The single leg bridge is a bodyweight exercise performed while lying on your back (supine position) that isolates the muscles of the posterior chain. It is a progression from the standard two-leg bridge, significantly increasing the load and demand on the working side. As a unilateral exercise, it focuses on one side of the body at a time, making it an excellent tool for identifying and correcting strength imbalances. It also demands a higher degree of core stability and control compared to its bilateral counterpart.
Step-by-Step Execution
Begin by lying on your back with your arms resting at your sides, palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, positioned hip-width apart. Position your feet so your heels are close to your glutes, creating a near-vertical angle with your shins. This maximizes glute activation over the hamstrings. Lift one foot off the ground and either extend that leg straight up toward the ceiling or keep the knee bent and tucked toward your chest.
Before initiating the lift, gently draw your naval toward your spine to engage your abdominal muscles and flatten your lower back slightly against the floor. This core pre-tensioning maintains a neutral spine throughout the movement. Drive your working heel into the floor and squeeze the glute of the working leg to lift your hips off the ground in a controlled manner.
Continue raising your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulder blades to the knee of the supporting leg. At the top, hold the contraction briefly, ensuring your hips remain level and do not tilt or drop. Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position. Maintain tension in your glute and core until your back rests gently on the floor.
Targeted Muscle Groups and Stabilization
The single leg bridge primarily targets the hip extensors, the muscles responsible for driving the hips upward. The Gluteus Maximus is the main muscle activated, achieving peak engagement when the hips are fully extended at the top of the movement. The Hamstrings assist in hip extension, but proper foot placement ensures the glutes remain the dominant muscle group.
The unilateral nature of the exercise significantly increases the demand on the core musculature for stabilization. Deep core stabilizers, including the transverse abdominis and obliques, must activate forcefully to prevent the pelvis from rotating or dropping. This stabilizing action helps correct muscular imbalances. The erector spinae muscles also contribute to maintaining spinal stability throughout the movement.
Common Form Errors and Corrections
A common error is allowing the hips to sag or rotate, often due to insufficient core strength or inadequate glute engagement. When the non-working leg is lifted, the pelvis may drop toward that side, compromising the neutral spine position. To correct this, actively engage the core by pulling the belly button toward the spine. Consciously squeeze the working glute to keep the hips parallel to the floor.
Another frequent mistake is hyperextending or arching the lower back at the top in an attempt to lift the hips higher. This shifts stress away from the glutes and onto the lumbar spine, potentially causing discomfort. The correction involves limiting the range of motion and stopping the lift once a straight line is formed from the shoulders to the knee. Ensure the core remains braced to prevent the ribs from flaring up.
Pushing off the toes instead of the heel is a common error that over-engages the hamstrings and calves, reducing glute focus. To fix this, lift the toes slightly off the floor and drive through the heel of the supporting foot.