How many bent-knee tabletop glute lifts should a beginner do per side?

Two sets of 15 to 20 pulses per side is a solid starting dose for this bent-knee version, since the shortened lever makes it the easiest of the tabletop lifts to recover between sets. Add a third set before trying the straight-leg version.

How do I make the bent-knee tabletop glute lift easier or harder?

Make it easier by keeping the pulse tiny, just an inch of movement at the top. Make it harder by holding a two-count squeeze at the top of each rep, slowing the lower phase down, or moving on to the straight-leg version once this feels easy.

Why start a glute series with the bent-knee tabletop lift instead of the straight-leg version?

The bent knee shortens the lever so the glute does most of the work while the hamstring stays quiet, which is why beginners feel it fast and why it works well to pre-fatigue the seat before standing exercises. It is a poor choice on a day when your low back is already sore, since a sagging spine under fatigue is the main way this move goes wrong.

Beginner

Barre Tabletop Bent-Knee Glute Lift

This is the bread-and-butter seat exercise of any barre class. Keeping the knee folded shortens the lever so the glute does the lifting while the hamstring stays quiet, which is why beginners feel it fast. Use it early in a glute series to pre-fatigue the seat before standing work, and chase the pump with high-rep pulses rather than heavy range.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Glutes
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement: Hinge

How to do it

1
Come onto all fours with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
2
Brace your abs and set a long, neutral spine from the crown to the tailbone.
3
Bend one knee to ninety degrees and flex the foot so the sole faces the ceiling.
4
Press the heel straight up until the thigh reaches hip height, squeezing the glute.
5
Lower an inch, then pulse the heel upward in small controlled beats.
6
Keep the hips square to the floor and avoid arching the low back.

Tips

Drive through the flexed heel, not the toes, to keep the effort in the glute.
Do not let the working hip pop open or the lower back sag as you fatigue.
Keep the pulses small and rhythmic rather than swinging the whole leg.

Variations

Common mistakes

The bent knee straightens out as the heel rises, turning the shortened bent-knee lever back into the longer straight-leg version by accident.
Cranking the neck up to look forward arches the whole spine instead of just extending the hip.
The support-side elbow locks out hard and the shoulder creeps up toward the ear, which has nothing to do with the glute doing the lifting.
Holding the breath through each pulse tenses the shoulders and makes the small movement feel harder than it should.

Frequently asked

How many bent-knee tabletop glute lifts should a beginner do per side?: Two sets of 15 to 20 pulses per side is a solid starting dose for this bent-knee version, since the shortened lever makes it the easiest of the tabletop lifts to recover between sets. Add a third set before trying the straight-leg version.
How do I make the bent-knee tabletop glute lift easier or harder?: Make it easier by keeping the pulse tiny, just an inch of movement at the top. Make it harder by holding a two-count squeeze at the top of each rep, slowing the lower phase down, or moving on to the straight-leg version once this feels easy.
Why start a glute series with the bent-knee tabletop lift instead of the straight-leg version?: The bent knee shortens the lever so the glute does most of the work while the hamstring stays quiet, which is why beginners feel it fast and why it works well to pre-fatigue the seat before standing exercises. It is a poor choice on a day when your low back is already sore, since a sagging spine under fatigue is the main way this move goes wrong.

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