Single-Leg Glute Bridge
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Lie on your back, one knee bent with foot flat, the other leg extended straight. Squeeze the glute of the bent-knee leg before moving. Drive the hips up through the planted foot — the straight leg stays in line with the body. Hold the top position 2-3 seconds. Feel the glute of the working leg fire. Lower slowly. Don't let the hip drop on the non-working side. Complete all reps one side, then switch.
Why It Works
The single-leg glute bridge isolates each glute independently, revealing and correcting the left-right strength imbalance that every hockey player has from years of dominant-side skating. A weak glute on the non-dominant side leads to compensatory lower-back loading and knee stress. Correcting this asymmetry is one of the highest-ROI injury prevention interventions available.
Hockey Transfer
Unilateral glute strength — corrects side-to-side imbalances. If your hips tilt or rotate at the top, the glute med is weak. Bridge work is the cheapest fix.
Coaching Cues
- "One leg extended"
- "Drive hip up with other leg"
- "Squeeze glute at top"
Common Mistakes
Hip dropping on the free leg side — this means the glute isn't fully engaged. Reset and squeeze harder. Lower back taking over instead of the glute — focus the contraction at the hip, not the spine. Equal reps both sides without noting which is weaker — track and give the weak side extra volume. Moving too fast — each rep needs the full 2-3 second hold at the top.
Progression / Regression
Single-leg hip thrust (shoulders on bench, one leg extended) — loaded version.
Two-leg glute bridge — master the bilateral version before isolating.
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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