The following article will look at four variations of the glute bridge and hip thrust exercises, which are ideal for building strong, shapely glutes. We will start with the bodyweight exercise typically known as a glute bridge and progress to weighted versions of the hip thrust exercise.
Try Glute Bridge Before Hip Thrust
Before attempting a heavy, loaded movement it’s always smart to try a bodyweight exercise initially as a warm-up. This way you can determine if there are any issues regarding that particular movement pattern. Try the first two bridge exercises or add a set of each as part of your warm-up before progressing to a more challenging hip thrust.
1. Bridge
2. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
3. Barbell Glute Bridge
4. Barbell Hip Thrust
Each of the bridge exercises start and finish while a supine position (on your back). When you progress to the hip thrust you will need additional equipment. As you can see with the first three numbered exercises, they all start from the floor. The fourth exercise, hip thrust, also begins partly on the floor but uses a bench to support the body in order to help thrust the weight. There are also hip thrust machines at some gyms and training studios which are a great training option.
Final Thoughts
All four of these exercises are great in their own right depending on your needs. The first two glute bridge variations work well as part of a dynamic warm-up before any strength session, especially on leg day. In any event, both glute bridge and hip thrust can be valuable exercises in your gym arsenal.
Stay Strong Together
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