Bored of Glute Bridges? Try Frog Pumps Instead—Here’s How to Do Them

You’ve probably heard of glute bridges or done this popular glute-strengthening exercise yourself. But traditional glute bridges, while a tried-and-true, effective exercise, can easily get boring and tedious. So if you’re looking for an alternative glute exercise to shake up the norm and fire up your glutes in a similar way, allow us to introduce you to frog pumps.

Like glute bridges, frog pumps are a low-impact, floor-based exercise that require only a few minutes of your time and can help you build your backside (and support your hips, pelvis, and back!). If building strength and stability in your glutes is on our fitness to-do list, here’s why frog pumps are worth trying.

What Are Frog Pumps?

If you search for a video of a frog croaking on its back, you’ll get a sense of exactly what frog pumps look like. This move can be done by humans, too, don’t worry. Frog pumps actually resemble the traditional glute bridge, but instead of keeping your knees parallel and pointed forward, you’ll let them drop to the side into a V or diamond shape (if you’re familiar with yoga poses, the starting position for frog pumps will resemble a reclined bound angle pose, shown below).

Andrew White, NASM-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Garage Gym Pro, is a big fan of incorporating frog pumps into a workout routine. “Frog pumps have become a favorite of mine for targeting the glutes and enhancing hip mobility,” he says. “These exercises work wonders for building lower body strength and stability.”

Benefits of Frog Pumps

They target multiple muscle groups. 

Frog pumps are excellent for building lower-body strength. Not only will you feel the burn of frog pumps in your glutes, but you’ll also feel activation of your core and abductor muscles, which travel into your hips.

They go deep and work all three gluteal muscles. 

Overall, White says “frog pumps primarily engage the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus [muscles].” While you’ve probably heard of the gluteus maximus muscle (the largest of your glute muscles), your medius and minimus muscles are just as important—and often overlooked. These essential posterior muscles contribute to pelvic stability and overall function of your lower body, which is why working frog pumps into your routine is worth your time.

They support pelvic strength and stability.

“Frog pumps are one of the best exercises to build your glutes,” says Tiffany Lankford, RDN, registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. “They’ll not only make your butt look great, but will help with overall balance.” The balance benefits are thanks to the stability boost we mention above that frog pumps can offer to your pelvic region.

How to Do Frog Pumps

If you’re new to frog pumps, here’s a step-by-step guide for how to do them safely.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet together, and knees opened wide (like a frog—or in a “butterfly” pose). Your legs should make a diamond-shape.
2. Press your feet together, engage your core, and lift your hips off the ground by squeezing your glutes.
3. Lower your hips back down and repeat.

For additional comfort, Lankford recommends doing these exercises on a yoga mat. “To make the most out of frog pumps, focus on using your glutes to lift your hips,” White adds, “rather than straining your lower back.”

Modifications and Variations

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to frog pumps. You can modify this workout move to make it more challenging or easier on your lower back.

One modification to make it more challenging, White suggests, is to “place a resistance band around your thighs for added resistance,” which can help increase the burn in your glutes and other activated muscle groups.

Likewise, if you're relatively new to frog pumps or glute exercises like them, don't worry about lifting your hips all the way up. Only lift up as far as you can while maintaining focus on proper form—really keeping your glutes squeezed and core engaged in activation—then lower down.

However, if you have hip or knee issues, White does suggest avoiding frog pumps, since flaring your knees into a V or diamond-shape may increase pain or discomfort in these areas. He also suggests being mindful not to overextend the lower back, which can also cause pain and undo stress on the low back muscles.