Muscles worked
The banded glute bridge gives your glutes two jobs at once. The gluteus maximus lifts your hips with help from the hamstrings, while the gluteus medius and minimus, on the side of your hip, hold your knees apart against the band. The band pulls your knees together all set, so the side of your hip works even at the bottom. It adds no weight to the lift itself, which is why the exercise often serves as a warm-up before squats and deadlifts.
Common mistakes
- The band is in the wrong place. On your kneecaps or shins it digs in and can roll up. Place it flat just above your knees, and try a fabric band if rubber ones will not stay put.
- Your feet roll onto their outer edges. As your knees push into the band, your feet tend to follow and lift on the inside. Keep your big toe and heel down throughout.
- The band is too strong. If the side of your hip tires before halfway, the lift suffers. Choose a band that lets you keep your knees in place and still lift your hips fully.
Variations and alternatives
- The glute bridge without a band is the base exercise, and better when you want weight across your hips.
- The clamshell uses the same band to isolate the side of the hip, lying on your side.
- The dumbbell hip thrust is the next step when you want to load the lift, and the band can stay on.
Sets and reps
Before a leg session, one or two sets of 12 to 15 reps usually get your glutes going, and the guide to warming up has more ideas. As a main exercise, two to three sets of 15 to 25 reps work, or fewer reps with a three-second hold at the top and your knees pressed out. The guide to sets and reps shows how the set-up changes with your goal.
Make it harder with a stronger band, a longer hold at the top, one foot at a time or a dumbbell across your hips. Take one step at a time and note the band's colour in your log. Bands follow the same progressive overload principle as weights.