How to learn to stand on a bridge from different positions: a set of flexibility exercises. Anyone can do a bridge after these exercises How to learn to stand up from a bridge

We usually learn how to do a gymnastic bridge at school. Well, how, we learn - some quickly and easily get into it, either from a lying position, or from a straight stance without any walls, others try to push an unyielding body into the desired position, and still others, the most unlucky and stubborn ones, also get injured in the process.

Just four years ago, gymnastic bridges as a lifting exercise were of interest only to dancers, and even to a narrow group of the population who wanted to bench press more than their own weight. Today, the bridge is promoted by almost every sports publication. Yes, the ability to perform it is an indicator of the flexibility of the spine, shoulder and hip joints, and an indirect indicator of the youth of our body. And if you are afraid, you should still do the bridge, but... This is one of the most traumatic exercises for an amateur, and you should not “push” your own body into the bridge at any cost.

Why is it not given to everyone

The most important thing to understand before doing all the popular exercises is that not everyone can do it. Some people can’t bench press more than 40 kg for years, some can’t do pull-ups, and some can’t stand on the notorious bridge. Which is totally fine unless that someone makes a living teaching yoga and pole dancing. In general, a full gymnastic bridge performed independently is contraindicated until:

you cannot, in a straight stance, with a straight back and a non-bent thoracic spine, raise your straight arms up and move them back so that the line connecting the palms passes at least 2-3 cm beyond the top of the head;
you are not able to lift a light stick with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders and move it behind your head;
you cannot bend your lower back in the opposite direction and pull your pelvis towards your shoulder blades just by lying on your back.

These are mobility restrictions; they are the same for children and adults. Those who want to know how to teach a child to make a bridge should take this into account. If this is the case, you need to do building exercises and return to the bridge only when the restrictions cease to be so. If the matter is complicated by the presence of hernias in the spinal column, as well as arthrosis of the main working joints, it is worth consulting with a doctor about the possibility of bridge training. The same applies to injuries of various origins.

Warm-up and warm-up

In the process of performing a bridge, not only increased joint mobility is required, but also the preparation of muscle tissue and fascia. If you do strength training in your free time from bridges, and/or do serious amounts of cardio, you should start not with stretching in the spirit of school physical education, but with joint warm-up and myofascial release.

The complex could be like this:

8 rotations clockwise and counterclockwise with the wrists, then a figure of eight with the hands gathered in a finger lock, then rotation with the elbows clockwise and counterclockwise, arms to the sides, circles with the shoulders back and forth, lifting and lowering the thoracic spine, circles with the pelvis, deep squats without weight to the full amplitude, bending forward with a straight back and maximum flexion at the hip joint, foot circles with a weightless leg;
Separately, you should perform a set of head rotations and lowering the chin onto the chest;
Next, you need to take a foam roller or a hard ball and “roll” the calf muscles, the back of the thigh, the back from the sacral to the cervical, the front surface of the body, and separately the triceps, quadriceps, hips and shoulders;
after this, you can perform about 10-12 minutes of light cardio exercise of any available format to improve blood circulation and increase body temperature.

half-bridges - that is, the separation of the spine and pelvis in a supine position, the heels are brought to the buttocks, the support is on the shoulder blades, then the exit is on the shoulders, the head lies on the floor, and the heels rest against the floor;
deflections in the thoracic region - from a lying position, you need to collect your shoulder blades and, as it were, lower them into the back pockets of your trousers (push them towards the lower back), while the pelvis remains on the ground, and the lumbar and thoracic regions are lifted off the ground;
squats with a light stick behind the head - perform a regular weightlifting jerk (dynamic lifting of a light stick behind the head and a deep squat, literally “buttocks to the floor”) and, stretching the pectoral muscles and lowering the shoulder blades to the pelvis, try to bring the stick behind the head.

All exercises are static, the fixation should be held for 40 to 120 seconds, and 3-4 sets of each should be performed.

So-called exercises for developing spinal flexibility

Strictly speaking, the spine cannot be inflexible. If you have pain in certain areas and are unable to bend yourself into a bridge, the reasons can be very different:

hernias and protrusions that you don’t know about. Yes, this happens to most adults, some blame it on incorrect posture and weak muscles, some blame it on deadlifts performed off the platform, in general, neither athletes nor those who play sports are immune from this. despises. If there is a stabbing or aching sensation around one or two vertebrae, arms and legs go numb, and there is discomfort when running and walking, you should consult a doctor and not do bridges at home;
low mobility in the shoulder joints. If your hands do not move behind your back with a straight back, you should develop mobility in the shoulder joints, and not “spine flexibility”; any training should begin with joint warm-up and mobilization of the shoulders;
weak back extensor muscle. It’s like this for everyone who doesn’t deadlift and doesn’t bend over with a barbell;
atrophied latissimus and rhomboid muscles and a “round” habitual back posture, that is, “office posture”;
curvature of the spinal column - the reason here is not the “inflexibility of the structure”, but the uneven development of the muscles of the back and legs, which can significantly affect the biomechanics of movement and complicates the bridge with a raised leg;
arthritic changes in the joints (unfortunately, there’s nothing much you can do about it, if you stubbornly want to exercise, do more warm-up, and if you follow the classic recommendations, sign up for swimming and massage);
the banal fear of “breaking your back”;
changes in the thoracolumbar fascia, they are called “tension nodules” in sports medicine, they appear due to too active strength training. You can knead the nodules with a self-massage roller, or periodically go to a massage therapist.

Complex for shoulder joints

Rotations

Stand up straight and rotate the heads of your shoulders back towards your shoulder blades, making a very slow movement, literally for 12-15 straight counts. Repeat 9-15 times, then work back. The pace should be such that one set of rotations takes at least one minute.

Rotations with straight arms

Remember the exercise with a light dough stick? You do the same thing, only without the stick. The goal is to minimally raise the shoulders towards the ears. We begin the rotation with straight arms lowered along the body, bringing them out in front of the body, and bringing them behind the head, and then lowering them along the same trajectory in front of the body.

Rotations with rope

The same option, but we take a rope or jump rope in our hands with a wide grip, the grip is 20-30 cm wider than the shoulders, the amplitude is comfortable, but the goal is again not to bring the shoulders to the ears.

Rods of rubber shock absorbers in front of you

We attach the shock absorber to a hook at chest level and pull it towards the face, with the elbows placed behind the back as much as possible. It is enough to do this exercise in 3 sets of 15-20 times at an average pace.

Exercises to correct weak back muscles

If the reason for the lack of a bridge is the weakness of the latissimus and rhomboid muscles, it is necessary to master (these muscles work as stabilizers), pull-ups on the horizontal bar and rows of barbells or dumbbells in an inclined position towards the waist. Exercises should be done in strength mode for 5-6 repetitions, followed by hypertrophy, that is, 8-12 repetitions.

Techniques for various bridges

From a sitting position

You need to sit on the floor on your buttocks, feet near the pelvis, start by bending in the lumbar region and placing your hands behind your head, support yourself with your hands and lift your pelvis off the floor. Despite certain aesthetic advantages (can be used in some types of dance, for example), this is biomechanically the most incorrect and dangerous type of bridge. It creates greater compression in the lumbar region, and is safer the faster you can lift your pelvis off the floor. In general, this option is not recommended for beginners.

A variation of this bridge is the bridge while sitting on a gymnastic bench. In this case, you should sit as vertically as possible, straight, so that the pelvic bones are in a plane perpendicular to the floor. After this, the abdominal muscles are relaxed and there is a strong bend in the lower back. Then we lower our shoulders onto the bench, and arch our back upward, supporting ourselves with our shoulders. If this bridge is made for the needs of the bridge, you should actively “bring” the pelvis with your feet to the shoulder blades, after the position of the bridge has been accepted. There is no need to make sudden movements, this is not useful.

Important: do not do bridges on narrow and slippery gymnastics benches. Cover standard gym equipment with a terry towel to ensure stability of the body position and make sure that the shoulder blades do not slip.

From a lying position

The starting position is the same as for a straight twist, you need to lie on your back and place your feet at a distance of 2 feet from the buttocks. We place our palms behind our heads, support ourselves with our hands and lift our pelvis up, arching our back.

You need to get up from the bridge smoothly, carefully performing the sequence of movements in reverse order. You should not accelerate, much less fall on your back.

Learning to do a handstand from a bridge is even more difficult. To do this, you must, in principle, already be able to stand on your hands. Beginners are advised to stand with their head to the wall in the bridge, and throw one leg at a time onto the wall, while using the help of a belayer.

From a standing position

Another option, not intended for a beginner in principle. Stand up straight, push your pelvis forward, put your hands behind your head and, pushing your pelvis forward, lower them to the floor. The deflection should be deep, and the position of the palms and feet should be such that it is stable.

Important: you should not train the bridge more than 2 times a week. If you do strength training, it is logical to do it at the end of a bench press workout, since after deadlifts or back exercises, you are unlikely to be able to properly assemble your shoulder blades and make a good arch of the spine.

In yoga, a bridge on the elbows is practiced, this is when the deflection in the thoracic and lumbar region allows you to bend so as to place your forearms, and not your palms, on the floor in the bridge. It is correct to master this bridge after sufficient mobility has been achieved in the so-called fish pose, a backbend in the thoracic region while lying on the back.

Typical beginner mistakes

Beginners usually perform bridges without warming up, trying to learn quickly, and, moreover, without increasing the amplitude in the joints. Stretching is not a light exercise; you need to warm up before it, otherwise the benefits are lost. This is the most important mistake.

In addition, you should not make “springs” throughout the entire range of motion, especially when performing a bridge from a standing position. Ballistic stretching is harmful to joints in principle, and when performed this way it can lead to serious injury. Lead-up exercises should not be neglected. But if the mobility of the joints is normal, but the bridge still doesn’t work, the problem is not with you or the bridge, but with the fact that your feet or palms are positioned incorrectly. Try a wider or narrower stance to increase core stability in the exercise.

And the most important mistake is haste, trying to “do the splits in a month, stand on a bridge in a week,” and in general almost complete the CMS in gymnastics in 2 days. All these girls from the beautiful pictures walked to the bridges with a relaxed expression on their faces for more than one month. Be patient and develop your body holistically and you will definitely achieve your goal.

The article was prepared by Anna Tarskaya (trainer, nutritionist)

The question of how to stand on a bridge from a standing position interests many, because not every person can perform this exercise. At first glance, it seems elementary, but if you try to do it yourself, problems arise. Before doing a bridge, you need to pay attention to your own physical fitness. In order to stand up and not become the owner of unnecessary problems, you should develop flexibility and increase your tone.

Why does the spine lose flexibility?

How to stand on a bridge from a standing position will be discussed below, but first you need to understand why many people lose flexibility. Modern city dwellers do not put much strain on their spine, since it only performs a supporting function. Because of this, the cartilage of the discs quickly becomes coarser, the ligaments grow, and then the mobility of the vertebrae decreases.

Even in the absence of sharp and stabbing pains, bending forward or backward can be very difficult. If you have even the slightest problem when bending forward and cannot reach the floor with your hands due to pain in the lower back or spine, then it’s time to start exercises that help restore flexibility.

Flexibility Test

If the above symptoms are present, it is better not to even think about how to make a bridge, because first you need to deal with the main problem. There are a couple of good ways to test the flexibility of the spine:

A mark is made on the wall located at shoulder level. A person should stand one step away from the wall and, bending back, try to clearly see the mark.
Another mark is placed on the same wall, but a couple of centimeters higher than the previous one. While still at the same distance from the wall, you need to turn your right side towards it and reach the mark with your outstretched left hand.

If these movements did not cause any difficulties, then everything is in order with flexibility. If you had to put in a little effort, it is recommended to perform simple exercises to improve flexibility. And if you can’t pass these tests at all, then your spine urgently needs help.

Exercises

Fortunately, there are never any problems with how to stand on a bridge at home. This does not require additional equipment or any special skills; you should devote only 10 minutes a day to improve your own health. A simple set of exercises will help develop flexibility:

and stretching out on the floor, you need to take a deep breath and exhale, and then raise all limbs up as much as possible. To do this, you will need to bend over as much as possible and try to lift your hips off the surface at least for a while. It is recommended to hold in this position for a minute, while breathing should not be jerky.
Turning over onto your back, you need to rest your feet on the floor and stretch your arms along your body. From this position, you need to raise your hips as high as possible and fixate for literally 5 seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position. The number of repetitions ranges from 10 to 20.
With your knees shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips, you need to stretch your entire torso up, then lean back and grab your heels with your hands. As you exhale slowly, you should bend your lower back, as well as your thoracic spine, and lift your head. You need to remain in this position for about 30 seconds, but the emphasis should not be on the heels, but on the legs as a whole.

First steps towards the goal

Before getting on the bridge from a standing position, you should try to move into this stance using simpler methods. First you need to get up from a lying position. This is the simplest option, since it is completed in just 2 elementary steps:

Lie on your back, pull your heels towards your buttocks, and place your palms above your shoulders and rest them on the floor (fingers should be turned towards your body).
Leaning on your feet and palms, raise your pelvis and bend your back, straightening your legs as much as possible.

The next step is a bridge from a sitting position. It is done as follows:

The legs are bent at the knees, while the feet are clearly fixed on the surface and the back is straight.
The palm of one hand is placed back and turned slightly towards the body.
The emphasis is on the arm and feet, the buttocks are lifted off the surface, after which the second arm describes an arc and falls to the floor.

The gymnastic bridge is a beautiful figure in athletics that demonstrates flexibility and excellent physical fitness. Everyone would like to boast of such plasticity, but in practice, few people can learn it on their own. And yet, this is possible even at home - if only you had the desire and perseverance. Recommendations from experienced coaches and gymnasts will come in handy.

So, you want to learn how to stand on the bridge by all means, but you don’t know where to start. Before moving on to the practical part of the classes, familiarize yourself with the general recommendations.

To begin, objectively evaluate your initial data: weight, flexibility, physical fitness. If your body weight exceeds 80 kg, if your back is not flexible and you have never done gymnastics before, you should not expect to get on the bridge in a week. You will have to work hard for at least a month, or even more.

Check the degree of flexibility of your spine. To do this, attach a mark to the wall at shoulder level.

Stand with your back to the mark. Take one step away from the wall. Bend your back backwards. If you see the mark - you are a flexible person and it will not be difficult for you to get on the bridge even in a week with good intensity of training and perseverance.
Turn to your left side, raise your straightened right arm up, and try to touch the mark. Repeat the task for the other side.

Choose a set of flexibility exercises. Home exercise plans can be different, depending on your physical fitness and mood:

daily for 15-20 minutes;
every other day for 30-40 minutes;
twice a day for 15 minutes.

We have selected for you two videos with training courses for beginners from professional fitness trainers. By completing their tasks exactly, you will be able to do this quickly.

Flexibility exercises

To quickly learn how to stand on a bridge, you need to perform various exercises daily to develop flexibility. Without them, it will be difficult for your body to accept this position, which, in principle, is unnatural for it.

We immediately warn you that most of the exercises are very difficult and will not work out the first time. But with each workout, the muscles will become more and more firm and elastic.

Warm-up

Tilts forward and backward.
Mill.
Turns in different directions.

Shoulder girdle

Rotations with straight arms: simultaneously / alternately, forward / backward.
Palms in the lock. Straightened arms, lowered down. Lift up, bending your back and shoulders.
Bend your right arm at the elbow at chest level so that your forearm is parallel to the floor. Rotate your upper body to the left, twisting your spine. Repeat on the other side.
Raise your arm bent at the elbow. Place your forearm behind the back of your head. With your other hand, pull it as far as possible to the side and down. Do the same for the other side.

+ lumbar region

The most effective exercise for a bridge: bend your back as far back as possible, throwing your head back, but maintaining your balance. Can be done from a standing or lying position.
Tilts in different directions, forward and backward.
The upper body is parallel to the floor. Palms lock. Swing your straightened arms so that they are above the back of your head. Repeat several times.
Holding the back of the chair, bend your spine as far as possible with your legs straight.

Back

Rotation of the body in different directions.
Starting position - on all fours. Arch your back up and down at the same time as much as possible, like a cat.
Lying on your stomach, with your palms clasped at the back of your head, bend your lower back as far as possible.
Lying on your stomach, with clasped arms extended forward, bend your spine back in an arc. Roll from your hips to your chest and back.
Place your palms on the floor, lie on the floor on your hips, bend at the lower back. Tilt your head back, touching the back of your head with your toes.
Standing on your knees, rest your hands on your heels. Bend at the waist.
In the same position. Perform leg swings, bending at the lower back. Try to see your foot above your head.

As soon as you begin to get the hang of the exercises, you can make your first attempts to stand on the bridge from different positions - lying, sitting, standing.

From different positions

If you have finally started to succeed in most of the exercises from the complex described above, it’s time to move on to performing our cherished figure. If you are scared, ask someone at home to back you up. The most important thing is to master the techniques.

From a lying position

Lie on your back, bend your knees so that your heels are near your buttocks.
Place your palms on the floor so that they are above your shoulders and your fingers point toward your torso.
Tighten your leg muscles and forcefully lift your pelvis.
Leaning on your hands, bend your back, try to straighten your legs.

From a sitting position

Keep your back straight, bend your knees, and place your feet on the floor.
Place your right palm back on the floor, turning your torso slightly.
Lean firmly on your feet and right arm, lift your buttocks off the floor. Describe an arc with your left hand, place your palm on the floor, try to stand on the bridge.
To return, you need to repeat all the movements again, but in the reverse order, which is not easier.

From a standing position

Near the wall bars, bend your back back, grab the bars with your hands and, moving through them, go lower and lower. Return to the starting position in the same way. Shoes and the floor should not be slippery, otherwise you may fall and hit the back of your head.
It's easier to do this with the help of an outsider. Just ask someone at home to support you with two hands (a ring) around your waist while you do the stand. Then it will be enough for him to hold your back with one hand, and at some point he will remove it too.
Bend at the waist (without the wall bars and outside help), bend your knees, and lean your body a little forward.
Straighten your arms and bend back to touch the floor with your palms.
It is even more difficult to stand up from the bridge: you need to move your body forward and bend your knees. Push off the floor slightly with your hands and straighten up. It is the arms that should go first, not the shoulders - this is a typical mistake for all beginners.

Before standing on the bridge, you need to stretch the muscles of your shoulders and back. Later, you will be able to quickly perform the exercise without much warm-up, but for this it should become simple and familiar to you. Beginners in gymnastic exercises must warm up.

To successfully perform a “bridge,” you need to master exercises that develop back flexibility.
Exercises for spine flexibility

Exercise No. 1. Lie on your stomach and stretch your arms up. Raise your arms and legs above the floor at the same time, bending as much as possible. Keep your knees straight. Stay in this position for 30-60 seconds, lower yourself, relax your body. Repeat several times.

Exercise No. 2. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your arms straight along your torso. Raise your pelvis as high as possible, and after 5 seconds smoothly lower yourself onto your back.

Exercise No. 3. Get on your knees, place your feet hip-width apart at right angles to the floor. Slowly arching your back and arching your head back, reach your heels with your hands.

Exercise No. 4. Lie on your stomach and, raising yourself and bending over, grab your ankles with your hands. Raising your head, chest and legs, bend further. Stay in this position for a few seconds.

Exercise No. 5. Try making a “bridge” on a fitball. Lie with your back on a gymnastic ball, place your feet shoulder-width apart and try to reach the floor with your hands.

Exercise No. 6. Lie on your stomach, with your straight arms resting on the floor at hip level. Now, bending your knees, arch your back, trying to press your head toward your heels. Hold the position for 30 seconds.

How to do a “bridge” from a lying position

Lie on your back. Next, bend your legs and arms, placing your hands close to your shoulders and pointing your elbows up. Straightening your arms and legs and bending at the lower back, try to stand on the “bridge” from this pose. At the moment when you feel that you cannot bend further, stay in this “ultimate” pose for you for a couple of seconds.
Once you get good at the exercise, you can make it more difficult by moving your hands as close to your legs as possible. You can also rock back and forth in the “bridge” position.
How to stand on the “bridge” from a standing position

Try to do flexibility exercises daily. When you learn how to stand on a gymnastic “bridge” from a lying position and stay in this position, try to stand on a “bridge” from a standing position. Use a wall bars or free space near the wall for this.

Stand with your back to the wall at a distance of about one step, place your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms up. Lean back from this position until your hands touch the wall. Bend further, moving your fingers along the wall or steps of the wall bars until you lower yourself into a “bridge” position. Stay in this position for a while, then return to the starting position, moving your hands along the wall in the same way. Practice doing this exercise until you get good at it.

It is most correct to stand on the “bridge” from a standing position without the help of a wall on a gymnastics mat. At first, it is advisable to use the help of someone who will back you up. Stand facing the person with your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your arms up and lean back. Your assistant can back you up by supporting your back. Stay in the “bridge” position and push off with your hands to return to the starting position.

Problems with the spine can cause many different ailments that can ruin your life forever. You can prevent your back from becoming stiff by doing stretching exercises every day. Then your muscles will be elastic and your spine flexible and mobile.
How to develop flexibility in your back and is it worth it? Even if your back doesn’t cause you any pain today, you shouldn’t put off exercising until tomorrow. You can check how flexible you are in this way: put your feet together and bend forward smoothly, try to rest your palms on the floor and not bend your knees. Did not work out? Then put everything aside and do some physical exercise.

Since childhood, everyone has dreamed of reaching the limit of flexibility - standing on a “bridge”. The 10-minute complex outlined in this article will allow you to quickly realize your dream.

Let us remind you that all stretches require preliminary warming up of the muscles. Running in place for 5-10 minutes or jumping rope will be enough.
As preparatory exercises we do the following:

1. While kneeling, stretch your arms forward, make smooth bends back, while alternately touching the floor with your right and left hands. Repeat 15 times for each hand;

2. Fish or boat - lying on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, lift your straight legs and arms up and hold them for 30 seconds;

3. Lying on your back, bend your knees and straighten your arms along your body. Raise your pelvis as high as possible and count to 5, smoothly return to the starting position;

4. Lying on your stomach, lift your body with straightened arms (try to keep your pelvis on the floor). Raise your legs bent at the knees and smoothly try to touch your toes with your head. Hold this position for 30 seconds;

5. Sitting on the floor, spread your legs to the sides. Bend forward with your back straight, trying to smoothly reach the toes of your right foot first. Return to the starting position and repeat the same with your left leg;

6. Get on all fours and lower your pelvis onto your heels. Stretch your arms forward on the floor and try to lower your relaxed body as low as possible to the floor. Stretch your arms while counting to ten.

Repeat all these exercises 2-3 times. Over time, increase the load to 15-20 repetitions. This complex can also be used as a general strengthening for the spine.

Now we are training to do a gymnastic bridge (bridge). There are 4 ways to do it: lying on the floor, standing with support against a wall, standing without support, from a vertical handstand.

The easiest way is to stand on the bridge while lying on the floor. It is accessible to almost everyone. Even if your spine does not arch at all, try to simply support your body on your arms and legs. If the bridge works, you can improve it - try to place your legs closer to your hands or move your hands closer to your legs. Stay in this position for 30 seconds, making springy upward movements. The moment when blood flows to the muscles and spine is very important. If you feel warmth in your back, then you have achieved the right effect.

If you are already doing a bridge, you can greatly improve it with this exercise: while standing in a bridge, move your arms as close to your legs as possible and begin to rock back and forth, trying to move your chest forward. If you do everything correctly, then when you move your chest forward, your legs will slightly lift off the floor.

You can make a standing bridge, leaning on the wall, when you are already good at doing a lying bridge. Stand with your back to the wall and, leaning back with your hands. Lower your arms slowly and be careful not to get dizzy. If you feel any discomfort, stop the exercise. Such a reaction to such a load may occur. But when the body returns to normal, you can continue the activity.