How many reps of the glute bridge with adductor squeeze should a beginner do?

Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, keeping a steady squeeze on the ball throughout the entire bridge, not only at the top. Once that combination feels controlled, add a two-count pause at the top before adding more reps.

What can you use instead of a medicine ball for the glute bridge with adductor squeeze?

A firm pillow, a rolled towel, or a foam block between the knees works equally well, since the object only needs to give the inner thighs something to press against while you bridge. Without anything at all, do a normal glute bridge and squeeze your knees toward each other by intention instead.

What is the glute bridge with adductor squeeze good for, and when is a plain glute bridge enough?

Because the adductor magnus works as both a hip extensor and an adductor, this version trains it in both roles at once and also teaches the knees to stay put during a bridge. A plain glute bridge is enough on its own if you are new to bridging altogether, since coordinating the squeeze and the lift together is an extra skill worth adding only once the basic bridge feels easy.

Beginner

Glute Bridge with Adductor Squeeze

The adductor magnus is a powerful hip extensor as well as an adductor, so squeezing a ball between the knees during a bridge lights it up in both roles at once. The squeeze also keeps the knees tracking and stops them flaring out, teaching a cleaner bridge. It is an easy way to add inner-thigh work to any glute-focused warm-up or finisher.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Glutes, Thighs
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Gluteus Maximus, Adductor Magnus
Browse by movement: Hinge, Hip Adduction

How to do it

1
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart.
2
Place a ball between your knees and squeeze to hold it in place.
3
Brace your core and press through your heels to lift your hips.
4
Keep squeezing the ball as you rise until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
5
Hold the top and squeeze both the glutes and inner thighs hard.
6
Lower under control while maintaining the ball squeeze, then repeat.

Tips

Keep constant pressure on the ball the entire set, not just at the top.
Finish the lift by driving the hips up with the glutes rather than arching the low back.
Keep your ribs down so the movement comes from the hips, not the spine.

Variations

Common mistakes

The knees drift apart slightly as the hips rise, since holding a bridge and a squeeze at once is harder to coordinate than either alone, and one of the two usually slips first.
The feet sit too close to the hips or too far away, and either extreme changes how much the glutes versus the hamstrings do at the top of the bridge.
The hips rise unevenly, with one side lifting a beat before the other, since the ball squeeze demands attention that pulls focus away from keeping the pelvis level.
Racing through the lift to get to the top squeeze skips the part of the rep where the glutes and adductors are supposed to be working together the whole way up, not only at the peak.
The set gets cut short the moment the inner thighs fatigue, even though the glutes usually have more work left to give at that point.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the glute bridge with adductor squeeze should a beginner do?: Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, keeping a steady squeeze on the ball throughout the entire bridge, not only at the top. Once that combination feels controlled, add a two-count pause at the top before adding more reps.
What can you use instead of a medicine ball for the glute bridge with adductor squeeze?: A firm pillow, a rolled towel, or a foam block between the knees works equally well, since the object only needs to give the inner thighs something to press against while you bridge. Without anything at all, do a normal glute bridge and squeeze your knees toward each other by intention instead.
What is the glute bridge with adductor squeeze good for, and when is a plain glute bridge enough?: Because the adductor magnus works as both a hip extensor and an adductor, this version trains it in both roles at once and also teaches the knees to stay put during a bridge. A plain glute bridge is enough on its own if you are new to bridging altogether, since coordinating the squeeze and the lift together is an extra skill worth adding only once the basic bridge feels easy.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises