muscle activation.
- Lie flat on your back with both knees bent and feet firmly on the ground while extending your arms next to your torso, palms down.
- Brace your core by breathing into your stomach and flexing the abdominal muscles while also rotating your pelvis slightly upward.
- Extend your hips by pushing your right heel into the ground and simultaneously flexing your right glute until your hips are fully extended making a straight alignment from your knees to your shoulders.
- Descend back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite side.
Tips & FAQs
Single Leg Glute Bridge is also known as:
- One Leg Glute Bridge
- Single Leg Hip Bridge
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 Single Leg Glute Bridge standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
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Alternatives & Variations to Single Leg Glute Bridge
1. Hip Thrust
97 mSCORESWAPPED 11,103 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.
2. Barbell Hip Thrust
95.2 mSCORESWAPPED 10,686 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.
3. Glute Kickback Machine
94.6 mSCORESWAPPED 10,444 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.
4. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
69.3 mSCORESWAPPED 9,092 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.
5. Cable Hip Extension
89.9 mSCORESWAPPED 8,843 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.