10 Best Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg Alternatives for Glute Strength

The Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg is done lying on your back. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Single Leg Glute Bridge, the Physioball Hip Bridge and the Glute Bridge March. A harder version, the Janda Sit-up, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

The Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg has you lie on your back, straighten one leg out in front of you and lift your hips off the floor on the other, so a swap needs to keep your glutes doing that lifting work. The closest match is the Single Leg Glute Bridge, which bends both knees and works one side at a time the same way. If keeping one leg straight throws off your balance, the Glute Bridge March sets both feet down and lifts one at a time instead.

Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched LegWatch the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg

The steps for the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Glutes, with hamstrings, quadriceps · Bodyweight · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Extend one leg straight out in front of you.
  3. Engage your glutes and lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
  4. Hold for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch legs.

The 10 Best Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Single Leg Glute Bridge

    1. Single Leg Glute Bridge

    85% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Isolation

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the glutes.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Lay on the floor with your feet flat and knees bent.
    2. Raise one leg off of the ground, pulling the knee to your chest. This will be your starting position.
    3. Execute the movement by driving through the heel, extending your hip upward and raising your glutes off of the ground.
    4. Extend as far as possible, pause and then return to the starting position.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
  2. Physioball Hip Bridge

    2. Physioball Hip Bridge

    83% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a stability ball to work with, and it still works the glutes.

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Lay on a ball so that your upper back is on the ball with your hips unsupported. Both feet should be flat on the floor, hip width apart or wider. This will be your starting position.
    2. Begin by extending the hips using your glutes and hamstrings, raising your hips upward as you bridge.
    3. Pause at the top of the motion and return to the starting position.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
  7. Rear Decline BridgePlay demonstration

    7. Rear Decline Bridge

    80% match

    Glutes · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the glutes with less balance to manage.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.
    2. Place your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
    3. Engage your glutes and hamstrings, and lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
    4. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: glutes, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg

Why You Might Need a Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg Alternative

The Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg needs nothing but floor space, and the leg held straight out in front of you is what makes it awkward: it shifts your weight onto one hip and one foot, and a wobble there can end the set before your glutes are tired. Most of the alternatives keep the equipment bar low: several bend both knees or leave both feet down to take the balance problem away, and three move you onto a stability ball, which swaps a straight-leg wobble for a surface that can roll. Pick by what is actually stopping you: balance, or having a ball on hand.

How to Choose the Right Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg Substitute

If the straight leg tips you sideways, start with the Single Leg Glute Bridge: the raised knee pulls to your chest instead of staying straight, a shorter lever to balance, one side at a time. If balance is the issue, the Glute Bridge March keeps both feet down and only lifts one foot once your hips are up, so you never balance a straight leg from the floor; the Glute Bridge Two Legs On Bench is the same two-foot bridge against a bench. With a ball, the Physioball Hip Bridge rests your upper back on it with feet down, while the Reverse Hyper Extension (On Stability Ball) puts your hips on the ball, legs lifting behind you. To skip the ball, the Bench Hip Extension is that same bench-backed bridge: sit against it, feet flat, lift your hips.

Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg FAQ

Can I do the Single Leg Bridge With Outstretched Leg at home?

Yes, it only needs floor space. If the straight leg makes it hard to keep your hips level, the Single Leg Glute Bridge bends both knees and is easier to balance, and the Glute Bridge March or the Rear Decline Bridge put both feet down first, all doable on the same patch of floor.

How do I stop my hips dropping to one side?

Bend the raised leg instead of holding it straight: the Single Leg Glute Bridge pulls that knee toward your chest instead of leaving it hanging out in front, which makes it easier to keep your hips level. Slow the lift down and pause at the top before you add reps or try the straight leg version again.

Which swap suits a beginner?

The Bench Hip Extension and the Butt Lift (Bridge) both put your feet flat and both knees bent, so you can build the lift with a stable base before you try holding one leg straight. Add reps first, then work toward the single leg versions once the two-footed lift feels easy.

What does a stability ball change about this exercise?

The Physioball Hip Bridge rests your upper back on the ball with your feet on the floor, and the Reverse Hyper Extension (On Stability Ball) rests your hips on the ball instead, with your legs extended behind you. Both put part of your body on a surface that can roll, which is a different kind of control challenge than holding one leg straight out in front of you.

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