What is one movement that you should be doing for a better lower body? Glute bridges is the answer to that ! You might be asking yourself why they are so important, there are some great reasons as to why these bad boys should be integrated into your current plan.. And here is the reason why !
Why should you do glute bridges?
Quadriceps dominance and relative weakness in the hamstrings and glutes is pretty common in athletes. Fixing it improves performance and safety during pretty much every movements into your training. Do you have trouble locking out your deadlifts or do your knees dive inward when you squat heavy? This exercise could really help you to strengthening those muscles. In fact, spending more time training terminal hip extension and just beyond is one of the highest value things you could possibly do with your gym time.
So here is how it’s done!
The movement starts on the ground. Lay down flat on your back with a barbell over your waist. Flex at the knee and bring your heels towards your butt. Find a foot position that is comfortable and feels strong. To perform the bridge, drive your heels into the ground and extend your hips fully. Pause at the top and squeeze your butt hard, then lower the barbell under control. That’s it ! And here is a great video to watch !
If you want to work glue bridges into your training, just include them after your primary strength work. About 2-4 sets of 8-20 repetitions works very well. Just avoid this movement if you plan on performing a tough WOD right after it should be used as an OUT !!