Full Bridge
The full bridge is a back bend pressed up from the floor onto the hands and feet, with the spine arched evenly into an upside-down U. It trains mobility of the back, hips and shoulders together with the strength to hold that shape, and it is the mobility standard of the Hybrid Calisthenics bridge progression.
Also called: Full Bridges, Back Bridge, Wheel Bridge, Wheel Bridges · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: hinge
Step by step
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels a few inches from your backside, feet pointing forward or slightly out.
- Reach back and place your palms on the floor beside your head, fingers pointing towards your feet.
- Press through your hands and feet to lift your hips and back off the floor, arching your back evenly into an upside-down U.
- Straighten your arms and legs as far as your mobility allows, drawing your shoulder blades back and turning your upper arms outwards.
- Keep your weight balanced between your hands and feet, and breathe normally throughout.
- Pause at the top for about five seconds, feeling the stretch.
- Bend your arms and legs and come back down to the floor under control, then pause before the next rep.
- Arch evenly into an upside-down U
- Straighten your arms and legs
- Weight balanced between hands and feet
- Shoulder blades back, elbows turned in
- Breathe normally the whole time
- Feet forward or slightly out
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Erector spinae | Prime mover | D |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | D |
| Triceps brachii | Secondary | D |
| Hamstrings | Secondary | D |
| Anterior deltoid | Stabiliser | D |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hinging at one point in the back
Fix: Think of each vertebra moving back in turn to spread the arch.
Hands and feet too close together
Fix: Move your hands and feet further apart, then close the gap over weeks.
Leaning towards the feet
Fix: Shift your weight slightly towards your hands so the bridge stays even.
Holding the breath
Fix: Breathe steadily through every rep and pause.
Elbows flaring out
Fix: Turn your upper arms outwards as if bringing your elbows together.
What the research says
General fitnessSport performance
- Published standard — Hampton's Hybrid Calisthenics programme sets 2 sets of 15 reps, with a pause of about five seconds at the top, as the target before moving on.
- Range-of-motion research — A meta-analysis of 11 trials found strength training and stretching produced similar range-of-motion gains, so loaded end-range work like the bridge is one of several routes to mobility.
- No direct research — There is no published research on the full bridge itself, its dose or its progression.
- Progression — A common path is wall bridges, then incline bridges, then head bridges, before pressing up from the floor.
Log the full bridge in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.