Barbell Glute Bridge
Barbell glute bridge for progressive glute overload. It works mainly the glutes, with help from the hamstrings and quads.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 2.05× bodyweight (165 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 1.45× (87.5 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Barbell Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat about hip width, and roll the padded bar over your hips; hold it steady with both hands.
- Tuck the pelvis, push through the heels and lift the hips until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for a second with the ribs down; don't arch the lower back to lift the bar higher.
- Lower slowly until the hips are just above the floor and repeat; the shoulders stay on the floor the whole time.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Glutes | Gluteus maximus |
| Secondary | Hamstrings | Biceps femoris |
| Secondary | Quads | Quadriceps femoris |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Glutes with no equipment and no setup
- Teaches the hips to do the work, not the back
- Good warm-up before squats and hinges
Strength standards for Barbell Glute Bridge
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 1.35× | 0.95× | 107.5 kg | 57.5 kg |
| Gold | 2.05× | 1.45× | 165 kg | 87.5 kg |
| Platinum | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
| Diamond | 3.4× | 2.4× | 272.5 kg | 145 kg |
| Obsidian | 4.25× | 2.95× | 340 kg | 177.5 kg |
| Painite | 5.1× | 3.55× | 407.5 kg | 212.5 kg |
| Antimatter | 6.8× | 4.75× | 545 kg | 285 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Barbell Glute Bridge, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Barbell Glute Bridge work?
It works mainly the glutes, with help from the hamstrings and quads.
How do you do Barbell Glute Bridge?
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat about hip width, and roll the padded bar over your hips; hold it steady with both hands. Tuck the pelvis, push through the heels and lift the hips until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for a second with the ribs down; don't arch the lower back to lift the bar higher. Lower slowly until the hips are just above the floor and repeat; the shoulders stay on the floor the whole time.
What is a good Barbell Glute Bridge for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 2.05× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 1.45× for women, Diamond at 3.4× and 2.4×. For an 80 kg man that is a 165 kg and a 272.5 kg one-rep max.
Try it free
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