How many reps of the glute bridge march should a beginner do?

Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 marches per leg, holding the bridge height steady the entire time. Once you can do that without the hips dipping on either side, progress to a true single-leg glute bridge instead of adding more marching reps.

How do you make the glute bridge march easier or harder?

To make it easier, lift the knee only a few inches instead of toward the chest, keeping the range small while you build control. To make it harder, lift the knee higher, slow the tempo further, or hold each lifted position for a two-count before switching.

What is the glute bridge march good for, and when should you progress past it?

It teaches anti-rotation control and single-leg hip stability using nothing but body weight, which makes it a solid early progression toward single-leg bridges and a good warm-up before heavier hip work. Progress past it once you can hold a level pelvis for the full set without effort, since bodyweight marching alone will not keep building strength forever.

Beginner

Glute Bridge March

The glute bridge march starts from a locked-out bridge and adds a slow march, so each glute has to hold the pelvis level while the other leg lifts. It teaches anti-rotation control and single-leg hip stability using nothing but body weight. A great early progression toward single-leg bridges and a solid warm-up before heavier hip work.

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

How to do it

1
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat under your knees.
2
Squeeze the glutes and lift your hips into a straight-line bridge.
3
Brace your abs so the ribs stay down and the pelvis stays level.
4
Slowly lift one knee toward your chest without letting the hips dip.
5
Return that foot to the floor and repeat on the other side.
6
Keep alternating for the target reps while holding the bridge height.

Tips

Keep both hip bones pointing at the ceiling; do not let the raised side drop.
Move slowly, because speed hides the very hip drop you are trying to fix.
Push through the heel of the planted foot to keep the glute engaged.

Variations

Common mistakes

The bridge height creeps down a little more with every march, so the tenth rep is being performed from a noticeably lower hip position than the first.
The ribs flare up and the low back arches to gain a little extra hip height, instead of the glutes finishing the lift on their own.
The lifted knee only rises a few inches instead of toward the chest, so the hip barely has to resist any real rotation to keep the pelvis level.
Both feet leave the floor briefly between sides as the march turns into a fast alternating tap instead of a controlled single-leg hold.
The head and shoulders press down hard into the floor for extra leverage, a sign the glutes and core have stopped being what holds the bridge up.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the glute bridge march should a beginner do?: Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 marches per leg, holding the bridge height steady the entire time. Once you can do that without the hips dipping on either side, progress to a true single-leg glute bridge instead of adding more marching reps.
How do you make the glute bridge march easier or harder?: To make it easier, lift the knee only a few inches instead of toward the chest, keeping the range small while you build control. To make it harder, lift the knee higher, slow the tempo further, or hold each lifted position for a two-count before switching.
What is the glute bridge march good for, and when should you progress past it?: It teaches anti-rotation control and single-leg hip stability using nothing but body weight, which makes it a solid early progression toward single-leg bridges and a good warm-up before heavier hip work. Progress past it once you can hold a level pelvis for the full set without effort, since bodyweight marching alone will not keep building strength forever.

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