Muscles worked
Frog pumps target the glutes. With soles together and knees out, your hips are turned outwards, and in that position the hamstrings tend to do less than in an ordinary glute bridge, so your glutes take more of the lift. The movement is short, with most of the work at the top. Your inner thighs stay stretched throughout, and your abs keep your ribs down.
Common mistakes
- You force your knees down. Hips differ in how far they open, and pressing your knees towards the floor can cause discomfort in the groin. Let them fall only as far as is comfortable, and move your heels further from your bum if it feels cramped.
- You bounce off the floor. High reps invite a fast tempo where your hips rebound. Touch the floor lightly at the bottom and hold for a second at the top.
- Your neck strains. Pressing your head down or lifting your chin tenses your neck. Let your head rest and use your arms on the floor for support.
Variations and alternatives
- The glute bridge with your feet flat gives a longer movement and is easier to add weight to.
- The banded glute bridge also trains holding your knees out, but with your feet flat and hip-width apart.
- The clamshell works the side of the hip with your knees apart, lying on your side.
- The barbell hip thrust is the step up when you want to load your glutes heavily.
Sets and reps
Frog pumps are almost always done for high reps. Two to three sets of 20 to 30 is common, or sets close to failure to finish a leg session. In a warm-up, one set of 15 to 20 is enough to wake up your glutes. The guide to sets and reps explains why rep ranges matter.
Once 30 reps come easily, make it harder instead of adding more: hold for two to three seconds at the top, rest a weight across your hips, or put a band above your knees. That is progressive overload without heavy weights. If the position causes pain in your groin or hip, beyond a feeling of stretch, skip the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.