Tired of Glute Bridges? Give Frog Pumps a Try—Here’s How to Do Them

You’re probably familiar with glute bridges, or perhaps you’ve tried this popular exercise yourself. While glute bridges are effective and well-known, they can become repetitive and dull. If you’re searching for an exciting alternative that targets your glutes in a similar way, it’s time to discover frog pumps.

Similar to glute bridges, frog pumps are a simple, low-impact exercise performed on the floor that only takes a few minutes. They can help enhance your glutes, while also providing support to your hips, pelvis, and back! If strengthening and stabilizing your glutes is on your workout list, frog pumps are definitely worth adding to your routine.

What Are Frog Pumps?

If you search for a video of a frog croaking on its back, you'll get an idea of exactly how frog pumps look. Don’t worry—this exercise can be done by humans too! Frog pumps are similar to the classic glute bridge, but with a twist: instead of keeping your knees parallel and facing forward, you’ll allow them to drop outward into a V or diamond shape. For those familiar with yoga, this position mirrors the reclined bound angle pose, shown below.

Andrew White, NASM-certified personal trainer and co-founder of Garage Gym Pro, is a big proponent of adding frog pumps to your exercise routine. “Frog pumps are now a favorite of mine for working the glutes and improving hip mobility,” he shares. “They’re incredibly effective at building lower body strength and stability.”

Benefits of Frog Pumps

They engage multiple muscle groups.

Frog pumps are fantastic for building lower-body strength. While your glutes will definitely feel the burn, you'll also activate your core and abductor muscles, which extend into your hips.

They deeply activate all three gluteal muscles.

Overall, White explains, “frog pumps primarily target the gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus [muscles].” While most are familiar with the gluteus maximus (the largest of your glute muscles), your medius and minimus are equally essential, yet often overlooked. These crucial posterior muscles play a significant role in pelvic stability and lower body function, which is why adding frog pumps to your workout is a smart choice.

They enhance pelvic strength and stability.

“Frog pumps are one of the most effective exercises to strengthen your glutes,” says Tiffany Lankford, RDN, registered dietitian, and certified personal trainer. “They not only shape your butt, but also improve your overall balance.” This balance improvement is due to the added pelvic stability that frog pumps provide to your pelvic region.

How to Perform Frog Pumps

If you’re new to frog pumps, here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you perform them correctly and safely.

1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent, feet pressed together, and your knees opened wide (resembling a frog or a ‘butterfly’ pose). Your legs should form a diamond shape.
2. Press your feet together, engage your core, and lift your hips off the ground by squeezing your glutes.
3. Slowly lower your hips back down and repeat the movement.

For added comfort, Lankford suggests performing these exercises on a yoga mat. “To get the most out of frog pumps, focus on using your glutes to lift your hips,” White advises, “instead of straining your lower back.”

Modifications and Variations

There isn’t a universal approach to frog pumps. You can adjust this exercise to either make it more difficult or gentler on your lower back.

One way to intensify the move, White recommends, is to “wrap a resistance band around your thighs for extra resistance,” which will help increase the challenge for your glutes and other engaged muscles.

On the other hand, if you're new to frog pumps or similar glute exercises, don’t feel pressured to lift your hips all the way up. Raise them as high as you can while maintaining proper form—keep your glutes tight and your core engaged—and then lower back down.

If you suffer from hip or knee problems, White advises skipping frog pumps, as the knee positioning in a V or diamond shape could worsen discomfort in these areas. He also recommends being cautious not to overextend your lower back, as this can lead to pain and unnecessary stress on the lower back muscles.