That’s right, let me prove to you how hard I can make the “simple” bridge exercise. See a certified medical professional for diagnosis.. Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, A game of bridge: Why it’s great for your backside, 31 Ways You Can Use Sliders to Get a Full-Body Workout, Work More Muscles in Half the Time with These Compound Exercises. But that’s what we love about the bridge: It’s easy to add at the end of a workout just before you do your cooldown stretches. Maintain that straight line — overextending your hips can cause bowing in your lower back, which can do more harm than good. It’s an excellent exercise to build stability through your hips and core too. Slowly … With the glute bridge-which has countless variations, from the single-leg bridge to the band bridge kick -back positioning proves to be über important. This full-body TRX routine will fire up your upper body, lower body, and core like no other. Once you’ve got the basic form down, mix up your workout with one of these bridge variations: Before starting your bridge, place a weight on your hips to add resistance. For example, you can turn your toes and knees out or do the bridge entirely on your toes. It becomes more difficult when you straighten your leg, so work with where you’re at today. For this variation you will need a barbell to place across your hips. I just don’t feel like dressing up and driving. This time, you’re up on the toes of only one foot. Regularly doing a bridge or two can help keep your lower back strong, your posture perfect, and your butt toned. Now open your thighs. In fact, it’s one of only a few exercises that activates your buttocks so well. The second variation can be done with a loop, hip circle, tube, or therapy resistance band. As you press through your heels to lift into bridge position, straighten one leg so the other leg holds the bridge on its own. Place your feet hip-width apart. 13 hours ago, by Karenna Meredith Meet the shoulder bridge exercise. I agree. This variation takes some serious stability, so be prepared. The bridge exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and abs. Keep your feet close together and your knees touching throughout the entire movement. Don’t miss it! This activates your inner thighs more. And you can do it all in one fell swoop, thanks to the glute-toning wonder known as the bridge. As always, keep the movement under control and imagine your vertebrae lift up off the mat and then going back down. Start from the floor with feet & knees together. Raise your knees up. If you feel your form starting to wane, it’s time for a break. Lie on your back with arms at your sides and palms of hands against the floor. Lift your hips up. Place your palms on the floor beside you. Basic Glute Bridge Hold – If you’ve never done a glute bridge before, you need to start with the basic glute bridge... 2. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? The 7 Best Posture and Kyphosis Exercises for People Who Sit All Day. But with time, you can work up to a full minute. By signing up, I agree to the Terms & to receive emails from POPSUGAR. I thought that because my posture looked straight it was also straight. With one foot flat on the floor, raise one foot up towards the ceiling. Tighten lower back and abs as you flex your glutes (butt) and press your hips up. The weighted bridge is amazing for targeting the glutes and building strength, which will take all of your bridge variations to the next level. It’s okay if you need to bend your knee. Move your feet out wide to the edge of your mat with toes turned out. Or, maybe have fun with a friend or your kid? I personally do both isotonic and isometric exercises to get the benefits of both worlds. Episode 95 – Ready to have fun with a friend? It feels like too…. There are a couple of variations you can do with resistance bands. Translation? 10 Best Exercises for Lean Legs and Butt for Lazy People. Read more. I’d love to hear if you found this bridge workout challenging and which variation you enjoyed the most! 21 hours ago, by Grayson Gilcrease Engage your core for the entire exercise. Great, you may say to yourself, but how many bridges should I do? We've got a set of variations so you can turn this traditional exercise up a notch, but before we get started, check in and make sure you know how to do the classic bridge before progressing to more challenging variations.