Dumbbell Feet Elevated Glute Bridge
A glute bridge with the feet on a bench and a dumbbell across the hips — an extended-range variation that loads the glutes harder.
How to do it
- Sit on the floor in front of a bench with a dumbbell resting across your hips.
- Place your heels on the bench with your knees bent to about 90 degrees, holding the dumbbell in place with your hands.
- Brace your core and tuck your ribs down so your lower back stays flat at the start of the rep.
- Press your heels into the bench and drive your hips up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top and hold for one second without overarching your lower back.
- Slowly lower your hips back toward the floor under control, then repeat.
Key technique cue
Push through the heels, stop at a straight line, no arching or bouncing.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Pushing through the toes instead of the heels, which shifts the work to the quads and off the glutes.
- ✕ Overarching the lower back at the top instead of holding a clean top hip position.
- ✕ Going too heavy and bouncing off the floor, which kills tension and risks a back injury.
- ✕ Cutting the range short by stopping before the hips fully lock out at the top.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds glute size through a long, loaded range of hip extension.
- ✓ Trains a strong hip lockout that carries over to squats and deadlifts.
- ✓ Loads the glutes hard without needing a barbell or a hip thrust setup.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Dumbbell Feet Elevated Glute Bridge
- Barbell Glute Bridge
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Step 3
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Feet Elevated Glute Bridge raises the feet onto a bench and loads a dumbbell across the hips. Elevating the feet lengthens the range of hip extension, while the load makes every rep count. The result is a glute bridge that actually challenges trained lifters instead of serving as a warm-up. It slots cleanly into glute-focused hypertrophy blocks, posterior-chain accessory work and home or small-gym programs where a barbell hip thrust isn't possible. It is a smart pick for anyone specializing in glutes and for everyday athletes training the lower body.
Updated
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