Train glutes and abs together with the basic and single-leg bridge

If there is one body part that men tend to overlook, it's the glutes.

Partly out of ignorance and partly out of little aesthetic interest in this essential muscle, men tend to neglect specific training for the so-called backside.

The story changes dramatically for women, who are particularly keen on working almost only the glutes, sometimes forgetting other essential muscle groups.

In any case, anyone who does exercises like squats, lunges or deadlifts (that is, the best-known multi-joint exercises) is doing great work with one of the strongest muscle groups in the entire human body, also training the glutes and hamstrings considerably.

As we'll see later, you don't need a big gym or a home gym to train them effectively.

We have a particularly effective exercise that we can easily do bodyweight: the bridge.

 

THE BRIDGE: THE BENEFITS

Builds your glute muscles

The bridge can improve and strengthen our glutes effectively without exposing us to the risk of injury, which is unfortunately common when you overdo the weights.
It is also perfectly suited to beginners who want to start some muscle-strengthening movements.

The bridge will mainly develop the gluteus maximus, the largest and most powerful muscle, which will let us see the first results fairly quickly.

 

Strengthens your back

In general, the quadriceps, the muscles at the front of the thighs, are much more powerful than the glutes and the hamstrings, the muscles at the back of the thighs.
This creates a muscle imbalance between the agonist and the antagonist muscles, creating significant tension in the lower back region.

If you suffer from lower back pain, this exercise can be a great way to ease the tension, in addition to abdominal plank exercises.

 

Strengthens your abs

The bridge also works the abdominal muscles, both the deep muscles such as the transversus and the rectus and obliques.

…and the benefits of the bridge don't end there: this exercise also helps improve posture!

 

HOW TO DO IT: BASIC BRIDGE AND SINGLE-LEG BRIDGE

BASIC BRIDGE

1. The starting position for the basic version is lying on your back with the back of your head resting on the floor, arms out to the sides with palms facing down, knees bent and heels close to your glutes, about hip-width apart.
2. Contracting your abs, lift your hips off the floor by extending the hip, until your hips are in line with your torso and thigh (be careful not to go beyond that and risk dangerously arching your back).
3. Hold the position for 3 seconds (this is where the glutes do the main work).
4. Slowly return to the starting position, lowering your lower back first and then your sacral area, without hitting the floor.

 

SINGLE-LEG BRIDGE

1. The starting position for the single-leg version is again lying on your back, as before.
2. From the supine position with your legs bent, extend one of your legs while keeping your thighs pointing in the same direction.
3. Slowly return to the starting position, lowering your lower back first and then your sacral area, without hitting the floor.

 

As always, let's remember the importance of a balanced diet combined with consistent physical exercise.

In this regard, Eathlon® recommends eating fish, which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-3. It is easier to digest than meat, staying in the stomach for much less time, and thanks to its low connective tissue content it is easier to chew and is attacked more easily by gastric juices once in the stomach.
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