Barbell glute bridge hurting back and hips

iceycoldhot

I just started doing barbell glute bridges. ..I bought a barbell pad and everything. It hurts my lower back when I am doing them, and my hip bones because the barbell is right on them....is this normal? Is there a way to make it less painful?

ljk0615

Idk I'd make sure you're doing then correctly. Watch Bret contreras video on you tube.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cBrHdatPj9g. (Idk if I know how to link. If it doesn't work look up "everything you need to know about the hip thrust" on YouTube.
When I do them I wear a hoodie to cushion my hips and I put a towel between me and the barbell.
Seems like if your back is hurting then either your form is off or you're lifting too much weight and your back isn't strong enough to support that amount of weight yet...

oh_happy_day

Are you engaging your glutes and core really tightly? Is the movement slow and controlled or are you arching/jerking a bit? Are you arching your back? (Could happen if the weight is a bit too heavy.) Are your hip flexors really tight? That might be preventing full extension and your glutes from really firing. Are you driving through your heels or do you think you're tipping onto your toes a bit? Can be easy to do if your quads are stronger/dominant.

Could you use a heavy weight plate instead of the barbell? That spreads the weight around a bit rather than sitting right on your hip bones. Although you can't get as heavy. Could you wrap a towel around the barbell pad for some extra cushioning?

SunnyPacheco

The barbell shouldn't be right on your hip bones. It should be right under like where your hip flexors are. I try to squeeze my glutes before I start raising my hips so they're already engaged before any movement happens then drive up through your heels. That might minimize you trying to move the weight with your back.

lemmie177

If your lower back hurts, make sure you're not hyperextending it. Maintain posterior pelvic tilt (as described in Bret's video referenced above).

For the hip pain, make sure the bar is never resting on your bones. I still find it mildly uncomfortable even then, so I made some padding from a dollar store pool noodle which I cut to size (~14"?) and can quickly snap onto the bar for cushion whenever I do glute bridges or squats.