Dumbbell Glute Bridge

1. Lie on your back on the floor with knees bent and feet flat, hip width apart and close enough that your fingertips can graze your heels.
2. Place a dumbbell horizontally across the crease of your hips and hold it steady with both hands.
3. Flatten your lower back gently toward the floor and brace your core.
4. Exhale and drive through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
5. Squeeze the glutes at the top for one to two seconds without arching the lower back.
6. Inhale and lower your hips under control until they hover just above the floor.
7. Repeat, keeping the dumbbell stable and the heels planted throughout.

Common Mistakes

• Pushing through the toes: shifting weight to the forefoot pulls the quads into the movement; drive through the heels to keep the glutes in charge.
• Overarching at the top: lifting the hips past a straight line by extending the spine stresses the lower back rather than working the glutes harder.
• Resting fully between reps: settling the hips on the floor and relaxing each rep breaks tension; touch down lightly and go again.
• Feet too far from the hips: a long foot position turns the bridge into a hamstring exercise and often triggers cramping; walk the heels in closer.