Name: Ultimate Glute Bridge
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:03:06.000Z
Duration: 9 min 17 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/wUIhqLtGg9wUaZSSRPF6vEObqzuG1M01JqcOQq1dTlbk.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform the ultimate glute bridge in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and exercise modifications to improve glute activation, core stability, and posterior chain strength. Enhance hip extension strength and trunk stability while supporting optimal lumbopelvic alignment with this targeted strengthening exercise. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to increase lower body strength, improve stability, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to the Evidence-Based Glute Bridge

Hip Abduction and Glute Recruitment Techniques

Importance of Load and Muscle Fiber Considerations

Practical Application of Stability Ball and Weight Techniques

Comparison of Glute Bridge and Heavy Hip Thrusts

Integrating Glute Bridges into Training Programs

Ultimate Glute Bridge

This is Brent of the Brookbush Instititue and in this video we're bringing you the ultimate glute bridge, or should I say the evidence-based glute bridge. That is, all of the modifications we've made in this glute bridge exercise to maximize the amount of glute max recruitment. I'm going to bring my friend, Melissa, out, and she's going to help me demonstrate this exercise. Now, the first thing we're going to talk about is in research we've seen that hip abduction, specifically isometric hip abduction, against resistance seems to increase glute max recruitment, while decreasing the relative recruitment of synergists, the biceps femoris and the erector spinae. So, I have this nice, super thick monster band for you to put above your knees to resist hip abduction. She's really, really strong, so, of course, we're going to torture her as much as possible. Now, we also need to consider that the glute max is primarily Type 1 muscle fiber. In fact, it's almost seventy percent Type 1 muscle fiber. To me, that means fatigue resistant. These muscle fibers are good in endurance, which means from a stimulus standpoint, how we're going to try to get an adaptation from these fibers, we need to stay in our endurance acute variables. That's 12 to 20 repetitions, slow tempos of 4, 2, 1 or 3, 2, 1 to maximize time under tension. Now, since I'm maximizing time under tension, my load is going to decrease a little bit, which means I can up the stability component of the exercise and further increase motor unit recruitment. So out comes the stability ball. You can go ahead and take a seat on the stability ball. Now, the last thing we want to consider is the fact that the glute max is the largest muscle on the human body. That's not just somebody's, that's everybody's. The glute max is a super import muscle. Hip extension is a very important joint action when it comes to function, daily living, those activities like walking, standing, sitting, stairs, and all sports, glute max is super important. So we have this super strong muscle that is probably going to need significant load to fail within 12 to 20 reps. The idea that just a floor bridge to 50 reps is going to be sufficient to create an overload on this muscle is actually not thinking far enough ahead in the future. When we look at how much the glute max has to work just to get somebody up stairs, which is essentially a single leg quarter squat, doing a portion of our body weight from the floor is not good enough. So, Melissa, I got this 80 for you. Now, you guys need to plan ahead a little bit on this, because otherwise this becomes a Three Stooges parody. She's going to deadlift this weight with great form. I've already taught her how to deadlift well. Melissa deadlifts very well, in fact. But to keep that ball from rolling away while she picks this weight up, just use your hand towel. Go ahead and stand up, and throw it behind your stability ball. That way she can stand up, the ball doesn't roll away, she can sit down, and we don't have any accidents. We also don't have a situation where every time she picks up the dumbbell, the ball rolls away, and she has to put down the dumbbell and go get the ball. Alright, you can go ahead and roll out. Now, remember, I said slow tempo, so I want you to hold at the top for two, and we're going to go down for four seconds. Down, two, three, four, and up. Now, a couple things as she finishes this wonderful set of 20 repetitions. You'll notice that her feet are a little wider than hip width. I have seen some studies that show really, really wide hip angles. I've even seen some- I saw one study where they they were on the outside of their feet and their their legs were turned out. The one thing you have to think about is in all of those studies, adductor magnus activity was not recorded. Your adductor magnus has a propensity to become very overactive, contribute to hip pathology, as well as sacroiliac joint pathology, and despite the fact that the glute max recruitment might have increased with these wide hip angles. so did adductor magnus activity, if I had to take a guess. Now, we need further research to prove that, but from our perspective at the Brookbush Institute, we're going to go slightly wider than hip width and use the band to increase hip abduction force. Then beyond that, leave it at a fairly normal angle, something that's a little closer to how we would see in function, like when you squat, or when you run, or when you jump. The other thing worth noting here, guys, is Melissa is very comfortable with this weight on the top of her thighs just below her ASIS and she's using her hand to keep the weight there. Don't take your hands off the weight. If this wasn't comfortable for you, you could potentially use a bath towel. Notice, this is several layers thick, or you can use an airex pad, or you could even use a rolled-up yoga mat to try to soften any pointy edges digging into your lap. My point is to make her glutes very uncomfortable, not to have her thighs very uncomfortable. Now, the last thing I want to talk about is- I need to give a shout-out to Bret Contreras for making loads like this far more popular, but let's talk about the differences between doing hip thrusts with a really large amount of weight and low rep ranges versus what we're showing you, which is a high rep range glute bridge that would be used more for core activity. I think when I spoke to Bret Contreras, he talked about there being more motor unit recruitment with more load, regardless of what the muscle fiber type of the glute max is. I agree. More load and chances are you're going to get more motor unit recruitment, but what is your end goal? What is your use of that exercise? If you're doing hip thrusts as part of your hypertrophy resistance training portion of your program, I would say go with the Bret Contreras style- stable, very heavy hip thrust activity. We tend to use bridges as a core exercise, so we're almost thinking more towards our movement prep. This is coming right after our isolated activation exercises. We're using this more as a way of integrating the glute max into a multi joint movement pattern. And then when we get into resistance training, we're usually thinking more on the performance side of things, and more of our triple extension movement patterns, like squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups. We don't see as many hypertrophy athletes at the Brookbush Institute as, maybe, Bret does. So there's an audience thing there, there's a use thing there. I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong. In fact, I think you guys should try both. I think you guys should try this as part of your core activity. I think there's more than a few tips here of using the stability ball to do your hip thrusts, using the band to resist hip abduction, starting to put some weight on this activity that you probably could do way too many reps of before. If you're not failing at 20 reps, it's not heavy enough. And, once you get down glute bridges as a core activity, more on the endurance side with lower weights and an unstable environment, well, good. Now you're nice and stable and ready to start thinking about getting a little more hypertrophy in my glute max, using something like a hip thrust as part of my resistance training program, after I've done my movement prep. I hope you guys enjoyed this video, The Evidence-based or Ultimate Glute Bridge, stability ball, resisted abduction, hip thrust with a significant amount of load. I look forward to seeing your questions. I want to see who can do a 20 reps set with the heaviest dumbbell in their gym. Is that a good challenge? That's a good challenge. I think that's a good challenge. I can do 130 for 20 reps, 130 pound dumbbell. Is that good? I think that's good. That's an 80 pound dumbbell, guys, just in case, so all you guys out there not putting up 80 pounds, she's got 80 pounds for 20 reps. I'll talk to you guys soon.

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This exercise follows the same form cues as the ball bridge discussed above, but adds a band around the knees to increase

and gluteus medius recruitment, as well as additional resistance on the lap via a dumbbell, barbell, weighted bag or slosh pipe.

First, make sure the ball is close by and will not 

 away as the client/patient prepares for the set.

Have your patient/client start by placing a resistance band loop of the desired difficulty, around both legs, just above the knees.

Then have the client/patient lift the load to their thighs (

 ball as they place the load in their lap.

Writing out this sequence may seem overly simplistic, but if not performed in that order, setting up the exercise becomes very awkward. A different sequence may also force the patient into dangerous positions as they try to get the band on while already seated on the ball, or try to lift the load from the floor while in the bridge position.

 down the ball as if they were going to sit on the floor, but have them stop when the 

Ensure their feet are parallel (second toe point forward), feet, knees, and hips are in alignment, the patient is maintaining a neutral spine, and the ball is centered between their shoulder blades.

 the top position of the bridge; ensure their weight is supported by their upper back on the ball and not their neck, and the knee flexion angle is 90° or more.

Note, during this exercise, the patient will likely need to hold the weight with their hands in position over the top of their thigh (just 

Instruct the patient/client to sit straight down, hinging at the hips; returning to the starting position.

To enhance core muscle recruitment and trunk stability, have them perform the abdominal drawing-in maneuver before initiating the concentric phase.

Cue the patient to "squeeze the glutes" and thrust the hips straight-up toward the ceiling. The goal is to reach terminal hip extension, without additional lumbar extension.

Have your client hold a maximal voluntary contraction of their 

 ("squeeze their glutes") at the end of terminal hip extension (top of the movement).

Slowly return to the starting position maintaining a neutral spine and 

The unique feature of this exercise is that the force resists terminal hip extension in the transverse plane. To optimize the benefits of this feature of the exercise, the hip joint should follow a nearly vertical path throughout the movement. Try to ensure that your patient/client is driving the hips straight up and sitting straight-down. They should not be pushing back into the ball, or sliding forward into additional dorsiflexion/knee flexion.

Ultimate Glute Bridge

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