‘I did glute bridges every day for two weeks – here’s what happened’

As with many fitness talking points these days, they’ve also been getting some serious love on TikTok – where the core focus of the 2.7 million #glutebridgechallenge posts is how they can support a nice peachy derrière.

Intrigued by what I’m seeing on my feed, I’m curious whether going hard on glute bridges for a period of time could help me build a stronger bum – not just for aesthetic reasons, but to aid my other strength workouts. After all, the fitness experts I’ve interviewed over the years always insist that consistency is key when it comes to results. What’s more, can a plan of some kind be helpful for those who – like me – will happily follow instructions but who need to be guided through the process by a pro?

This is how I came to ask Long if she could devise a plan that slowly gets me back in a groove with glute bridges – but also ensured that I was sufficiently pushing my body.

‘A challenge can gradually increase in intensity and volume by upping reps and sets to bodyweight only, but also adding in equipment that adds resistance – such as a band or weights,’ she explains.

It’s worth noting that everyone’s fitness journey is individual, and it’s vital that the exercise is performed correctly with enough recovery, while you should decrease the intensity if you experience discomfort. To give you some inspiration, see my schedule below.

Glute bridge challenge schedule

Day 1-3: Foundation building

• Day 1: 3 sets of 10 bodyweight glute bridges
• Day 2: 3 sets of 12 bodyweight glute bridges
• Day 3: 4 sets of 10 bodyweight glute bridges

Day 4-6: Adding repetitions

• Day 4: 3 sets of 15 bodyweight glute bridges
• Day 5: 4 sets of 12 bodyweight glute bridges
• Day 6: 4 sets of 15 bodyweight glute bridges

Day 7-9: Introducing variations

• Day 7: 3 sets of 12 single-leg glute bridges per leg
• Day 8: 3 sets of 12 weighted glute bridges (start with a light weight)
• Day 9: 3 sets of 15 banded glute bridges (use a resistance band above the knees)

Day 10-12: Increasing resistance

• Day 10: 4 sets of 12 weighted glute bridges (increase weight slightly)
• Day 11: 3 sets of 12 elevated glute bridges (feet on a bench or step)
• Day 12: 4 sets of 15 banded glute bridges (increase resistance band tension)

Day 13-14: Challenge yourself

• Day 13: 3 sets of 12 paused glute bridges (hold for 2 seconds at the top)
• Day 14: 4 sets of 15 pulse glute bridges (perform small pulses at the top)

What is a glute bridge?

Before take-off, let’s brush up on the basics. ‘Glute bridges are a simple yet effective exercise for strengthening the glutes, but also hamstrings and lower back muscles,’ says Long. The caveat being that your form and technique need to be on point, in order to harness the perks and swerve injury. ‘You should always start by lying on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart and close to your glutes,’ she explains.

Once you’re in position, you can begin. ‘Engage your core muscles to stabilise your spine by drawing in your belly button, and then press through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips off the ground upwards,’ continues Long. ‘Keeping your shoulders, hips and knees in a straight line, hold the top position for a moment.’

It’s important, here, to actively squeeze your glutes while also avoiding overarching your lower back or letting your knees collapse inwards. ‘Finally, slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position with control, maintaining tension in your glutes and core muscles throughout,’ she adds.

One of the things that has previously made glute bridges seem a little forgettable to me, is that it didn’t feel like they were really pushing my body – in the same way as a burpee or a Bulgarian split squat (both of which always have me internally cursing). Turns out, there are plenty of variations to make them more difficult.

Glute bridge variations

‘You can progressively increase the challenge of glute bridges by incorporating various modifications,’ notes Long.

Single-leg glute bridges

• One of the first ways Long makes glute bridges more challenging in my plan is with single-leg glute bridges – which research has found are most effective at activating the smaller gluteus medius and gluteus minimus, that support the gluteus maximus. ‘Perform the exercise with only one leg on the ground while the other leg is extended straight out,’ she advises. ‘This variation increases the load on the working leg and adds an element of balance and stability.’

Read on for my honest results after my 14-day glute bridge challenge

Weighted glute bridges

• You can also add resistance. ‘Weighted glute bridges can be done with dumbbells, a plate, kettlebell or barbell on your hips,’ notes Long. Start with a light weight and gradually increase the load as you get stronger.’

Banded glute bridges

• It’s a similar extra burn with banded glute bridges, which should be placed around your thighs just above your knees, that increase glute activation.

Elevated glute bridges

• Further variations include elevated glute bridges. ‘This is where you place your feet on an elevated surface – such as a bench or step – to increase the range of motion and engage the glutes and hamstrings more intensely,’ Long reveals. Similarly, there’s paused glute bridges and pulse glute bridges – where you hold or pulse at the top – to increase time under tension and increase muscle endurance.

Glute bridge form mistakes

There’s much that can be loaded on to glute bridges to make them work harder – but there are also some things you shouldn’t do.

• ‘Avoid arching your lower back excessively during the movement – keep your spine in a neutral position to prevent strain,’ warns Long.
• ‘Additionally, try not to hyperextend your lower back or lift your hips too high, which can lead to overuse of the lower back muscles, and don’t neglect core engagement to stabilise your spine and pelvis.’
• She adds that failing to squeeze your glutes at the top will mean the move is less effective.

What are the benefits of glute bridges?

• Glute activation – ‘They primarily target a big muscle called the gluteus maximus, helping to strengthen and activate,’ explains Long. ‘Strong glutes contribute to improved hip stability, posture and overall lower body strength.’ This is also where the idea that the move can ‘grow’ your bum comes from.
• Hamstring strength – ‘They also engage the hamstrings, the muscles located on the back of the thighs,’ notes Long. ‘Working these can help improve lower body strength and reduce the risk of injury.’
• Lower back stability – ‘By engaging the core muscles and stabilising the lower back, glute bridges can also help promote spinal alignment and reduce the risk of lower back pain,’ points out Long.
• Hip mobility – ‘Performing them can help improve hip mobility and flexibility, which is beneficial for other movements – like running or squatting,’ shares Long.
• Postural benefits – ‘Strengthening the glutes and core muscles in this way can contribute to better posture by promoting proper alignment of the pelvis and spine,’ adds Long.

4 things I learned from my glute bridge challenge

1. 14 days isn’t enough to see a difference

Of course, there is way more to exercise than aesthetics. For me, I was keen to see whether building muscle in my glutes with glute bridges could make me stronger in other exercises, like squats. But I’ll admit I was also keen to see whether my glutes would get any bigger.

In the past when I’ve really committed to core exercises, I’ve seen the emergence of visible ab definition. Similarly, when I’ve gone for it with squat jumps, I’ve noticed improvements to the leanness of my legs. Glute bridges? Unfortunately, not so much – or, at least, not after only two weeks. My bum looks pretty much the same in the size and roundness department.

However, aesthetics aside, I certainly feel different. As Long mentions of the benefits, glute bridges help you build a stronger lower-body base in multiple ways – and after this short period I can already tell the foundations are being installed. Particularly in the second week, when the variations made them much more challenging. My favourites, because I think they served up the most progress, were those incorporating the resistance band and pulses at the top. Oh boy did they burn.

2. They’re best done alongside other exercise

As I ticked off my daily assigned reps and sets from the plan – content that my glutes were getting a good working, despite sitting on my bum at my desk all day – it got me thinking about other neglected areas of my body that I could also be paying better attention to. Sure, focusing on my glutes was already rewarding me (I’m convinced it was aiding the kind of functional fitness essential for jumping to catch a ceiling cobweb or carrying heavy groceries, such is the glam life I lead), but fitness should be holistic, right?

Whether that’s yoga for runners or strength training for yoga, the best workout routines have a lot going on. ‘Incorporating a variety of exercises that target the lower body muscles from different angles and movement patterns can help maximise muscle growth, strength and overall performance,’ says Long. Some particularly complementary exercises she recommends doing alongside glute bridges include squats, deadlifts, lunges and hip thrusts. As such, I continued to embrace doing my regular PT sessions and Pilates as well as yoga during this time.

3. Proper form can also ease lower-back pain

Just a couple of days into my challenge, I became aware that I have a tendency to thrust my hips up too high and forget to take time to hold at the top and squeeze. Just like my brain is rushing through my to-do list, I needed to slow down and stop moving on autopilot. What’s more, the few minutes it took out of my day to do the glute bridges on the living room floor also became an exercise in mindfulness – by the end I was unexpectedly relishing the enforced mental break in my day.

Slowing down and paying attention to technique was also why, after two weeks, my body not only felt better – but I was amazed I hadn’t experienced any lower back pain, which I can sometimes suffer from. After a bit of digging, I came across a study that found strengthening the glute muscles – such as with a glute bridge – could actually help decrease the risk.

That being said, Long emphasises the importance of paying attention to any discomfort. ‘If you experience sharp or persistent pain during or after the exercise, it may indicate poor form, overloading or an underlying issue,’ she warns.

4. A plan is good for goals – but be flexible

An expert-led plan was very much needed for this average gymgoer – and it certainly made it easy for me to understand how to improve. Additionally, it’s always good to move your body in some way every day, and I often tagged the glute bridges onto my regular workouts – preferably in the morning, so they were done and dusted.

However I do think that any fitness challenges – whether that’s glute bridges, planks or squats – should be treated with caution in case they trigger feelings of obsession with completing every step perfectly.

Indeed, there were a couple of long days, when I’d had work commitments or been at a wedding, that I found myself frantically squeezing in my glute bridges before bed in the evening and feeling like a failure for almost missing them.

Wanting to follow the plan to a T also meant I didn’t take any rest days. ‘But these can be crucial for muscle recovery – essential for muscle growth and development – even when focusing on a single exercise,’ notes Long. ‘Overtraining can lead to muscle fatigue, decreased performance and an increased risk of injury.’ You can still get the benefits of glute bridges, she insists, even by doing them on alternating days.

Is it worth doing glute bridges every day?

In short: no. As Long says, doing them three or four times a week can still serve up major perks, while it’ll be easier to slot them into your daily life.

As such, I’ll certainly keep weaving glute bridges into my workouts – although there are some changes I would make. Namely, this plan has given me a good grounding in how I can better challenge myself with different glute bridge variations, which I don’t always remember when I’m left to my own devices. The challenge has been a reminder that listening to my body during fitness doesn’t just mean avoiding discomfort – it’s about knowing when you can take it up a notch too.

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