Monday, September 12, 2011

Modified Bridge for better hip extension

Mike Reinold has posted this useful video on how to improve the basic bridge.  This move is something that I recommend for getting the glutes active and firing, something that we need to maintain and promote especially when we spend so much of our time sitting.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was different. They way I have seen it demonstrated is with heels only touching the ground which makes it 100% glute activation. I think it was Brent Contreras who recommended this approach.

pieter d said...

Chris, although variant has its use, (more hip extensor activity in the inner range of the muscle), you leave the hip fexor problem (tone or muscle length) (mostly m. tensor fascia latae by the way) unadressed.

Of course, they will say you have to do your hip flexor mobility drills too.

Well, why don't you try the following: do the bridging, with feet and knees actively held together, and try to go as high as possible. Repeat until you get a little bit of extensor fatigue, and notice the bizarre feeling: you actually feel the extensors and flexors 'fight' for dominance.

Active inhibitory restabilisation it is called sometimes. Very useful and very effective.