What you'll gain

• Builds glute size through a long, loaded hip extension range.

• Trains a strong hip lockout that carries into squats and deadlifts.

• Loads the glutes hard without needing a barbell or hip thrust setup.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Sit on the floor in front of a bench with a dumbbell resting across your hips.

2. 2

   Place your heels on top of the bench with knees bent at roughly 90 degrees and arms holding the dumbbell.

3. 3

   Brace your core and tuck your ribs down so your lower back stays flat to start the rep.

4. 4

   Drive your heels into the bench and push your hips up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.

5. 5

   Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for a one-second hold without overarching the lower back.

6. 6

   Lower your hips slowly back to the floor under control, then repeat for reps.

Common Mistakes

• Pushing through the toes instead of the heels, which pulls the work into the quads and out of the glutes.

• Overextending the lower back at the top instead of holding a clean hip-up position.

• Going too heavy and bouncing off the floor, which kills tension and risks back strain.

• Cutting the range short by stopping before the hips fully lock out at the top.

About This 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 hip extension range, and the load makes every rep meaningful. The result is a glute bridge that actually challenges trained users instead of being a warm-up. This clip slots cleanly into glute-focused hypertrophy blocks, posterior-chain accessory work, and home or small-gym programs where a barbell hip thrust isn't an option. It's a smart inclusion for app builders targeting glute-specialization audiences and for creators making lower-body programs aimed at general lifters.

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