Single Leg Glute Bridge
The single-leg glute bridge is a floor exercise in which you lie on your back with one foot planted and the other leg lifted, then drive your hips up by squeezing your glute. Working one leg at a time roughly doubles the load on each glute compared with a two-leg bridge, and the side hip muscles work to keep your pelvis level.
Also called: One Leg Glute Bridge, Unilateral Glute Bridge, One-Leg Bridge, Single-Leg Hip Bridge · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: hinge
Step by step
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, and your arms by your sides.
- Walk the working foot in so your heel sits close to your hip.
- Lift the other foot off the floor, either straightening that leg or holding the knee towards your chest.
- Brace your stomach and tuck your pelvis slightly so your low back sits flat.
- Drive through the heel of the planted foot and squeeze your glute to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulder to knee.
- Hold for a moment with your hips level, then bring them back under control to just above the floor.
- Finish your reps on one side, then switch legs and do the same number.
- Drive through your heel
- Heel close to your hip
- Keep both hips level
- Squeeze your glute at the top
- Ribs down, finish with the glute
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | C |
| Adductor magnus | Secondary | D |
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Stabiliser | C |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hip dropping on the lifted-leg side
Fix: Keep both hip bones level for the whole rep.
Arching the low back at the top
Fix: Keep your ribs down and finish the lift by squeezing your glute.
Foot too far from the hips
Fix: Walk your heel in close to your hip before the first rep.
Pushing through the toes
Fix: Drive through the heel of the planted foot.
Rushing the reps
Fix: Pause for a moment at the top of each rep.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceMuscle growthSport performance
- Foot position — An EMG study found bending the working knee further, so the heel sits closer to the hip, cut hamstring activity sharply while glute activity stayed high. EMG measures muscle activity, not growth.
- Side glute — The same study recorded high activity in the side glute (gluteus medius) as well as the main glute at both knee angles, reflecting the work of keeping the pelvis level on one leg.
- Load and reps — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, so higher-rep bodyweight sets can still be productive.
- Progression — A common approach is to move to a single-leg hip thrust with the shoulders on a bench, or to add a weight across the hips, once sets of about 20 are easy.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns.
Swap it mid-workout
- Single-Leg Hip Thrust
- Glute Bridge
- Banded Deadlift
- Banded Glute Bridge
- Banded Hip Hinge
- Banded Hip Thrust
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the single leg glute 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.