Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge
Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge Exercise Description
The Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge is a unilateral hip-extension variation that emphasizes the gluteus maximus of the planted leg while challenging pelvic control. Crossing one ankle over the opposite knee places the non-working hip in external rotation, increasing the demand on the stance-side gluteus medius and minimus to keep the pelvis level. Hamstrings assist the lift, and the abdominal wall resists rib flare to maintain a neutral spine. The goal is to extend the hip without compensating through the lower back, finishing with a straight line from shoulders to the working knee. This bodyweight drill helps build precise hip extension mechanics and improves control of frontal-plane pelvic alignment.
- Muscle Groups: Glutes, Hips
- Target Muscles: Gluteus Maximus
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Femoris - Long Head, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus, Multifidus, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Lower Body
- Body Parts: Hips, Legs, Upper Legs
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- 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 Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge Exercise
‘- Lie supine with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width, arms at your sides.
– Cross one ankle over the opposite knee (figure‑four). Keep the crossed leg relaxed and the pelvis square.
– Brace lightly (ribs down), and set a neutral neck; gaze straight up.
– Walk the planted foot so the heel is under or slightly behind the knee; foot flat.
– Create slight posterior pelvic tilt to avoid lumbar arching.
– Drive through the planted heel, exhaling as you lift the hips.
– Keep the pelvis level—do not let the crossed-leg side drop or rotate.
– Finish when your shoulder, hip, and working knee form a straight line; avoid thrusting the ribs.
– Maintain knee tracking over the mid-foot; don’t push from the toes.
– Lower the hips under control until they lightly touch the floor; repeat and then switch sides.
Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge Tips
‘- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat and hip-width apart, and arms resting at your sides.
– Cross one ankle over the opposite knee in a figure‑four and keep the crossed leg relaxed with the pelvis square.
– Brace lightly with the ribs down before you lift to help maintain a neutral spine.
– Keep your neck neutral with your gaze straight up toward the ceiling.
– Walk the planted foot so the heel is directly under or slightly behind the knee.
– Keep the planted foot flat and drive primarily through the heel rather than the toes.
– Maintain a slight posterior pelvic tilt to avoid arching through the lower back.
– Keep the pelvis level as you lift; do not let the crossed‑leg side drop or rotate.
– At the top, finish when your shoulder, hip, and working knee form a straight line without thrusting the ribs.
– Lower the hips under control until they lightly touch the floor before starting the next repetition.
Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge Beginner Introduction
The Leg Over Knee Glute Bridge is a bodyweight floor exercise that highlights one side of the hips and glutes at a time. Performed lying on the back with one ankle resting over the opposite knee, it shifts the effort primarily to the planted leg, with the back of that thigh helping the lift. The abs play a key role in keeping the ribcage from flaring and the spine feeling long and steady, turning this into a controlled, full‑torso movement rather than just a lower‑body drill.
Because the non-working hip is gently turned outward, the pelvis tends to want to tip or roll. The challenge of the movement comes from raising and lowering the hips while the pelvis stays level and the crossed leg remains relaxed. At the top, the body forms a smooth diagonal from the shoulders through the working hip to that knee. This pattern encourages cleaner hip drive, better control through the core, and more awareness of how the hips stay centered from side to side.