Table Top Bridge
Table Top Bridge Exercise Description
The Table Top Bridge is a bodyweight hip extension exercise that targets the posterior chain, with emphasis on the gluteus maximus and hamstrings. You’ll support your body on your hands and feet while lifting the hips to create a “tabletop” position—torso roughly parallel to the floor, shins vertical. The shoulders and upper back contribute isometrically through shoulder extension and scapular stabilization, while the deep core helps maintain a neutral spine and steady pelvis. This movement reinforces full hip extension without over-arching the low back, trains knee tracking over the feet, and builds tolerance for shoulder extension under load. It’s a useful preparation for other bridges and posterior-chain patterns that rely on coordinated glute drive, trunk stiffness, and shoulder stability.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Stabilizing Muscles: Deltoid - Posterior, Transversus Abdominis, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers, Triceps Brachii - Long Head
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Hip Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Glutes
- Movement Direction: Vertical
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Table Top Bridge Exercise
‘- Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width, shins vertical.
– Place hands on the floor behind your hips, shoulder-width; fingers pointing toward your feet or slightly outward for comfort.
– Set the shoulders: lightly retract and depress the scapulae; avoid shrugging.
– Brace gently through the abdomen to maintain a neutral spine (ribs down, pelvis neutral).
– Press evenly through the whole foot and the heel; squeeze the glutes to initiate hip extension.
– Lift the hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and your shoulders stack over the wrists.
– Keep knees tracking in line with the toes; do not let them cave inward.
– Maintain long neck alignment; gaze up or slightly forward without dropping the head back.
– Keep elbows mostly straight without forcefully locking; distribute pressure across the hands.
– At the top, think “glutes on, ribs down”; avoid arching through the lower back.
– Lower the hips with control, keeping the shoulders set and feet anchored.
– Reset hand position if wrists or shoulders feel compressed; rotate hands slightly outward as needed.
Table Top Bridge Tips
‘- Start with feet flat, hip-width apart, and shins vertical before you lift.
– Place your hands shoulder-width behind your hips, with fingers pointing toward your feet or slightly outward.
– Lightly retract and depress your shoulder blades, and avoid shrugging as you set up.
– Gently brace your abdomen to keep a neutral spine with ribs down and pelvis neutral.
– Press evenly through the whole foot and heel, squeezing the glutes to initiate hip extension.
– Lift your hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and your shoulders stack over your wrists.
– Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes; do not let them cave inward.
– Maintain a long neck with your gaze up or slightly forward, without dropping your head back.
– Keep your elbows mostly straight without forcefully locking, and distribute pressure across your hands.
– At the top, focus on “glutes on, ribs down” to reinforce hip extension without arching the lower back.
Table Top Bridge Beginner Introduction
The Table Top Bridge is a bodyweight hip lift that works the entire backside of the body, especially the glutes and hamstrings. In this movement, the body is supported on the hands and feet as the hips rise, bringing the torso into a level, table-like shape while the lower legs stay upright. The shoulders and upper back hold a steady position as the arms extend behind, and the core stays engaged to help the spine remain stable and the pelvis steady.
This exercise highlights strong hip drive without relying on an exaggerated arch in the lower back. The legs stay lined up over the feet, encouraging smooth motion at the hips and knees together. At the same time, the shoulders experience load in an extended position, which helps build comfort and resilience there. Because it blends hip strength, trunk firmness, and shoulder control in one pattern, this bridge variation often serves as a bridge—literally and figuratively—to more demanding posterior-chain drills that use similar coordination.