I’ve been doing the glute bridge regularly for years. I include it in most of my workouts, since my main goal in the gym is to support my running by strengthening my lower body. Recently I’ve been trying to strengthen my hamstrings in particular, because I felt like they were the weak point in my legs during my last marathon training block, and I’m concerned about hamstring tendinopathy after some niggles in that area.
I spoke to a physical therapist about exercises to strengthen the hamstrings and they told me about two variations on the glute bridge that are worth trying. One moves the focus of the move from the glutes to the hamstrings, and one helps to work the inside and outside of the hamstrings. I’ve been doing these variations regularly since then, and I think any runners in particular should give them a go.
Glute Bridge Variation To Target The Hamstrings
For the classic glute bridge you lie back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet planted on the floor close to your glutes.
From there you drive your hips up to form a straight line from your knees to your neck, then I usually pause for a second at the top before lowering back down.
This is a great move for your glutes and also your hamstrings, but to make the move target the back of the legs more, you can simply extend your feet further away from your body.
- Start by lying down on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
- Move your feet further away from your glutes — the further they are, the more focus on the hamstrings, but also the harder the bridge will feel.
- Drive your hips up until you are in a bridge position, then slowly lower back down.
You can either keep your feet fully planted or move onto your heels if that’s more comfortable. Move your feet as far away as you can without it feeling too difficult to hold a bridge position.
When you drive your hips up you’ll instantly notice that it’s your hamstrings doing most of the work, rather than your glutes.
I’ve been doing this move as a single-leg glute bridge to make it more challenging and if my DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is anything to go by, I’ve definitely managed to target my hamstrings effectively.
The Clock Glute Bridge Variation
The hamstrings are a big muscle group and to target each area of them more effectively I’ve also added a variation of the glute bridge to my routine where I position my foot differently.
- Get into the same starting position as with the bridge above, with your feet further from your glutes than with the standard glute bridge.
- Point your foot slightly inward, at 11 o'clock, and do a set of bridges, raising your hips up and lowering them back down.
- Then point your foot forward, at 12 o'clock, and do a set.
- Finally point you foot slightly outwards, at 1 o'clock, for another set.
With my foot pointed up or straight ahead, the bridge move targets the center of my hamstrings. When I point my foot inwards to 11 o’clock, it works the inner thigh more, and when I point my foot outwards to one o’clock, it targets the outside of my thigh more.
I’ve been doing 10 reps in each position, and I can really feel the focus of the move in different areas of the hamstrings as I change my foot position. It’s definitely another variation worth trying to ensure you’re working all the hamstring muscles effectively in your strength sessions.
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