The Glute Bridge And How To Use It In Your Workout

Want a better butt? Let’s face it: Almost every guy or gal could use an improvement. Want to know how to get it done? We give you all the info you need to get to work on it.

We all love to admire a sexy butt. Speaking for all the women out there, we like men to have a nice badonkadonk just as much as you like for us to have one. Even if you weren’t genetically blessed in the back region, you can still build a protruding posterior by adding a specific exercise to your legs day routine.

Which one?

The glute bridge.

Glute bridges could make all the difference in the size, shape, and performance of your glutes. You could see up to a 50% size gain and unleash new athletic capabilities. The only complaint you’ll have is finding jeans to house that entire ass mass.

If you’re ready to build powerful haunches, then we have everything you need to know about the glute bridge exercise and how to use it in your workout right here!

A Simple Little Lift For Big Ass Gains (Literally)

The glute bridge, also known as a hip thrust, is easy to perform an exercise that works seamlessly for any lifter at any experience level. People who incorporate them regularly into their workout routines will attest that their glutes have grown substantially. So here’s the best way how to get a bigger butt! Some say that their glutes have grown up to 50% larger (and rounder) within months.

Does a 50% size increase sound too good to be true?

Whether you are looking for the aesthetic benefit or the athletic perks, hip thrusts should be your go to exercise at least two to four times per week depending on how fast you want your butt to grow.

This simple lift will give you big ass gains.

Side note: There is one slight difference between a glute bridge and a hip thrust, and that is the placement of your shoulders. If your shoulders are flat on the ground, you are doing a glute bridge. If your shoulders are stabilized on an elevated surface, like a box or bench, you are performing a hip thrust.

Reap The Benefits Of Glute Bridges

As mentioned, growing your glutes is aesthetically appealing, but there are additional benefits.

For example:

• You could consider glutes part of your core because of their location and function. When you incorporate glute bridges into your workout regimen, you’ll prevent or remedy lower back pain because this exercise strengthens the lower back thus providing more core strength and stabilization.
• You’ll be practicing proper lumbopelvic function and form.
• You will notice that it’s easier to move faster whether you’re walking, jogging or sprinting because the posterior powerhouse is stronger. The glutes yield explosive power!

How is this possible? 

The gluteus major, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus are the muscles that make up the gluteal muscle group, the largest group of muscles in the human body.

Stuart McGill, Ph.D. states in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, “Given the anatomic and biomechanical synergy with the pelvis, the gluteal muscles may also be considered to be essential components as primary power generators.” What McGill is trying to say is that hip extension is one of the raw power forces used in almost all sports. Envision gymnastics movements, swinging a baseball bat, the movements of track and field athletes, a forceful kick to a soccer ball or jumping for a slam dunk in basketball. These movements all require hip extension.

For weightlifters, bodybuilders, CrossFitters and powerlifters, strong glutes will help strengthen other leg day lifts in the weight room and they produce the coveted aesthetics for the sports that require it, like bodybuilding. What it boils down to is this: The more powerful your glutes are, the more force you are able to produce and the more athletic you are and appear to be.

This Is Why Glute Bridges Reign When It Comes To Shaping And Strengthening

Glute bridges actually target the gluteal muscles instead of using them secondarily like in most compound movements.

For example, exercises like squats and deadlifts recruit the glutes as helpers, but they aren’t the main muscle targeted during those exercises. Squats and deadlifts don’t maximize your hip extension, so your quads and hammies tend to get more of the load using only assistance from the glutes to perform those exercises. Therefore, squats and deadlifts strengthen legs and minimally strengthen glutes.

Don’t stop squatting and deadlifting. Just incorporate hip thrusts for a well-rounded leg day routine. Using glute bridges, you’ll obtain maximum gluteal hypertrophy because you take advantage of the end of range hip extension using either body weight or heavy weights.

Here’s the best part: Not only will your butt be aesthetic as can be, you’ll gain raw strength and power because you’ve awakened the giants that have been hiding in the back of your pants. Your posterior powerhouse will make you jump higher, run faster and you’ll have added core strength.

And to think, for 20 years your parents told you those powers came from your new tennis shoes!

Start Off With Your Bodyweight On The Glute Bridge

It’s not too often that you catch men doing hip thrusts and that’s a shame. If you are too embarrassed to do these in the gym because of the awkward looking thrusting motion, you can start from home on your living room floor – at least until you need to add weights!

Start by lying on your back, hands by your sides, knees bent so your feet are flat on the floor and your spine is in a neutral position. Make sure your feet are hip-width apart and firmly placed flat on the floor.

You’ll be driving your weight using your heels.

Drive your feet into the ground while you extend your hips skyward. Make sure you are squeezing your glutes. Extend your hips until your body forms a bridge. You should have straight body alignment from your knees, to your hips and through your shoulders. Hold for a two-second count at the top of the motion while squeezing your glutes.

Reverse the motion. Lower your body in one smooth motion. Don’t completely relax on the floor before moving into the second repetition. Because you’re only using body weight, you can do high repetition volume.

Push yourself to do three sets to failure.

Glute Bridge Challenging Variations

We get it. No one likes to do the same thing all the time. The good news is that you really don’t have to.

Simply include any of the following exercise variations and build your booty.

Barbell Glute Bridges

An arm pump is nice, but have you ever had a glute pump?

It’s a weird feeling when the top of your flexed buttocks can graze your lower back as you walk, but it’s pretty cool knowing you have that shelf back there (spoken from experience).

Load the bar heavy and get ready for the burn. Female bodybuilders can rep weights nearing 250 pounds. Men, that means you can work up to repping over 400 pounds for this lift. If you thought glute bridges were for sissies, think again.

Secure a low bench and a barbell. If you’re going to lift lighter than 135 pounds (the bar and two 45s), use Olympic weights on the bar. They are large in circumference and come in light weights (like 10s and 25s).

The Olympic plates raise the bar up high enough to roll the bar over your legs/thighs for proper placement.

The bar should sit directly on your hips, close to your crotch. You may want to use something for padding like the black tubing that some use on the bar for squats or your towel to relieve pressure. It will also prevent a mark from the bar that your girlfriend or wife might mistake for a hickey on your hips. Your shoulders should be braced on the bench right below your shoulder blades. Now you are ready for your first rep.

Drive your feet into the ground while you extend your hips skyward.

Your body should make a flat bridge meaning your shoulders, hips and knees should be in perfect alignment. Hold for a two count while squeezing the glutes. That’s the most important part. When you move downward, don’t let the weights touch the floor before you do the second rep. Repeat this motion for your sets.

Complete three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.

Single Leg Hip Thrusts

Single leg hip thrusts can be completed using only body weight, using bands or they can be executed with a barbell. As you already know, if you switch to single leg barbell thrusts, you have to lighten the weight.

Secure a low bench (or lie down on the floor) with your feet flat and knees bent. Your bands should be placed just above your knees. Raise one leg off of the ground, and pull that knee inward toward your chest. This will be your starting position.

Drive through the heel of your foot that is stabilizing your body on the ground. It’s okay if your toes come off the ground and point upward as long as you are driving through the heel. Extend your hip upward and raise your glutes off the ground. Reverse the motion. Lower your body in one smooth motion.

Don’t completely relax on the floor before moving into the second repetition.

Visuals are helpful for perfecting your form. As a result, you might want to check out YouTube. Make sure to view at least a couple of videos for each exercise as you don’t want to run the risk of viewing someone’s incorrect attempt and thinking that’s the right way.

Single Leg Elevated Reverse Hip Thrusts

Here is yet another variation of a hip thrust except you reverse your position. You elevate your feet on a bench or box and keep your shoulders flat on the floor. This can be done with bands or just body weight.

Secure a bench or a box. Lie down on the floor, arms flat by your sides and your butt about a foot away from the bench. Your knees should be bent and on top of the bench.

Dig your heels into the bench padding close to the edge of the bench. Lift one leg so that you’re holding it at a diagonal.

Rise into the bridge position by pressing your hips skyward with the foot planted on the bench. At the top of the movement, the leg you are lifting should form a diagonal line from your ankle through your leg to your hip and to your shoulder, or you can pull your knee toward your chest. Hold at the top of the motion for a two count. Lower yourself slowly without completely touching the floor and then push into your second repetition. Once again, this is a bodyweight exercise, so push yourself to do high volume sets.

Use All Variations For Your Glute Bridges

Glute bridges should be a staple exercise in your workout program just like squats. Just as you would incorporate different variations of squats in your routines, it’s just as vital to include different variations of glute bridges.

Some days, go heavy. Other days go high volume low to no weight repetitions. Use the bands. Variation will allow you to do glute bridges more times per week and will yield the powerful, well-rounded glutes that you desire.

Conclusion

Get that aesthetic ass and unleash the power you never knew you had back there. Once you start doing glute bridges and seeing results, you’ll never look back (unless it’s to admire your own sexy butt).

All joking aside, your glutes can become your most powerful driving force. Besides the look, you’ll also be impressed with your own increased athletic performance.

Now that you know everything you need to know about glute bridges and how to use them in your exercise routine, get busy building your butt!

By Sarah Chadwell, CPT