Glute Bridge
How to Do It
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and hip-width, arms at your sides. Brace the core and drive through the heels to lift the hips until the body is a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze the glutes hard at the top, pause, then lower with control. Avoid arching the low back.
Why It Works
Trains hip extension in isolation, teaching the glutes to produce extension force without the hamstrings or low back dominating; builds the glute strength and recruitment that underpin all hinging and push-off.
Hockey Transfer
Strengthens the glute-driven hip extension that powers the final phase of the stride; a strong, well-recruited glute improves push-off force and offloads the low back and hamstrings during skating.
Coaching Cues
- "Drive through the heels"
- "squeeze the glutes, ribs down"
- "straight line, don’t over-arch"
Common Mistakes
Arching the low back instead of extending the hips; pushing through the toes; not reaching full extension
Progression / Regression
single-leg or barbell/DB across the hips
shorten range or add only a brief pause
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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