Glute Bridge with Bench Support

Starting position

1. Sit on the floor with your back against a flat bench so its edge sits just below your shoulder blades.
2. Roll the barbell over your thighs into the crease of your hips. Use a bar pad.
3. Bend your knees with feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Hold the bar with your hands on either side of your hips.

Execution

1. Take a breath and brace your abs.
2. Exhale, press through your heels and drive your hips up, squeezing your glutes. Your upper back pivots on the edge of the bench.
3. At the top your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, shins vertical, chin slightly tucked. Hold for 1 second.
4. Inhale and lower your hips under control without fully resting the bar on the floor, then start the next rep.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back at the top — the load moves from the glutes to the back.
• Feet too far out or too close — the hamstrings or quads take over from the glutes.
• Throwing your head back — your lower back arches more.
• Bench sliding away — risk of slipping off; brace it against a wall or use a stable bench.

Beginner tips

• Start with the empty bar (20 kg) and always use a pad — without it the bar digs into your hip bones.
• Adjust your feet so your shins are vertical at the top.
• Learn the floor glute bridge without weight first.

Alternatives

• Glute Bridge with Bench Support (Smith Machine) — the bar runs on rails, easier to balance
• Barbell Romanian Deadlift — glutes and hamstrings while standing
• Hyperextension — glutes and hip extensors on a machine