Pilates Shoulder Bridge: Technique, Muscles Worked and Modifications

How to do the Shoulder Bridge

Lie on your mat with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip-width apart, and your arms resting by your sides.

1. Press firmly into your feet and lift your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
2. Support your lower back with your hands if you are using the traditional classical hand placement, or keep your arms flat on the mat.
3. Keep your pelvis completely stable and your spine neutral as you extend your right leg straight out.
4. Kick your straight right leg up toward the ceiling with a flexed foot.
5. Point your toes and lower the right leg back down until your knees are level.
6. Repeat the kicking motion with the right leg before placing the right foot back on the mat.
7. Switch to the left leg and repeat the same kicking sequence while keeping your hips lifted and steady.

• Breath. Teachers cue breathing differently, but a common pattern is to inhale as you kick the leg up and exhale as you lower it.
• Where you feel it. You should feel strong work in your gluteus maximus and hamstrings to keep your hips lifted, along with deep engagement in your transversus abdominis. You should not feel pinching or sharp strain in your lower back or neck.
• How many. 3 to 5 kicks per leg

Common mistakes

• Dropping the hips. Press firmly into your supporting foot and engage your gluteus maximus to keep your pelvis lifted.
• Tucking the pelvis. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine held steady rather than flattening your lower back.
• Rocking side to side. Use your transversus abdominis and spinal extensors to prevent your hips from shifting as you lift one leg.
• Arching the neck. Keep your weight resting across your upper back and shoulders, leaving a small natural space under your neck.
• Rushing the kicks. Move with control so the kicking leg does not pull your spine out of alignment.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

• Practice a basic bridge with both feet firmly on the mat.
• Lift one leg into a tabletop position instead of kicking it straight up.
• Keep your arms flat on the mat instead of supporting your back with your hands.

Who should be careful

• After the first trimester of pregnancy, many guidelines advise against long periods lying flat on the back. A side-lying or propped version is an alternative.
• This is an advanced exercise. Build the strength and control from the simpler versions first, ideally with a qualified teacher watching.

Related exercises

• Bicycle Advanced
• Control Balance Advanced
• Double Leg Kick Intermediate
• Leg Pull Back Advanced
• Pelvic Curl Beginner

When to see a doctor or physical therapist

• Sharp pain in your lower back or sacroiliac joint.
• Numbness or tingling traveling down the back of your legs.
• Sudden pain or a pulling sensation in your hamstrings.
• Neck pain or a feeling of pressure in your cervical spine.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury or surgery, check with your own clinician before trying new exercises.

How we put this page together. Exercise data (type, level, equipment and muscles) was compiled by our editors from the classical mat order in Joseph Pilates’ 1945 book and from commonly taught mat repertoire. Muscle lists are a general anatomy guide; cueing differs between teachers. Text drafted with AI assistance and checked by the Editorial Team. See our editorial policy. Last checked October 2026.