Exercise
PELVIC TILT TO GLUTE BRIDGE
Form cues
About
A movement sequence beginning with a posterior pelvic tilt (flattening the lower back against the floor) that progressively rolls up through the lumbar and thoracic spine into a full glute bridge. Trains segmental spinal control, glute activation, and hamstring engagement.
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Set your starting position
Lie flat on your back with your feet planted firmly on the floor and your heels positioned directly under your knees. Keep your arms relaxed by your sides with your palms facing down to maintain a stable base for the movement.
Heels under kneesEngage posterior pelvic tilt
Before lifting your hips, pull your navel toward your spine and press your lower back firmly into the floor. This initial engagement creates a neutral pelvis and pre-activates your core to stabilize the lumbar spine throughout the bridge.
Flatten the backInitiate the glute bridge
Maintaining the pelvic tilt, drive through your heels to peel your hips off the floor, moving upward segment by segment. Continue rolling through your spine until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
Drive through heelsSqueeze at the top
Reach the peak of the bridge and hold briefly while forcefully squeezing your glutes to maintain hip extension. Be careful to keep your ribs tucked down to avoid hyperextending your lower back or flaring your ribcage.
Squeeze the glutesLower slowly with control
Slowly lower your torso back to the floor by articulating your spine one vertebra at a time, beginning with your upper back. Release the pelvic tilt only once your hips have fully returned to the starting position on the mat.
Lower vertebra by vertebraCommon mistakes
What goes wrong — and why
Jumping straight to the full bridge without segmental control
Skipping the pelvic tilt and roll-through removes the movement quality benefit and makes this a basic hip thrust.
Initiate from the tailbone, progressively peeling each lumbar vertebra off the floor in sequence before lifting the hips.
Knees spreading wide at the bridge top
External hip rotation at the top is a glute activation failure.
Keep the knees in line with the second toe throughout; a light resistance band around the knees can reinforce the position.
Not fully extending the hips at the top
A partial bridge fails to achieve the glute and hamstring peak contraction.
Drive the hips until the thighs, torso, and upper legs form a straight line from knees to shoulders.
Variations · Progressions · Regressions
Adaptations for every level
Posterior Pelvic Tilt Only
Practice just the pelvic tilt (pressing the lower back into the floor) before progressing to the bridge.
Glute Bridge Hold
Hold the top bridge position for 5 seconds per rep to build glute max endurance and isometric strength.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge with Pelvic Tilt
Perform the entire pelvic tilt to bridge sequence on one leg to dramatically increase per-glute loading.