Table Top Bridge
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Körperregion
- Hips
- Typ
- Strength
The Table Top Bridge is a bodyweight strength exercise in which you push your hips up from a seated position until your torso, thighs, and shins form a flat table-top shape. It targets the glutes, hamstrings, and posterior chain — including the rear shoulder, infraspinatus, teres major, teres minor, and trapezius — while the quadriceps hold the knee angle and the rectus abdominis stabilizes the trunk.
Table Top Bridge: So führst du sie aus
- 1Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, and your hands planted behind your hips with fingers pointing toward your feet.
- 2Press through your palms and the soles of your feet to lift your hips off the floor until your shins are vertical and your torso is roughly parallel to the ground.
- 3Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips up until your thighs, torso, and upper arms form a flat surface — the table-top position.
- 4Keep your head neutral, in line with your spine, and avoid dropping your chin to your chest or hyperextending your neck.
- 5Hold the top position for the prescribed time or one deliberate count, maintaining tension throughout your glutes, hamstrings, and upper back.
- 6Lower your hips in a controlled manner back toward the floor without fully sitting down between reps.
- 7Reset your foot and hand position if needed and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Technik-Tipps
- Drive through the full foot — heel and ball — rather than just the heels to better activate the glutes and hamstrings at the top.
- Actively pull your shoulder blades together and down to engage the trapezius and keep the arms from collapsing inward.
- Think about pushing the ceiling away with your hips rather than just lifting — this cue helps achieve full hip extension at the top.
- Keep your wrists stacked directly under your shoulders at the start so the load is distributed evenly through the arms and upper back.
Häufige Fehler
- Allowing the hips to sag below parallel at the top, which reduces glute and hamstring recruitment and places excess load on the lower back.
- Letting the elbows flare or bend during the hold, which causes the torso to drop and removes tension from the posterior shoulder and trapezius.
- Placing the feet too far from the hips, which shifts the work away from the glutes and hamstrings and makes it harder to achieve a true table-top line.
- Dropping the head back into full extension, which compresses the cervical spine — keep the neck long and neutral throughout.
- Rushing through reps with momentum instead of controlling both the ascent and descent, which reduces time under tension and limits muscle activation.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What muscles does the Table Top Bridge work?
The Table Top Bridge primarily trains the glutes (gluteus maximus) and hamstrings, with significant contribution from the posterior shoulder (posterior deltoid), infraspinatus, teres major, teres minor, and the middle and lower fibers of the trapezius. The quadriceps work isometrically to hold the knee angle, and the rectus abdominis is active for trunk stability.
Is the Table Top Bridge suitable for beginners?
Yes. Because it requires only bodyweight and uses a stable seated starting position, it is accessible for most fitness levels. Beginners can hold the top position briefly and increase hold duration or rep count as strength improves.
How many sets and reps should I do for the Table Top Bridge?
A common approach for strength is 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, or 3 sets of 20 to 30 second holds at the top. Adjust volume based on your training goal — shorter holds with more reps for endurance, longer holds for static strength.
What is a good progression after the Table Top Bridge?
Once you can hold the table-top position steadily for 30 seconds, you can progress to single-leg variations by extending one leg at the top, or move on to the hip thrust or glute bridge with added resistance to continue overloading the posterior chain.
Why do my wrists hurt during the Table Top Bridge?
Wrist discomfort usually comes from placing the hands too far behind the hips or from weak wrist extensors. Try rotating your hands outward slightly, or use fists or push-up handles to keep the wrist in a more neutral position while you build tolerance.
