Glute Bridge

Squeeze those glutes girrrrrlllllll!!

1. Start by lying down on your back on the ground.

2. Place your arms "palm down" on either sides of your body, shoulder-width or wider apart (depending on what's more comfortable for you), for support.

3. Bend your knees so that they face the ceiling/upward.

4. Make sure your legs and feet are hip-width apart or wider, depending on how comfortable you feel (the wider your hips, the more "glute" activation you'll get!)

5. Make sure your butt starts on the ground.

6. Your back should be flat against the ground.

7. You also should be looking straight up/forward.

8. *Now focus on the BUTT (hips) alone! Bring your butt upward and squeeze to feel the contraction of your glutes.

9. *You should be only working the glutes and hips! DO NOT lift your back up!

10. You should also be feeling the muscles in your back working as well.

11. Now carefully bring your BUTT (hips) back to the ground. Your back should touch the ground.

Tips

*Make sure to focus on the BUTT (hips)! Hands, arms and upper body (chest and back) should remain relaxed! Your GLUTES only can drive the entire movement!

*Adjust and make sure the position of hands and feet are comfortable for the Glute Bridge position.

*You should be feeling it in your back as well! The back muscles are every time you bring your glutes and body upward.

*Overall, you should be feeling this exercise in your butt, hips, back and chest.

The Glute Bridge is one of the best exercises to target the Glutes, Back and Chest primarily. The Glutes are the main driver, and they alone are capable of carrying the entire movement! Although it's common, it's IMPORTANT to NOT focus on the chest and back in this exercise. Trust your Glutes, girl!!! They got you! (This is a lower body workout!)

So let's get right into the GLUTES. What exactly to they do, you ask. Your GLUTEUS MAXIMUS Muscle, your largest glute (located you-know-where...), contracts the most in the Glute Bridge position. As you push your butt off the ground and into the air, you SQUEEZE the GLUTEUS MAXIMUS and force it into contraction. The GLUTEUS MAXIMUS alone, primarily take your butt off the ground every time you contract it in this position!

You have two other glute muscles called GLUTEUS MEDIUS and GLUTEUS MINIMUS, which are located at the sides of your hips. When you perform the Glute Bridge exercise, your GLUTEUS MEDIUS and GLUTEUS MINIMUS slightly help out the GLUTEUS MAXIMUS, but because of its location, it's very weak. However, in the Glute Bridge, the more you widen your hips, the more you'll really target the GLUTEUS MEDIUS and GLUTEUS MINIMUS muscles. So if you'd really like to target the side of the hips, widen those hips girrrllll and squeeze!

In your Back, you also feel your major Spine Muscle group called ERECTOR SPINAE GROUP contract. This group of muscles contract every time you "lift" your butt off the ground and contract the glutes.

THE MUSCLE BREAKDOWN

Glute Maximus (Your butt basically)

- Hip Extension movement (Contracts every time "push" your butt upward in the *Glute Bridge positon)

Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus (Your "side" hips)

- Hip Abduction primarily (Contracts every time your hips/legs move OUTWARD and AWAY from your entire body)

Erector Spinae Group (Your Spine Muscles)

- Spine Extension (Contracts "consequently" as a result of working your Gluteus Maximus in the Glute Bridge position)

Iliopsoas (THE WHAT? Your major hip flexor! The opposite of the Gluteus Maximus!)

- Hip Flexion movement (Contracts as you do the OPPOSITE and CAREFULLY bring your glutes back to the ground)

Rectus Abdominis "Six Pack" Muscle (opposite of "Spine Muscles")

- Spine Flexion (Contracts "consequently" as you do the OPPOSITE and CAREFULLY bring your glutes back to the ground)