The Ballet Beautiful Bridge is one of the cornerstone exercises that we love to shape long, lean ballet muscles in the legs, butt and core. There are several different ways to target slightly different muscles and increase the challenge of bridge work. One great way to increase the burn is to use a BOSU Ball or exercise dome.
Using a dome adds the challenge of an uneven surface under your feet. In order to balance and stabilize your hips and work both legs equally the muscles in your legs, butt and core have to engage more deeply. If you don’t have access to an exercise dome, no problem. Here are a few great substitutes you can use to help you achieve the same Ballet Beautiful Burn!
Possible Dome substitutes:
Pillows/Couch Cushions– slightly raises your feet off the ground and adds instability to target your core stabilizers
Stability Ball– it’s best to keep your legs straight when working on a stability ball and think of slightly pressing your heels into the ball for added control
Stool/seat of a chair- place your heels closer the edge of the stool or chair closest to you and put additional focus into using your abs to protect your low back
Foam Roller– this is a slightly more advanced alternative because the roller requires more control so that it doesn’t roll away while you’re working out
Pro Tip: No matter what prop you use for your bridge work remember that you should feel the workout the most in your butt, hamstrings and abs. If you start feeling the front of your legs grip or burn the prop you’re using may be too tall or you need to build up a little more strength with traditional bridge work first.
Try one of our BB Dome workouts:
Supermodel Legs & Butt I,
Supermodel Legs & Butt II,
The Ultimate Supermodel Workout
