Training guide

How to do a single-leg glute bridge: your hips and hamstrings, floor and bench versions, your back, and how many

A single-leg glute bridge is a glute bridge on one leg: lying on your back with one knee pulled towards your chest, you press through the other heel to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knee line up, keeping your pelvis level. It's the step after the two-leg bridge, and it roughly doubles the work for the side of your hip.

Where you put your foot decides whether your glutes or your hamstrings do most of the work, which is also the fix for the common hamstring cramp. It's a moderate glute exercise, not a maximal one: good at home and in rehab, with loaded bridges and hip thrusts to move on to.

This guide covers the steps on the 3D figure, the free leg and the foot, floor, foot-raised and shoulders-raised versions, your lower back, the single-leg bridge test and what it can and can't tell you, and how many to do.

The short version

One foot down, the other knee up, hips level

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, then bring one knee towards your chest. Press through the heel of the planted foot to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knee are in a line, both sides of your pelvis level. Pause for 2 seconds, lower slowly, finish the set and switch sides. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) adds: avoid pushing your hips too high.

Source 1

One leg roughly doubles the side-glute work

Pooled across studies, the side glute (gluteus medius) worked at about 41% of its maximum in single-leg bridges against 19% in two-leg bridges. In 20 adults, the main glute rose from 17% to 28 or 29% and the side glute from 14% to 41 or 57%.

Sources 2, 3

Your foot decides glutes or hamstrings

With your heel closer to your bottom, hamstring activity fell from 75% to 23% of maximum while the glutes kept working. Feet further away, or your heel up on a box, turn it into a hamstring exercise. Walking your foot in is also the fix for hamstring cramp.

Sources 4, 5

A moderate exercise, not a maximal one

It ranked 11th of 22 rehab exercises for the main glute in one study; loaded hip thrusts and other loaded moves go higher. To keep building, add a dumbbell on your hip or move on to the loaded hip thrust.

Sources 6, 7

The bridge test has limits

Counting steady reps on each side is a fair way to track progress. A UK guideline's aim of 20 each side is expert opinion, not a norm. A low score was linked with later hamstring injury on the right leg only in one cohort, and the test measures hip extensor endurance more than hamstring strength.

Sources 8, 9, 10

How many

3 sets of 8 to 12 each side with a 2-second hold at the top, stopping 1 to 3 reps short, with 60 to 90 seconds' rest, 2 or 3 days a week: our glute bridge and hip thrust guides' dose, our editorial starting point.

How to do a single-leg glute bridge, step by step

From our glute bridge guide and move page and ACE's single-leg progression; folding your arms is from the research set-ups. If your hamstring cramps, walk your foot closer. The step before, with one heel slightly forward, is the staggered-stance bridge in the ladder below.

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart, arms by your sides (easier) or folded across your chest (harder, because you can't push through your arms).
  2. Walk the working heel in until your shin will be about upright at the top, or closer still if your hamstring cramps.
  3. Lift the other foot and hold that knee towards your chest, or keep it bent in the air, or straighten it in line with the other thigh, which is harder to keep level.
  4. Gently brace your stomach muscles.
  5. Breathe out and press through the heel of the planted foot to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knee are in a line, with both sides of your pelvis level.
  6. Pause for 2 seconds at the top without arching your lower back or letting the lifted side drop.
  7. Breathe in and lower slowly until your hips touch the floor. Finish the set, then switch sides, starting with your weaker side.

Loading the 3D figure…

Gets into position, then repeats the movement. Technical checks passed; qualified exercise review is pending.

The movement on the figure: Single-leg glute bridge

What it is, and what it works

A glute bridge on one leg

You straighten the hip of the planted leg until your shoulders, hip and knee line up, with the other leg held off the floor. Pulling the other knee to your chest makes it harder to arch your back, as our glute bridge guide says, after ACE.

Source 1

What it works

The main glute (gluteus maximus), the side glute (gluteus medius) much more than a two-leg bridge does, the hamstrings, and your trunk, which has to stop your pelvis twisting. The back muscles stay at a low level, about 24 to 33% of their maximum.

Sources 3, 2, 11

The knee angle is the main dial

Your knee stays bent at a fixed angle while your hip straightens. About 135 degrees of knee bend, with your heel near your bottom, favours the glutes; 90 degrees, or your heel further away, brings in the hamstrings.

Sources 4, 12

What you need first

Smooth two-leg bridges, 3 sets of 15, as our glute bridge and hip thrust guides ask, and a staggered-stance bridge with your pelvis level.

How people differ

Hamstring cramp is common at first, especially with your foot far away. In healthy young adults a one-leg hold lasts about a minute a side, with near-equal sides on average. In a heel-on-a-box rep test, 100 young footballers averaged about 34 reps and 40 active men about 27.

Sources 4, 13, 14, 10

What the evidence says

Twice the side-glute work of two legsEmerging evidence

A meta-analysis pooled the side glute at 41.27% of its maximum in single-leg bridges (6 studies) against 18.80% in two-leg bridges (5 studies), mostly in healthy people. That's muscle activity, which shows effort, not what a muscle will build.

Sources 2, 15

Your free leg changes the numbersEmerging evidence

In 20 healthy adults holding each bridge for 5 seconds with feet flat, the two-leg bridge drew 17% of the main glute's maximum and 14% of the side glute's. On one leg with the other knee to the chest, 28% and 57%; with the other leg straight, 29% and 41%.

Source 3

A moderate glute exerciseEmerging evidence

In 24 people, the single-leg bridge ranked 11th of 22 rehab exercises for the main glute (about 54% of maximum) and 15th for the side glute. An older study of 30 adults found every muscle under 45% of maximum; we could read only its summary. Of six bridges in 26 adults, the single-leg bridge on a stable surface drew the most main-glute activity. Loaded hip thrusts go higher.

Sources 6, 16, 17, 7

Your trunk works against a twistEmerging evidence

Lifting one leg raised trunk muscle activity, mostly in the obliques at your sides, in 29 volunteers and in 30 students, and the two sides of the lower back worked unequally in 20 adults. That's why the hard part is keeping your pelvis level.

Sources 11, 18, 19

No growth trial

We found no trial that measured muscle growth from single-leg bridges. Light loads build muscle when sets are hard, so a single-leg bridge taken close to failure can build muscle in a beginner, as our glute bridge guide says. More experienced lifters will likely need load (our reading).

Source 20

Floor, foot-raised and shoulders-raised versions

Heel on a bench or box: a hamstring bridgeEmerging evidence

With the heel on a 60 cm box, the hamstrings worked at 74 to 102% of maximum and the main glute at 17% in 26 men. In a modelling study of 20 active adults, the heel-raised single-leg bridge loaded the long outer hamstring about as much as sprinting, with a large stretch. No 3D demo shows it.

Sources 5, 23

Heel-raised bridges in trainingEmerging evidence

In 35 young female footballers, 4 weeks of heel-raised single-leg bridges, twice a week, rising from 2 sets of 6 to 4 sets of 10 per leg, were followed by hip and knee strength gains similar to Nordic curls. There was no group that didn't train.

Source 24

Shoulders on a bench: the single-leg hip thrustEmerging evidence

With a load, the single-leg hip thrust worked the hamstrings at about 67% of maximum in 23 elite handball players, using half the two-leg load, and gave some of the highest modelled glute forces of the exercises tested in 14 footballers. We found no study of the bodyweight version against a floor bridge, and it has no 3D demo: set up as our hip thrust guide teaches, then lift one foot.

Sources 25, 26

On a ball, marching and holds

Your upper back on a stability ball has a 3D demo below. A bridge march, lifting one foot a few centimetres and then the other from the top of a two-leg bridge, and holds are other ways to train it (no 3D demo). Our glute bridge guide's march dose is 2 sets of 6 to 10 each side.

Your lower back

The back pain rule

Aim for discomfort you'd call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning, as our back pain guides say. Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading down a leg are the exception: stop, and see our sciatica guide.

The back muscles stay lowEmerging evidence

The back muscles worked at 24 to 33% of their maximum in single-leg bridges. In a one-leg bridge hold, 66 adults lasted about 81 seconds, and the glutes tired first in 86% of trials, the hamstrings in 8% and the lower back in 6%; people with and without recurring back pain did the same.

Sources 3, 27

For back pain: a small extra benefitMixed evidence

Adding hip strengthening to back rehabilitation lowered pain by 5.4 points on a 100-point scale across 5 trials of 309 people. Small trials that included single-leg bridges among other hip exercises found small extra benefits. Single-leg bridge endurance didn't differ in students with recurring back pain. We found no trial of single-leg bridges alone: they're a reasonable part of exercise for back pain, not a cure.

Sources 28, 29, 30, 31

Don't arch to finish

ACE warns that pushing your hips too high usually arches your lower back. Stop at the straight line, keep your ribs down and squeeze your glutes; if your back still aches, use a smaller lift.

Source 1

The single-leg bridge test, and a weaker side

How to test yourself

Lie on your back with one foot flat and the other knee held to your chest, and count steady reps, about 2 seconds up and 2 down, on each side until your hips drop or your pelvis tips, as our 30-day glute challenge does. A UK postnatal guideline counts single-leg bridges to fatigue and suggests aiming for 20 each side. That target is expert opinion from one guideline, not a norm, and the guideline says a lower count shouldn't hold you back.

Source 8

The hamstring injury link: right leg only, one cohortMixed evidence

In 482 Australian footballers tested with the heel on a box, a low right-side score went with later right-side hamstring injuries (28 injuries in all). The link was found for the right leg only, and the authors called for more studies. We could read only the study's summary.

Source 9

It isn't a hamstring strength testEmerging evidence

The score matched hamstring strength poorly in 100 footballers and didn't match hamstring endurance in 40 men, which suggests it tests the hip extensors' endurance. Its left-right difference didn't track strength differences measured with a dynamometer or Nordic curls, and after knee ligament (ACL) surgery its side-to-side figure isn't recommended for decisions, though the rep count repeats well.

Sources 14, 10, 32, 33, 34

A weaker sideEmerging evidence

We found no study of single-leg bridges for side-to-side differences. In athletes in general, one-sided training narrowed gaps more consistently than two-sided training (11 studies), and whether a gap raises injury risk is uncertain (31 studies). One-leg and two-leg training built similar muscle. Start each set with your weaker side, and give it an extra set if it lags by more than a few reps (our glute bridge guide's suggestion).

Sources 35, 36, 37

The bridge ladder

Pelvic tilt into bridge, 8 to 10 slow reps; the glute bridge, 3 sets of 10 to 15 with a 1 to 2 second pause; the staggered-stance bridge at its move page's dose, 5 slow reps each side once a day building to 2 sets of 5 to 10 at a somewhat hard effort, as in the LEAP trial programme; the single-leg glute bridge, 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side with a 2-second hold, moving on at 3 sets of 12 with a level pelvis; the banded hip lift at its move page's dose, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 stopping 2 or 3 reps short; then the barbell glute bridge and hip thrust, as our hip thrust guide teaches.

Other bridges

The stability ball bridge at its move page's dose, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 stopping 2 or 3 reps short (our high hamstring tendinopathy guide builds to 3 sets of 10 on one leg); the wall bridge, 8 to 10 reps, or 5 each side on one leg; the Pilates shoulder bridge, 3 to 5 kicks each leg (their move pages' doses).

Sets, reps, holds and how often

Sets and reps

3 sets of 8 to 12 each side with a 2-second hold at the top, as our glute bridge and hip thrust guides use them (our editorial starting point). Our lower body workout at home uses 3 sets of 10 to 15 each side, and our dumbbell leg workout B 3 sets of 8 to 12 with a 2-second hold.

What trials and NHS leaflets used

3 sets of 15, 3 times a week, in a back pain trial; 2 sets of 12 to 15 twice a day at home in another; 3 sets of 10 in an NHS trust's knee pain leaflet; 5 sets of 5 every other day, with the last rep at 8 to 9 out of 10 effort, in an NHS trust's prehabilitation leaflet; heel-raised, 2 sets of 6 rising to 4 sets of 10 per leg twice a week; with the heel on a chair, 3 sets of 15, slow to fast, in hamstring rehab.

Sources 29, 30, 38, 39, 24, 40

How hard and how much rest

Stop 1 to 3 reps short, and end the set when your hips drop or your pelvis tips. Rest 60 to 90 seconds, or go straight from one side to the other. Training to failure added at most a trivial amount of growth, and people misjudge the reps they have left by about one.

Sources 41, 42

Holds

No trial compares holds with reps for bridges, as our glute bridge guide says; holds suit rehab and endurance. Healthy young adults hold about 65 to 81 seconds on one leg.

Sources 13, 27

How often

2 or 3 days a week. Count it towards your weekly glute sets with your squats, lunges, hinges and hip thrusts: about 10 or more hard sets a week built more muscle across reviews.

Source 43

Moving on

Add reps, then a 2-second hold and a slower lowering, then the other leg straight, then a dumbbell on the working hip when 12 is easy, as our dumbbell leg workout B does, then your shoulders or foot raised on a bench. For more glute growth, move to loaded hip thrusts.

In rehab: hamstrings, hips and knees

Hamstring strainsEmerging evidence

Rehab protocols bring in the single-leg bridge with the heel on a chair, 3 sets of 15, slow to fast, in the later phase, after two-leg bridge holds early on; in a trial of that programme, 4 of 29 people were re-injured after returning to sport. A US hospital protocol adds a single-leg bridge with the foot on a bench at about 6 weeks. If you've strained a hamstring, follow our hamstring strain guide's stages: single-leg bridges come in from weeks 3 to 6.

Sources 40, 44, 45

High hamstring tendon pain

Our high hamstring tendinopathy guide uses single-leg bridges at 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, building to 4 to 5 sets of 6 to 8, 2 seconds up and 3 down.

Pain on the outside of the hip

Our hip bursitis guide's programme, from the LEAP trial, uses bridges, staggered-stance bridges and single-leg bridges, with no increase in outer hip pain allowed during them.

No extra pain over the bony point on the side of your hip during or after, and the hip no worse that night or the next morning, as our outer hip pain guide says.

Source 46

Knees

NHS trusts use single-leg bridges for pain at the front of the knee (3 sets of 10), in ACL rehabilitation from about weeks 6 to 12, and as a test: one asks for at least 20 reps and more than 85% of the other side. Follow your own physiotherapist's plan.

Pain from 0 to 2 out of 10 is fine, and up to 5 is acceptable if your knee is back to its usual level by the next morning; for tendon pain just below or above the kneecap, keep it to 3 or less. Sharp, catching or giving-way pain, or new swelling, means stop. That's our knee guides' rule.

Sources 38, 47, 48

Common mistakes

Your foot too far away

Your hamstrings take over and cramp. Walk your heel in.

Source 4

Arching to get higher

Stop at the straight line from shoulders to knee; the extra height comes from your lower back.

Source 1

The lifted side dropping, or your hips twisting

Use a smaller lift, or go back to the staggered-stance bridge until your pelvis stays level.

Pushing down through your arms

Fold your arms across your chest when you're ready, as the research set-ups did.

Source 4

Your working knee falling in

Keep it in line with your foot, as our move page cues.

Rushing the lowering

Take a second or two to come down, until your hips touch the floor.

Never moving on

Once 3 sets of 12 are easy with a level pelvis, add a dumbbell on your hip or move to the next step.

Partners: hamstrings and the side of the hip

Slider hamstring curls, 3 sets of 6 to 10 (our dumbbell leg workout B), or the lowering-only version, 2 sets of 6 slow lowers, while you build up (our editorial starting point); the stability ball leg curl at its move page's dose, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12; single-leg Romanian deadlifts, 2 sets of 8 each leg, and Nordic curls, 2 sets of 3 to 5 slow lowers (our hamstring workout); clamshells, 15 each side, side-lying leg raises, 12 each side, and band walks, 10 steps each way (our glute workout at home); hip airplanes, 2 sets of 5 slow turns each leg (their move page's dose); dead bugs, 2 sets of 6 to 8 each side (our first gym workout).

Warm-up and stretches

Standing hip circles (CARs), 3 slow circles each way with each leg, at their move page's dose, and two-leg glute bridges to warm up; afterwards, if they feel good, the strap hamstring stretch for 30 seconds each side (skip it with pain at the sitting bone), the reclined figure four for 30 to 45 seconds each side, and the half-kneeling hip flexor stretch for 30 seconds each side, as our lower body workouts use them.

Workouts

The glute workout at home moves from two-leg to single-leg bridges; the lower body workout at home and dumbbell leg workout B use single-leg bridges with a hold; glute challenge workout A climbs the bridge ladder; the hamstring workout has the hamstring partners.

Plans

The 30-day glute challenge starts and ends with the single-leg bridge test.

Who should change it

Pregnancy

In later pregnancy, the NHS advises avoiding lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes. After the first trimester, keep time flat on your back to a few minutes and use a propped-up bridge or side-lying work, as our glute bridge guide and move page advise.

Source 49

Pelvic girdle pain

Go easy on one-sided work such as single-leg bridges for now, as our hip thrust guide advises: the NHS lists pain standing on one leg among its symptoms. Call your midwife or GP if it's hard to move around, it hurts to get out of a car or turn over in bed, or stairs are painful.

Source 50

A recent hamstring strain

Follow our hamstring strain guide, which starts with two-leg bridge holds of 20 to 30 seconds.

Back pain that's worse arching

Use a smaller lift, keep your ribs down, and see our back pain guide.

High blood pressure

With controlled high blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe. Breathe out as you lift, as our breathing guide advises.

Source 51

Warning signs

Stop and get medical help

If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise. The American Heart Association says these need immediate medical evaluation.

Source 51

Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that comes on suddenly and doesn't go away, feels tight or like squeezing, spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; arm pain that comes on suddenly with pressure, heaviness or squeezing across your chest; severe difficulty breathing, or a chest that feels tight or heavy; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath or feeling faint; or a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining. The NHS says a bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy. Don't drive yourself to A&E.

Sources 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59

A headache with effort

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for a headache that's triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising.

Source 58

Your back: call 999 or go to A&E

Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.

Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.

Source 60

Back pain that needs a GP soon

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have back pain and feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or have severe pain that starts suddenly or gets worse quickly.

See a GP if pain spreading down a leg hasn't improved after a few weeks of home treatment, is getting worse or stops your normal activities. Sciatica on both sides, or weakness or numbness in both legs that's severe or getting worse, is a 999 call or a trip to A&E.

Sources 60, 61

A hamstring injury

A sudden sharp pain at the back of the thigh, sometimes with a snap or pop, is how a strain starts: stop. Get help from NHS 111 if it's very painful or getting worse, has a large or growing amount of swelling or bruising, hurts to walk or stand on, feels very stiff or hard to move, isn't improving with self-care, or comes with a very high temperature or feeling hot and shivery.

A pop near the sitting bone, a large bruise high on the back of your thigh, or not being able to put weight on the leg: the tendon may have pulled away from the bone, as our hamstring guides explain.

Source 62

Your hip

Call 999 or go to A&E for severe hip pain after a fall or injury, if you can't walk or put weight on your leg, or for tingling or loss of feeling in your hip or leg after an injury. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for severe hip pain that started suddenly without a fall, a hip that's swollen and feels hot, skin around it that has changed colour, or hip pain with feeling generally unwell and a high temperature.

See a GP if hip pain stops you doing normal activities or affects your sleep, is getting worse or keeps coming back, hasn't improved after 2 weeks of treating it at home, or you have hip stiffness for more than 30 minutes after waking up.

Source 63

Pain on the outside of your hip

Outer hip pain that hasn't improved within 6 weeks of following our outer hip pain guide's advice, or that gets worse: talk to a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself.

Your knee

Get advice from NHS 111 if your knee is very painful, you can't move it or put weight on it, it's badly swollen or has changed shape, or it locks, gives way or clicks painfully; painless clicking is normal. In the US, use urgent care. See a GP if knee pain doesn't improve within a few weeks.

Source 64

Sore, or hurt?

Muscle soreness for a day or two after a new or harder session is common and fades. Sharp pain, or pain that builds during a set or lingers into the next day, isn't: swap to an easier version, and see a clinician if it persists, as our plans advise. The NHS says to stop exercising straight away if you feel any pain or become unwell, and to get help from 111 if symptoms worry you or don't go away.

Source 65

Before you start

Speak to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns, as the NHS advises. Get advice before hard or straining work if your blood pressure is uncontrolled (140/90 or higher at a clinic, or 135/85 at home), or you have heart disease or chest pain when you're active, a pacemaker or defibrillator, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, a hernia, recent eye or tummy surgery, or you're pregnant, as our breathing guide lists.

With controlled high blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe. Breathe out as you lift, as our breathing guide advises.

With a pacemaker or defibrillator, the American Heart Association asks you to check with your doctor before upper-body strength training, because repeated arm movements can damage or dislodge the leads.

Sources 66, 67, 51

Myths

"Single-leg glute bridges are too easy to matter"Emerging evidence

They roughly double the side-glute work of a two-leg bridge, work the main glute moderately, and a 4-week heel-raised programme was followed by strength gains like Nordic curls. They aren't the hardest glute exercise, though: add load or move to the hip thrust to keep building.

Sources 2, 3, 6, 24

"You need heavy weights to build glutes"Strong evidence

Light loads build muscle when sets are hard. No trial has measured glute growth from single-leg bridges, though.

Sources 20, 43

"Single-leg bridges fix a weak side"

Untested for bridges. One-sided training in general narrowed side-to-side gaps in athletes, and whether a gap raises injury risk is uncertain.

Sources 35, 36

"Lift your toes to work your glutes more"Emerging evidence

Toes up didn't raise main-glute activity, and lowered hamstring activity.

Sources 3, 4

"If you feel it in your hamstrings, you're doing it wrong"Emerging evidence

The hamstrings always work, more with your foot further away, as our glute bridge guide says. Walk your foot in if they cramp.

Source 4

"The single-leg bridge test predicts hamstring injuries"Mixed evidence

One cohort found a link on the right leg only; later studies found the test measures hip extensor endurance, not hamstring strength.

Sources 9, 14, 10

"Single-leg bridges fix back pain"Mixed evidence

Adding hip strengthening gave a small extra benefit for pain, as our glute bridge guide grades "Glute bridges fix back pain". No trial has tested single-leg bridges alone.

Source 28

Questions people ask

How do you do a single-leg glute bridge?

Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift one foot and hold that knee towards your chest, then press through the heel of the other foot to lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knee line up, keeping your pelvis level. Pause, lower slowly, finish the set and switch sides.

What muscles does the single-leg glute bridge work?

Your main glute, the side glute much more than a two-leg bridge does, your hamstrings and your trunk, which stops your pelvis twisting.

Why do I feel single-leg bridges in my hamstrings, or get cramp?

Your foot is probably too far from your bottom: with the heel closer, hamstring activity fell from 75% to 23% of maximum while the glutes kept working. Walk your foot in and build up gradually.

Should I lift my toes in a single-leg bridge?

No need: toes up didn't add glute work, though it lowered hamstring work. Keep your foot flat unless you're cramping.

Why do I feel it in my lower back?

Usually because you're arching to get higher. Stop when your shoulders, hips and knee are in a line and keep your ribs down; in studies the back muscles worked at a low level.

How many single-leg glute bridges should I do?

3 sets of 8 to 12 each side with a 2-second hold, stopping 1 to 3 reps short, 2 or 3 days a week. Trials and NHS leaflets used 3 sets of 10 to 15.

How do I make single-leg bridges harder?

A 2-second hold and a slower lowering, then the other leg straight, then a dumbbell on the working hip, then your shoulders or foot raised on a bench. For more glute growth, move on to loaded hip thrusts.

What's the single-leg bridge test?

Counting how many steady reps you can do on each side before your hips drop. A UK guideline aims for 20 each side, as expert opinion. The heel-on-a-box version was linked with hamstring injuries on the right leg only in one cohort, and it measures hip extensor endurance rather than hamstring strength.

Will single-leg bridges fix a weak side?

That's untested for bridges. One-sided training narrowed side-to-side gaps in athletes in general. Start each set with your weaker side and give it an extra set if it lags by more than a few reps.

Are single-leg glute bridges good for back pain?

A reasonable part of it, not a cure: adding hip strengthening to back rehab helped pain a little in pooled trials. Stop for pain that travels down a leg.

Single-leg bridge on the floor or a bench: what's the difference?

With your shoulders on a bench, a single-leg hip thrust, your hips travel further and you can add load; with your heel on a bench it becomes a hamstring exercise. Neither has a 3D demo; the floor version does.

Are single-leg glute bridges safe in pregnancy?

After the first trimester, keep time flat on your back to a few minutes and use a propped-up or side-lying version. With pelvic girdle pain, go easy on one-leg work: the NHS lists standing on one leg among the things that hurt.

Sources

  1. American Council on Exercise · Glute bridge: single-leg progression (exercise library)
  2. Moore 2020 · Which therapeutic exercises work the side glutes (gluteus medius and minimus) hardest (systematic review and meta-analysis, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  3. Escamilla 2024 · Ankle position in one- and two-leg floor bridges: core, hip and thigh muscle activity in 20 adults (lab study, Bioengineering)
  4. Lehecka 2017 · Building a better glute bridge: hip muscle activity in modified single-leg bridges, 26 adults (lab study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  5. Sano 2025 · The best box height for hamstring activity in the fast single-leg bridge test: 26 men (lab study, Int J Sports Med)
  6. Boren 2011 · Side and main glute activity in 22 rehabilitation exercises: 24 people (lab study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  7. Neto 2020 · Main glute activity in common strength exercises (systematic review, J Sports Sci Med)
  8. Goom 2019 · Returning to running after having a baby: guidelines for professionals (UK expert guideline)
  9. Freckleton 2014 · Does the single-leg bridge test predict hamstring injuries? 482 Australian footballers (cohort study, Br J Sports Med)
  10. Roberti 2024 · The single-leg bridge test doesn't measure hamstring endurance on its own: 40 men (study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  11. García-Vaquero 2012 · Trunk muscle activity in stabilisation exercises on one or two legs: 29 volunteers (lab study, J Electromyogr Kinesiol)
  12. Ho 2020 · Knee angle in the supine bridge and trunk and pelvic muscle activity (lab study, Res Sports Med)
  13. Worst 2026 · Normal values for the single-leg bridge endurance test: 77 young adults (study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  14. Gasparin 2022 · The single-leg bridge test isn't a valid test of maximum hamstring strength: 100 footballers (study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  15. Vigotsky 2022 · Muscle activity measured in one session is not a validated predictor of muscle growth (review, Sports Med)
  16. Ekstrom 2007 · Trunk, hip and thigh muscle activity in 9 rehabilitation exercises: 30 adults (lab study, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther; summary only)
  17. Youdas 2015 · Spine, glute and hamstring muscle activity in six supine bridges: 26 adults (lab study, Physiother Theory Pract)
  18. Stevens 2006 · Trunk muscle activity in bridging exercises in healthy adults (lab study, BMC Musculoskelet Disord)
  19. Feldwieser 2012 · Trunk muscle activity in stable, unstable and one-leg bridges (lab study, Eur Spine J)
  20. Schoenfeld 2017 · Low- against high-load resistance training for strength and muscle growth (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Strength Cond Res)
  21. Kim 2016 · Trunk and hip muscle activity in bridges with different knee angles on one side (lab study, J Phys Ther Sci)
  22. Takeshita 2022 · Knee angle and joint and muscle forces in the bridge (musculoskeletal modelling study, J Healthc Eng)
  23. Breed 2026 · Hamstring force and stretch in sprinting and in common hamstring exercises: 20 active adults (modelling study, Br J Sports Med)
  24. Whyte 2026 · Three hamstring programmes, including heel-raised single-leg bridges, in 35 female footballers (randomised trial, PLoS One)
  25. Sørensen 2021 · Hamstring activity in one-leg and two-leg strength exercises: 23 elite female handball players (cross-sectional study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  26. Collings 2023 · Modelled glute forces in hip-focused injury prevention and rehab exercises: 14 female footballers (lab study, Med Sci Sports Exerc)
  27. Lehecka 2021 · Glute endurance measures, including a one-leg bridge hold: 66 adults (reliability and validity study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  28. de Jesus 2020 · Adding hip strengthening to rehabilitation for low back pain: 5 trials, 309 people (systematic review and meta-analysis, Clin Rehabil)
  29. Ahn 2024 · Glute strengthening within core training for chronic low back pain: 34 adults (trial, Medicina)
  30. Bade 2017 · Manual therapy and hip exercise for low back pain: 84 people (randomised trial, J Eval Clin Pract)
  31. Lehecka 2024 · Hip and trunk measures in university students with and without recurring low back pain (cross-sectional study, Int J Sports Phys Ther)
  32. Robaina 2023 · The single-leg bridge test doesn't replace handheld dynamometer hamstring tests: 50 men (study, Phys Ther Sport)
  33. Murakami 2024 · Nordic hamstring strength and the single-leg bridge test: 38 university footballers (study, J Sport Rehabil)
  34. Rodrigues 2026 · The single-leg bridge test after ACL reconstruction: 127 people (validity and reliability study, Sports Health)
  35. Martos-Arregui 2026 · Training to reduce side-to-side differences in athletes: 11 studies (systematic review, Sports Med Open)
  36. Helme 2021 · Does a side-to-side leg difference raise injury risk in sport? 31 studies (systematic review, Phys Ther Sport)
  37. Kassiano 2025 · One-limb against two-limb training for muscle growth and strength (systematic review and meta-analysis, Sports Med)
  38. Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust · Exercises for anterior knee pain, week 2 (physiotherapy leaflet)
  39. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust · OPTIMISE cancer prehabilitation home exercise programme (patient leaflet)
  40. Heiderscheit 2010 · Hamstring strain injuries: diagnosis, rehabilitation and prevention (clinical commentary, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther)
  41. Refalo 2023 · Training close to failure and muscle growth: 15 studies (systematic review and meta-analysis, Sports Med)
  42. Halperin 2022 · How accurately people predict the reps they have left: 12 studies (scoping review and meta-analysis, Sports Med)
  43. Currier 2026 · Resistance training prescription for muscle function, size and performance in healthy adults: an overview of 137 reviews (ACSM position stand, Med Sci Sports Exerc)
  44. Silder 2013 · Two rehabilitation programmes for acute hamstring strains (randomised trial, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther)
  45. Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine · Rehabilitation protocol for a hamstring injury, without surgery (hospital protocol, revised 2021)
  46. Mellor 2016 · Exercise for persistent side-of-hip tendon pain: the LEAP trial protocol (trial protocol, BMC Musculoskelet Disord)
  47. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · ACL reconstruction rehabilitation (patient information, 2024)
  48. St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · Post-operative ACL reconstruction patient passport (2025)
  49. NHS · Exercise in pregnancy
  50. NHS · Pelvic pain in pregnancy (past its review date: reviewed December 2022, review due December 2025)
  51. Paluch 2024 · Resistance training with and without heart disease: 2023 update (American Heart Association scientific statement, Circulation)
  52. NHS · Chest pain (past its review date: reviewed August 2023, review due August 2026)
  53. NHS · Heart attack
  54. NHS · Elbow and arm pain
  55. NHS · Shortness of breath
  56. NHS · Fainting
  57. NHS · Heart palpitations
  58. NHS · Headaches
  59. NHS · Subarachnoid haemorrhage
  60. NHS · Back pain
  61. NHS · Sciatica
  62. NHS · Hamstring injury
  63. NHS · Hip pain in adults
  64. NHS · Knee pain
  65. NHS · How to warm up before exercising
  66. NHS · Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
  67. NHS · High blood pressure

Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.