SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIDGE
Unilateral Glute Strength and Hip Stability
Primary Muscles
Exercise Description
Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg extended. Press through the heel of the bent leg to lift your hips while keeping the core braced and hips level. Lower with control and repeat.
How To Perform
Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Bend one knee and place that foot flat on the floor; extend the other leg straight.
Brace your core, keep ribs down, and set your upper back and shoulders on the floor.
Drive through the heel of the bent leg to lift your hips until your knee, hip, and shoulder form a straight line.
Keep hips level throughout; avoid rotating or letting the extended leg drop.
Pause briefly at the top, then lower your hips under control and repeat for reps before switching sides.
Expert Tips
Keep hips level - Actively drive the non-working side hip up to prevent dropping or rotation.
Press through the heel - Leading with the heel of the bent leg maximizes glute and hamstring engagement.
Maintain core tension - A braced core prevents hyperextension and ensures glutes do the work.
Full hip extension - Drive hips all the way up to achieve a straight line from knee to shoulder.
Common Mistakes
Hips rotating or dropping - This reduces glute activation on the working leg. Keep hips square and level.
Hyperextending the lower back - Over-arching shifts work from glutes to lower back. Brace core and squeeze glutes at top.
Pushing through toes - Pressing through toes engages quads more than glutes. Drive through the heel.
Incomplete hip extension - Not lifting high enough limits glute activation. Achieve full hip extension at the top.
Video Guide – Single Leg Glute Bridge
The single leg glute bridge is one of the most effective bodyweight exercises for building strong, functional glutes. By working one leg at a time, this exercise eliminates the compensation patterns that often occur during bilateral movements, ensuring both glutes develop evenly. It also dramatically increases the challenge compared to regular glute bridges, requiring greater core stability and hip control throughout the movement.
What makes this exercise particularly valuable is its accessibility and scalability. You need nothing but your body and the floor, yet it provides a serious training stimulus for the glutes and hamstrings. The unilateral nature also exposes and corrects strength imbalances that bilateral exercises might hide. Additionally, it builds crucial hip stability that translates directly to running, jumping, squatting, and everyday movements like walking upstairs or getting up from a seated position.
Watch the demonstration video carefully. Notice how the hips remain perfectly level throughout—there's no rotation or dropping of the non-working side. The movement is controlled and deliberate, with a pause at the top to maximize glute contraction. The heel drive is emphasized, keeping tension in the glutes and hamstrings rather than shifting to the quads. Core bracing prevents lower back hyperextension.
Incorporate single leg glute bridges 2-3 times per week as part of your lower body training. They work excellently as an activation exercise before squats or deadlifts, or as a main glute builder for 3 sets of 10-15 reps per leg. Progress by adding resistance (dumbbell on hips), elevating your foot, or increasing time under tension with pauses. The key is maintaining perfect form—better to do fewer quality reps than more reps with hip rotation or incomplete range of motion.
Equipment Required
Exercise mat (optional for comfort)