Glute Bridge with leg extension test

This tests the stability of the pelvis and functioning of the gluteal muscles. A stable pelvis is needed for effective sprinting technique. The gluteal muscles are used for running, jumping, tacking and scrummaging.

The test is demonstrated in the video below and it involves the following steps (TPI, 2013);

• The player lies on their back with their knees bent and feet flat on the ground
• The player then lifts the pelvis up off the floor while keeping the feet flat on the ground
• The player then extends the right leg from the knee and holds for 10 seconds
• If the pelvis drops on the right side or the left leg is shaking it indicates an instability in the glute on the left side
• If the left hamstring or lower back starts to cramp it indicates that the left glute isn’t firing properly and other muscles are having to do its work
• The same protocol is then repeated by extending the left leg

Corrective exercises

Clam exercise - player lies on their side with their knees bent and feet together, while keeping the rest of the body static and the feet together the player raises the top knee to open the legs, the player then brings the knees back together for one repetition.

Glute foam roll