Elevated Hip Bridge

The Elevated Hip Bridge is a posterior chain exercise that targets the glutes and hamstrings by lifting the hips while the feet rest on a raised surface. This variation increases the range of motion compared to a standard floor bridge, providing greater muscle activation for the lower body.

Exercise movement reviewed by:Cody Lockling, MS, CSCS
How Iridium Helps

Since this movement relies on posterior chain endurance, the app monitors your RPE and rep performance to detect when the bodyweight variation becomes too easy, automatically suggesting weighted progressions or single-leg alternatives. By integrating your daily recovery metrics and sleep data, the system can also adjust volume to prevent overtraining the hamstrings, which are often prone to fatigue. If you track cycle data or stress levels, the app further refines intensity targets to match your current physiological readiness.

Form Cues

Do
  • Place heels firmly on the edge of the bench
  • Brace your core to keep ribs down
  • Squeeze your glutes hard at the top
  • Control the lowering phase slowly
  • Maintain a 90-degree knee angle at peak contraction
Don't
  • Don't arch your lower back to gain height
  • Don't let your knees cave inward
  • Don't push primarily through your toes
  • Don't use momentum to swing your hips up

Common Mistakes

  • Hyperextending the lumbar spine
  • Placing the bench too far away
  • Rushing the eccentric (lowering) phase
  • Disengaging the core at the top
  • Pushing through toes instead of heels

Muscles Worked

This exercise primarily isolates the gluteus maximus, forcing it to work through a deeper range of motion than a standard bridge. It also heavily recruits the hamstrings to assist in hip extension and engages the deep core muscles to stabilize the pelvis and spine throughout the movement.

Primary

Glutes

Secondary

HamstringsGeneral Core

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