Legs
Single Leg Elevated Hamstring Bridge
A bridge with one heel up on a bench and your leg almost straight, which moves the work from your glutes into your hamstrings. On one leg, your bodyweight is plenty.
- Works
- Hamstrings, glutes, core
- Equipment
- A bench, box or step
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Lie on your back with one heel on a bench, that knee slightly bent. Lift your other leg toward the ceiling and rest your arms on the floor by your sides.
- 2Press your heel down into the bench and lift your hips off the floor.
- 3Rise until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your heel, and squeeze for a second.
- 4Lower slowly until your hips just touch the floor. Finish your reps, then switch legs.
Cues
- Dig your heel down and pull it toward you, like you're dragging the bench.
- Keep your hips level. Don't let one side drop.
- Ribs down so your back doesn't arch.
Common mistakes
- Bending the knee too much. That shifts the work back to your glutes. Keep the leg long with just a slight bend.
- Hips tilting to one side. Keep both hips level as you lift. Don't go as high if one side drops.
- Lifting with your lower back. Keep your ribs down and lift with your hamstring and glute, not by arching.
Easier
Tiff's version is on the floor with no bench. You can also keep both heels on the bench.
Harder
Hold the top for 2 seconds every rep, or rest a dumbbell on your hips.
Try it: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per side, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
How do you target your hamstrings with a glute bridge?
Put your heels up on a bench and straighten your legs more. The straighter your knee, the more your hamstrings work. Pushing your heel down and pulling it toward you helps you feel it there.
