The kas glute bridge has been making its way around the fitness industry as the "ultimate glute-building and strengthening exercise". Not to be confused with the standard glute bridge or hip thrust, the kas glute bridge puts much more stress and emphasis on the glute muscles. If you want to improve glute strength the kas glute bridge is an awesome exercise to add to your program. Read on to learn how to safely complete the kas glute bridge along with some tips and benefits to give you an upper hand before you even step foot in the gym.
Why The Kas Glute Bridge?
It's no secret that squats and deadlifts can get old very fast (and also risk lower back pain). While both the squat and deadlift work the glute muscles, that is not the main focus of the lift. What makes the kas glute bridge such an elite glute-building movement is how it isolates the glute muscles unlike any other exercise. The kas glute bridge is different from the regular glute bridge primarily on position setup. Being on an elevated surface such as a bench or box allows you to target your glutes more effectively. The elevated position of the exercises tied in with the slow and controlled tempo is what makes the kas glute bridge so beneficial for building muscle and strength in the glutes.
Kas Glute Bridge - How To Guide:
1. To set up the kas glute bridge exercise, have the middle of your shoulder blades resting against a bench or box with your feet placed slightly wider than hip-width apart. If you decide to use weight, put a barbell or dumbbell in the crease of your hips and hold it there with both hands.
2. To begin the kas glute bridge exercise, slowly lower your hips by two to three inches while engaging your glutes and maintaining a flat lower back and strong knees.
3. Once at the bottom of the movement, drive through your heels and raise the barbell to the ceiling by extending your hips to return to the starting position. Be sure to maintain good posture throughout the movement. Your body should create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, with your knees aligned and your heels and bent at 90-degree angles.
4. Return to the beginning position by continuing to lift the hips until the body is in a straight line from the shoulders to the knees.
Kas Glute Bridge - Muscles Worked: Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Gluteus Minimus.
Kas Glute Bridge vs Hip Thrusts:
A common comparison to the kas glute bridge is the hip thrust exercise. The main differences between the movements is the time under tension and the intention behind the exercise. The kas glute bridge is a slow and controlled exercise intended for building muscle and strength. The hip thrust exercise on the other hand is intended for fast activation and explosiveness. Both exercises work the same muscles, however, they have many different results. Check out the hip thrust visual below and see how it differs from the one above.
Kas Glute Bridge - Pain Relief:
Developing tight and sore glutes are very common in today's sedentary world, often caused by excessive sitting or overworking the glutes through exercises such as the kas glute bridge. To alleviate discomfort and achieve pain-free glute muscles, it's crucial to address the tight tissue/trigger points and tension that are causing you pain.
To rid the muscle of painful trigger points and find relief, a great place to start is to apply targeted deep-tissue massage to the muscle. A deep, soothing tissue massage will help release the glutes of pain and constant muscle tension. This process will allow the glute muscles to exist as normal, non-pain-inducing muscles. A great tool for this is the QL Claw.
Post deep tissue massage, stretching will aid to further pain relief and increased mobility.
[1] Donnelly, Joseph M. Travell, Simons & Simons Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual. 3rd ed., Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019.
[2] Davies, Clair, and Amber Davies. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief. 3rd ed., New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2013.