What Benefit Can Expect From Glute Bridge Exercise With Barbell?

Doing the glute bridge with barbell exercise is more interesting if you know how to do it properly. To do it properly, mastering the glute bridge can help you to do the barbell glute bridge easier. In the following paragraphs, it will be made easier for you to do the glute bridge, weighted glute bridge, thrust bridge, barbell glute bridge on bench, and more. You will also get a list of handy exercises that you can do in place of the glute bridge exercise.

By the end of the article, you will be in a good position to make a difference between the hip thrust and the barbell glute bridge exercise. You will enjoy the easy and complex barbell workouts below.

Barbell Glute Bridge Vs Hip Thrust

The barbell glute bridge and hip thrust are good at strengthening the gluteal muscles. To some people, the two exercises are the same. Yes, the two exercises work similar muscles, but they are different. Their benefits to your body are different.

When doing the barbell glute bridge or hip thrust, you squeeze glutes and lift the hips upwards. Additionally, the two exercises also work similar muscles such as obliques, hip flexors, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, and many others. More so, the glute bridge is usually done without weight but using a barbell makes the two exercises similar. The hip thrust is done with weights. Therefore, the weights make the two exercises more similar.

However, when doing the barbell glute bridge, you make sure that your shoulders are on the floor. Then with the hip thrust, your shoulders will be on a bench.

Barbell Glute Bridge Muscles Worked

The barbell glute bridge does not work the glute muscles only but a lot of muscles. Below are the muscles that you work on when doing the barbell glute bridge.

Glutes – as a glute exercise, the exercise is good at building, strengthening your glutes muscles. It works wonders in shaping and toning the butt.

Quads – as you lift your body from the floor, the weight definitely gives your quads a good workout. It makes the quads stronger.

Hamstrings – the hamstrings also benefit from the barbell glute bridge. It makes it stronger as well.

Lower back – as you drive your body up and down, you also work your lower back. Your spine muscles get strengthened by the moves you do.

Abs – as you lift the glutes off the floor, too engage the abs muscles. This exercise is good for toning you and thereby keeping your stomach flat.

Core – the exercise is good at activating the core muscles. The entire midsection is good for supporting the erector spinae and keeping the stomach muscles tightened. As such, this exercise gives a well-defined waistline and a flat stomach.

Barbell Glute Bridge Bret Contreras

Bret Contreras is an expert in glute training. He also affirms that the barbell glute bridge exercise is good for strengthening the glutes muscles.

Glute Bridge With Barbell Benefits

The barbell glute bridge exercise does more than strengthening your glutes and other muscles. There are various benefits that you can get from doing this exercise. As you do the exercise, remember the following benefits;

1. Lower knee and back pain – the barbell glute bridge is good for strengthening the glutes muscles and that keep your other muscles in good shape. For instance, the spinal muscles can be relieved of stress. As you do the exercise, you also engage your knees and that helps to stabilize the knees.
2. Create a great athletic body – the barbell glute bridge have a great impact in strengthening the glutes and making them healthy. Having stronger glute muscles lower injury risks to the other muscles. Having poorly developed glute muscles can strain joints. But strong glutes also strengthens the leg and hip muscles, therefore, makes you do the athletics activities of running and jumping with good power and speed.
3. Improves posture – building and strengthening the glutes muscles also make the thigh muscles that keep your body upright. Additionally, the glute bridge also strengthens the erector spinae. Erector spinae is another exercise that helps your body to stay upright. Therefore, the barbell glute bridge is indeed good for improving your body posture.
4. Improves deadlifting – having stronger legs and hips muscles improves your weight lifting. Deadlifting depends on your lower body strength. As such, the barbell glute bridge that strengthens a lot of lower body muscles makes it easier to do a deadlift.

Barbell Glute Bridge Alternative

There are many exercises that you can do in place of the barbell glute bridge.

Bulgarian Split Squat

This is a good alternative to glute bridge exercise. The Bulgarian split squat is good for strengthening the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles. This is how you do it;

1. Stand in front of a bench or a chair and make sure that you are 60cm away. Keep your feet at shoulder-width apart.
2. Take your right leg and place the top part of your foot on the bench.
3. Then bend the left knee and start to lower your body. Lower your knee as far as you can and stop before touching the toes.
4. Return to the standing position.
5. Repeat to complete the desired number of reps before switching to the other leg. Then do the same to the left leg.

Stiff Legged Deadlift Barbell

The stiff legged deadlift barbell is another exercise that you can do to strengthen the glutes muscles. In addition to that, the stiff-legged deadlift barbell works your lower back, hamstrings, and other leg muscles. This is how you do the barbell stiff legged deadlift exercise;

1. Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart and make sure that your feet are beneath the bar.
2. Bend to grasp the barbell with an overhand grip keeping your hands at shoulder-width apart. Lift the barbell to stand upright.
3. Bend your body to lower the bar down to the starting position.
4. Repeat the moves as much as you can.

Banded Hip Thrust

This is another exercise that is good for strengthening the glute muscles. In addition to that, it also works the quads, back, hip flexors, obliques, and other leg muscles. This is how you do the banded hip thrust exercise,

1. Take a shower band and place a dumbbell in each end.
2. Then get under the band and place your shoulder blades onto a bench.
3. Then raise your hips up to make your torso flat.
4. Lower your glutes back to the floor or to the starting position.
5. Continue with the moves until you reach the targeted number of your reps.

Glute Bridge with Barbell On Bench

A glute bridge is done with your shoulders on the floor. However, you can always twerk it and do the glute bridge with barbell exercise on a bench the exercise is good for working your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and other muscles. Follow the instructions below to do the exercise properly,

1. Place your shoulder blades on the edge of the bench and keep your feet planted on the floor with knees bent 90 degrees.
2. Take the barbell and place it on the end of your hips toward your waist.
3. Hold the barbell with your hands and push your hips up using your heels. Your body should form a straight line from the hips up to the shoulders. Pause for a second before lowering your body.
4. Lower your body to the starting position.
5. Repeat the moves as much as you can. You can rest for a minute in between the sets.

Weighted Glute Bridge

Doing a weighted glute bridge is similar to doing the barbell glute bridge on the bench. The difference is that you do the weighted glute bridge without a bench. The weighted glute bridge is also good at strengthening the glute muscles.

In addition to that, it also strengthens the hamstrings, quads, lower back, and leg muscles. This is how you do it.

1. Lie on the ground with your back and bend your knees keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2. Take the barbell and place it on the end of your hips towards the waist.
3. Hold with your hands and push your hips up using your heels. Your body should form a straight line from the hips up to the shoulders. Pause for a second before lowering your body.
4. Lower your body to the starting position.
5. Repeat the moves as much as you can. You can rest for a minute in between the sets.

Barbell Hip Thrust

The barbell hip thrust also works the glutes, quads, lower back, hamstrings as well as leg muscles. It makes those muscles stronger thereby lowering injury risks when doing athletic moves.

If you have mastered the glute bridge with barbell on bench exercises, there is no need of giving you instructions on how to do the barbell hip thrust. You can follow the instructions on the barbell glute bridge on the bench to do the barbell hip thrust.

Final Thoughts

The glute bridge with barbell is indeed a good exercise if you want to strengthen your glutes muscles. Interestingly, the exercise does not only hit your glutes, but also works your quads, hamstrings, lower back as well as leg muscles.

However, to realize the benefits of the barbell glute bridge, you should know how to do it properly. The tip is, if you are a beginner, start by doing the glute bridge without any weight. That will help you to master the moves properly. Then from there, you can start adding weight.

However, if you are not comfortable with weighted glute bridge, you can always do other alternatives such as banded glute bridge and others. Have you ever failed to lift your body from the floor while doing the weighted glute bridge? Share your experience below.