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The Better Glute Bridge Exercise

sandbag exercises
The Better Glute Exercise
Daniel Jackowicz (Two Guns Training Systems)
I have a laundry list of injuries and ailments that I wont bore you with, but to say they are anything but excessive would be an understatement. This constant propensity for injury is one of the primary things that drew me to the DVRT system in the first place. Let’s face it, how many times have good intentions of becoming more fit have been derailed by injury? 
 
The ability to progress and regress exercises without adding or decreasing weight blew my mind initially. I mean, really, isn’t that how we are always suppose to make exercises harder or easier by just changing the weight? Then as I dove deeper, finding ways to progress exercises while actually decreasing load spoke my too often injured joints and muscles oh so directly. Oh, but wait, I won’t get strong right? Well, I loved the idea that old time strongmen had, make a light weight feel heavier! 
Why? You find out where you holes and weaknesses really lie. You find out the truth if you are gym strong or real world strong. Where do we go from here? 
 
When the concepts of DVRT Restoration (stay tuned for more details) were in the talks, I knew this was something I had to be a part of – “bridging the gap between corrective exercise and strength training”. Simultaneously improving movement capacity and competency while getting strong(er) in the process is the best of both worlds.
 
The MAX Lunge is one of the “sexier” DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training exercises, but it is also one of the more challenging ones. There is an incredible demand of 3-dimensional stability and strength required. But what if we flipped it on its back? Literally…
 
10 13 USB Restoration Side by Side.jpg
 
The same amount of 3-d dimensional stability and strength as well as the same pattern done in a more stable position. One of the “buzzes” around the fitness industry is training “from the ground up” and our progressions can and should work the same way. A lot of people find the MAX Bridge just as if not more challenging than the MAX Lunge because compensation isn’t really possible in the MAX Bridge as we sometimes see in the MAX Lunge especially when speed increases.
 
We have two variations in which we use it.
 
One is the MAX Bridge itself…
 
 
The goal is to transition the Ultimate Sandbag toward your hip as you bridge up as high as you can and return back to neutral – similar to the MAX Lunge. This challenges single leg strength as well as the anti-rotation of the Ultimate Sandbag.

 
Then we can emphasize the challenge of anti-rotation element by holding the top of the one leg glute bridge and going through the diagonal pattern with the Ultimate Sandbag, like in the video above. 
 
 
Goal here is to hold the top position with hips fully extended and no rotating side to side. Nate is demonstrating the “medium” tempo. It can also be done with a super slow tempo or a dynamic tempo depending on the goal.
 
Which variation challenges you more will depend on you specifically. Some people have a hard time resisting rotation as they bridge and others have a hard time stabilizing at the top while resisting rotation.
 
Either way, these MAX Bridge variations are a great way to  not only dial in your MAX Lunge as well as build a bulletproof lower back and a strong core.