Straight Leg Hip Bridge
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Hips
- Type
- Strength
The straight leg hip bridge is a bodyweight hip-extension exercise performed lying on your back with legs fully extended, making it a more demanding variation of the standard glute bridge. By keeping the legs straight you lengthen the lever arm, increasing the challenge on the glutes and posterior chain. It is an excellent choice for building hip strength, improving posterior chain activation, and developing core stability with no equipment required.
How to do the Straight Leg Hip Bridge
- 1Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs straight and together, arms resting at your sides with palms facing down.
- 2Flex your feet so your toes point toward the ceiling, creating tension through your legs and engaging your posterior chain.
- 3Press your arms and upper back firmly into the floor to create a stable base.
- 4Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, then drive your hips upward off the floor by pressing through your heels.
- 5Continue raising your hips until your body forms a straight diagonal line from your shoulders to your heels.
- 6Hold the top position for one to two seconds, maintaining the squeeze in your glutes and keeping your legs fully extended.
- 7Lower your hips in a controlled manner back toward the floor without fully relaxing, stopping just before they touch.
- 8Repeat for the desired number of reps, maintaining control throughout each repetition.
Form tips
- Keep your legs fully locked out throughout the movement — any bend in the knee reduces the challenge and changes the mechanics.
- Drive through your heels rather than your toes to maximize glute activation and protect your lower back.
- Avoid hyperextending your lower back at the top — your body should form a straight line, not an arc.
- Squeeze your glutes deliberately at the top of each rep rather than relying on momentum to reach the peak position.
- Keep your chin slightly tucked and your neck neutral to avoid straining the cervical spine during the lift.
Common mistakes
- Bending the knees during the lift, which converts the movement into a standard glute bridge and removes the straight-leg challenge.
- Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the rep, which compresses the lumbar spine instead of loading the glutes.
- Rushing through reps with momentum rather than controlling the ascent and descent, which reduces time under tension and effectiveness.
- Allowing the hips to drop to one side, indicating a lack of core stability — focus on keeping the pelvis level throughout.
- Pressing through the toes instead of the heels, which shifts emphasis away from the hips and can cause calf cramping.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a straight leg hip bridge and a regular glute bridge?
In a regular glute bridge the knees are bent at roughly 90°, shortening the lever arm. The straight leg version keeps the legs fully extended, creating a longer lever that increases the demand on the hips and makes it harder to maintain position — it also recruits the hamstrings more actively throughout the movement.
Is the straight leg hip bridge suitable for beginners?
It can be, but it is more challenging than the standard bent-knee glute bridge. Beginners should first master the basic glute bridge before progressing to the straight leg variation. If you find it difficult to keep your legs straight while lifting your hips, build hip and core strength with the bent-knee version first.
How many reps and sets should I do for the straight leg hip bridge?
For general strength and muscle development, 3 sets of 10–15 reps with a one-to-two-second hold at the top of each rep is a solid starting point. Because it is a bodyweight exercise, higher rep ranges (15–20+) work well for endurance and activation work, especially as a warm-up before lower-body training.
Can I do the straight leg hip bridge every day?
Yes — because it uses only bodyweight and targets the posterior chain without heavy loading, it recovers quickly. Many people use it daily as a mobility drill, activation exercise, or warm-up. If you experience lower back or hip discomfort, allow a day of rest before repeating.
How can I make the straight leg hip bridge harder?
Common progressions include performing the movement on a single leg (straight leg single-leg hip bridge), placing your heels on an elevated surface such as a bench or stability ball, adding a resistance band across the hips, or holding a weight plate on the hips for added resistance.
