To There is no secret to having a tight butt: sit less, exercise regularly, and the most practical and simple glute bridge is your best choice!
The glute bridge is a great move!
Compared with squats and deadlifts, glute bridges are easier to master, and at the same time, the leg muscles are involved The degree is not high! Any girl who wants to achieve a tight, lifted butt will love this move!
Glute bridge is mainly a hip-dominated movement (Hip Hinge)
The agonist muscles on the back of the legs: gluteal muscles. The contraction of the muscles on the back of the legs makes the hip joints stretch! The back and abdomen are mainly responsible for stabilizing the trunk
Today I will introduce to you several classic glute bridge variations to help you better train the gluteal muscles!
1. Freehand glute bridge
For beginners You need to master the freehand glute bridge movement to feel the basic hip extension force, experience the feeling of the gluteal muscles, and learn how to use the core muscles to maintain a stable and neutral spine during the movement!
The action is very simple:
Lie on your back on the ground, bend your knees (the position of your feet is so that when your hip joints are fully extended, your calf bones can be perpendicular to the ground), and lift your chest Tuck in your abdomen and keep your entire back flat on the ground.
Then activate your gluteal muscles to extend your hip joints upwards. Clamp your buttocks at the top of the movement, hold your shoulders tightly against the ground, keep your torso stable, and look at your ears from the side. , shoulders, hips and knees in a straight line! Stay for a second and then slowly return!
2. Weight-bearing glute bridge
When your freehand movements are already very good, you should consider adding some challenges to your butt. Only with gradual load will your butt become more and more beautiful!
There are many ways to increase resistance (load), common methods include barbells, dumbbells, and elastic bands! Below is a demonstration of the action!
Barbell glute bridge
Dumbbell glute bridge
Elastic Band Glute Bridge
Warm reminder: The fulcrum of the weight is at the hip joint. When using a barbell, it is best to use a yoga mat or barbell foam to surround the barbell to avoid pressing the bones!
In addition to these weight-bearings, I would like to introduce you to a good variation: using the leg extension machine to perform glute bridges
As shown in the picture, stick your body on the seated leg extension machine. , lean your upper back shoulder blades against the stool, and then clamp the cylinder into your hips (same as other versions of glute bridge)
With your feet as wide as your hips, your toes slightly outward, step firmly on the ground, and then Contract your gluteal muscles, stretch your hips and push up! Hold for two seconds at the top, then slowly bend your hips and lower!
3. Single-leg glute bridge
Single-leg movements can help you correct the imbalance of left and right muscle strength and also increase stability due to lighter loads! , you will get greater hip contraction and avoid pressure on the lower back.
As shown in the picture: Lie on your back, with your shoulder blades on the stool, one foot flat on the mat, and the other leg straight. (Bend) Hang. Keep your body tight with your toes slightly outward.
Inhale! At the same time, tighten your hips and lift your hips to complete hip extension ( Don't swing the dangling leg, always stick to the other leg), pause for 2 seconds after reaching the highest point, tighten the buttock muscles (clamp), and then slowly lower it
4. Frog Style
If Shown in the picture: In the starting position, put your feet together, then open the hip joints (external rotation and abduction), the movement is very like a frog! Then contract the gluteal muscles to extend the hips upward!
Doing this can help you activate your gluteal muscles better and increase the range of hip extension!
Common mistakes and important tips:
Regardless of any changes in the glute bridge, you must ensure that your knee joints are aligned with your toes and in the same plane during the movement to avoid the phenomenon of the knee buckling the leg inward
You must remember Focus on the "hip joint" and do not use the lumbar spine to produce movement to avoid excessive extension of the lower back!
Insufficient hip extension: usually because the weight is too heavy, the hip joint does not extend enough. This may also be caused by tight hip flexors. The solution is to reduce weight, and it may also require relaxation and stretching of the hip flexors (especially the rectus femoris)