Glute bridge form check: a live coach on your phone
The glute bridge is the simplest way to train the glutes: lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a straight line. The common faults are a lift that stops short of that line, a lift driven by the lower back and feet set too far from the hips.
No equipment needed. Practise at home. Just do the rep properly in front of your phone. Bodyweight squats, push-ups and lunges need nothing at all, and you can check the hinge and press patterns with a very light weight or none: the coach judges your movement, not your kit.
What good looks like
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat, about a foot from your hips.
- Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top for a second, with your ribs down and your knees near a right angle.
- Lower under control until your hips almost touch the floor, then lift again.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Not reaching a straight line
If your hips stop short the glutes never fully contract. Lift until your hips line up with your shoulders and knees.
Arching the lower back
Pushing too high with an arched back moves the work from the glutes to the spine. Keep your ribs down and stop at a straight line.
Feet too far away
Feet far from your hips turn the bridge into a hamstring exercise. Walk them in so your shins are near vertical at the top.
What Formanti checks on your glute bridge
The top of every rep, judged the same way.
- Hips: 158–186°. hips up until shoulders, hips and knees are in one straight line
- Knees: 65–125°. knees bent near a right angle at the top
Your down
The low point of every rep, judged against the guide ranges.
- Hips: 90–160°. lower your hips almost to the floor between reps
What you hear and see when you are off
Lower your hips all the way down
The coach says: “Lower all the way”
On screen: Lower your hips all the way down.
Drill: Bridge for 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down, and tap the floor lightly with your hips each rep.
Lift your hips higher
The coach says: “Hips higher”
On screen: Lift your hips higher.
Drill: Bridges with a 2 second squeeze at the top, glutes tight, ribs down.
Move your feet a little further away
The coach says: “Feet a little further”
On screen: Move your feet a little further away.
Drill: Slide your feet out a hand's width and try again.
Bring your feet closer to your hips
The coach says: “Feet closer”
On screen: Bring your feet closer to your hips.
Drill: Set your feet about a foot from your hips and check your shins are vertical at the top.
Drills you can do alone
- Paused bridges: hold the top for two seconds with your glutes squeezed and your ribs down.
- Single-leg bridges with one foot raised, once the two-leg version is solid, on a floor with room to lie flat.
How to set up your phone
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Phone on the floor 2 metres to your side so your whole body is in view. Film from the side: back and hip angles cannot be judged head-on. It all runs on your phone and nothing is uploaded.
New: ranges from standard coaching references, not yet checked against real lifters.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I put the phone for a glute bridge?
On the floor about two metres to your side, so your whole body from shoulders to feet is in view while you are lying down.
How high should I lift?
To a straight line from your shoulders through your hips to your knees. Higher than that is the lower back arching, not more glute.
More lifts to check
Deadlift · Squat · Push-up · Lunge · Overhead press · Bent-over row · Romanian deadlift · Bicep curl · Tricep extension · Lateral raise · Pull-up · Dip · Sit-up · Jumping jack · Plank · Wall sit