We focus on 3 Gluteal muscles: maximus, medius, and minimus.  The bridge is a great way to hit all three of these using both large and small range movements, both in turned out posture and in parallel.

Cueing the Glute Bridge (basic parallel posture): 

Start by lying face up on the floor with arms to the side, knees bent, and feet on the ground.  Lift your hips a few inches off the ground, squeezing your glutes as you hold your hips to the top. Knees should be positioned over your ankles, pressing your hips up as you pull the belly button inward to engage your core.  Your upper back (where your bra straps hit) should be relaxed onto the mat, as well as your head, neck and shoulders.  Begin movement by tapping your hips down to the mat and pressing hips back up.  The power of the movement should come through your hips and not from your heels/feet.

Common Mistakes:

Over extending the back (arching the back)

Benefits: So many!

-Not only is it great for firming the glutes, but the bridge is also important for improving core stabilization while the hips are extending.  This is very important in prevention of lower back pain, because the lumbar spine must be stabilized during lower body extension to reduce strain on the lower back.

-improves hip mobility and flexiblity

–strengthens you lower back and knees: The posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings) tend to get neglected. Whether it’s daily activities or high-intensity workouts, the quadriceps usually takeover and do most of the work which results in tight IT bands, leading to knee and back pain. Luckily, bridges fully engage that posterior chain, evening out muscle use.

-activates your core muscles (transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, and obliques) and your erector spinae group to improve posture

-great for athletes:  these create powerful gains which is what aids all athletic movements. Strengthening the glutes will helps you sprint faster, jump higher and be more explosive on the court or field.**Great for pelvic floor strength, especially when performed with ball in between thighs.**Your pelvic floor is the base of function for your body. Think about it as a sling of muscles that your torso sits in. You don’t have to be having incontinence issues to need pelvic floor strength. A weak pelvic floor can cause SI joint pain, low back and hip pain. So it’s very important to strengthen the pelvic floor.