Table Top Bridge Jack
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Hips
- Type
- Strength
The Table Top Bridge Jack is a bodyweight hip exercise that targets the glutes and hip abductors while building core stability. Starting in a reverse tabletop position, you hold a hip bridge and perform a leg-spread jack motion, making it an effective drill for hip strength, muscular endurance, and mobility without any equipment.
How to do the Table Top Bridge Jack
- 1Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Place your hands behind your hips with fingers pointing forward or slightly outward.
- 2Press through your hands and feet to lift your hips until your body forms a flat tabletop — shins vertical, torso parallel to the floor, and arms straight.
- 3Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to hold the bridge position steady throughout the set.
- 4From the tabletop hold, open both legs outward as wide as comfortable, sliding your feet apart along the floor.
- 5Bring your feet back together with control to return to hip-width apart.
- 6Continue spreading and closing your legs in a controlled, rhythmic jack motion for the target number of reps.
- 7To finish, lower your hips back to the floor with control.
Form tips
- Drive through your heels rather than your toes when holding the bridge — this cue shifts the load onto the glutes and reduces strain on the lower back.
- Keep your hips level throughout the jack motion; allow one hip to dip and you lose glute tension on that side.
- Stack your wrists directly under your shoulders and keep your fingers pointing forward or to the side — backward finger placement hyper-extends the wrist under load.
- Control the tempo on both the outward and inward phases; a slow, deliberate spread keeps the hip abductors under tension longer than a fast, momentum-driven kick.
- Breathe steadily throughout — exhale as you spread your legs, inhale as you bring them back together.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag during the leg jack, which removes tension from the glutes and turns the drill into a passive stretch rather than a strength exercise.
- Placing the hands too far behind the hips, which forces excessive wrist extension and can cause wrist discomfort or pain.
- Kicking the legs apart with momentum instead of controlling the abduction, reducing hip abductor engagement and increasing the risk of a groin strain as the adductors are snapped into end-range stretch.
- Bending the elbows during the hold, which shifts load away from the hips and onto the arms and reduces the hip-strengthening stimulus.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Table Top Bridge Jack work?
It primarily targets the glutes and hip abductors. Holding the reverse tabletop position also recruits the core and triceps as stabilizers throughout the movement.
Is the Table Top Bridge Jack good for beginners?
Yes. It uses only bodyweight and requires no equipment, making it accessible for most fitness levels. Beginners should start with a small range of motion on the leg jack and focus on keeping their hips level before adding more reps.
How many sets and reps should I do?
2–3 sets of 10–15 reps is a good starting point. As the movement becomes easier, increase the rep count or slow the tempo — pausing for one second at full abduction will noticeably increase the difficulty.
Where should I feel the Table Top Bridge Jack?
You should feel it primarily in your glutes and the outer hips. If you feel it mainly in your lower back, focus on pressing through your heels and actively squeezing the glutes to re-engage the correct muscles.
What are good alternatives to the Table Top Bridge Jack?
The standard glute bridge and the lateral band walk target similar muscles. If wrist discomfort limits the tabletop position, the clamshell exercise is a low-load alternative for isolating the hip abductors while lying on your side.
