Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Lying on your back with one foot planted and the other leg raised, you drive through the planted heel to lift your hips, training one glute at a time.
- Primary muscles
- Glutes
- Secondary
- Hamstrings, Lower back
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
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Why do it
Working one leg at a time puts much more load on the working glute than a two-legged bridge, without any weights. It also shows side-to-side differences and makes you keep your pelvis level, which a regular bridge barely asks for. It suits home training and anyone who has outgrown bodyweight bridges but doesn't want to set up a barbell. Once it gets easy, move on to the single-leg hip thrust with your shoulders on a bench.
How to do it
Lie on your back with one foot flat on the floor close to your glutes and the other leg extended straight or held with the knee bent above the hip.
Drive through the planted heel and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulder to knee.
Keep your hips level and squeeze the glute at the top.
Lower slowly without resting on the floor and finish all reps before switching sides.
Common mistakes
Letting the hip drop on the free side
The unsupported side sinks and twists, and the working glute does less. Keep both hip bones level, as if balancing a glass of water on your belly.
Pressing through your toes
Lifting onto the ball of your foot moves the push toward the front of your thigh. Keep the planted heel down and drive through it.
Resting on the floor between reps
Touching down gives the glute a break and makes each rep start from a dead stop. Lower until you just hover above the floor and go again.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
