The bridge on the shoulders

The bridge on the shoulders with arms raised is one of the main gymnastic movements. It is found in almost all modern fitness programs and is used in strength training as an auxiliary movement. The bridge with the arms raised is an auxiliary variation of the exercise “extension of the hip joint with the burden,” which is also known as the buttock bridge.

Purpose of the exercise

The purpose of the performance is usually the development of the muscles of the “back chain” – gluteus, hip flexors. In exercise therapy it is used for coxarthrosis of the hip joints, and as a general tonic for certain types of scoliosis.

Working muscles

Hip flexor, gluteus, muscles of the leg. As stabilizers, quadriceps, abdominal muscles, and partly, latissimus and rhomboid muscles of the back work.

Equipment

It is necessary to lie on the floor, place the heels at the width of the hip joints and at a distance of at least 10-15 cm from the pelvis. The position of the hips should be stable, so that it is possible to perform the extension and raising of the pelvis.

First, the anterior abdominal wall is tightened “inwards”; this is necessary in order to stabilize the body in the initial position and to eliminate excess mobility in the lumbar spine.

Further, due to the simultaneous rest of the heels to the floor and extension in the hip joint, a “bridge” is performed – the exit to the position in which the pelvis is freely pushed upwards. At the upper point of the trajectory, a static contraction of the muscles of the buttocks (pelvis clamp) is performed, then their relaxation and return to the initial position.

Hands forward and upward are brought out to stabilize. To prevent the body from swaying under load, one should remove the shoulders from the ears, pull the shoulder blades to the spine, and lower them to the pelvis so that the position is stable, but there is no excessive deflection in the lower back.

During the exercise, you need to make sure that the press remains taut. If you move your heels a little further forward, most of the load will fall on the hip flexor. If you bring them closer to the pelvis – on the gluteal muscles.

Technical errors are placing the feet too narrowly or in a “line”, which relieves the working muscles, as well as lifting not at full range of motion in the hip joint, and lack of control of the gluteus muscles, that is, excluding them from work, when movement occurs only due to hip extensor.

Approaches and repetitions

This exercise is usually performed at the end of a workout, as a final isolating exercise, it is performed in 15–20 repetitions, in 3–4 approaches. Sometimes, to create additional resistance, rubber is used; in this case, a round rubber shock absorber is placed on the knees, stretched by it, including the static tension of the muscles of the buttocks at the beginning of the amplitude, and working so that the shock absorber resistance does not decrease.