One-Legged Bridge Pose anatomy
One-Legged Bridge Pose · Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana · Tư thế cây cầu một chân
One-Legged Bridge Pose mainly works gluteus maximus (left), hamstrings (left), quadriceps (right), erector spinae; it stretches rectus femoris (left), iliopsoas (left), hamstrings (right), rectus abdominis; gluteus medius (left), adductors (left), quadriceps (left) stabilize.
Opening the 3D model…
Come into Bridge Pose: lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart right under the knees, arms long beside the body, palms down. Press the feet and arms into the floor and lift the hips. Shift the weight onto the left foot, lift the right leg, straighten the knee and point the leg up to the ceiling, heel pressing up. Keep the hips level and as high as with two feet down, without letting the right hip drop; the left knee points straight ahead. The gluteus maximus and hamstrings of the standing leg work hard to hold the hips up, the gluteus medius keeps the pelvis level, and the front of the standing hip is stretched. The head and neck stay still on the floor; don't turn the head. If the hips sag or the lower back hurts, bend the lifted knee or return to the two-legged Bridge; lower the leg first, then the hips.
Muscles in this pose
Working (contracting): Gluteus maximus (left), Hamstrings (left), Quadriceps (right), Erector spinae, Triceps brachii, Rhomboid major
Stretching: Rectus femoris (left), Iliopsoas (left), Hamstrings (right), Rectus abdominis, Pectoralis major
Stabilizing: Gluteus medius (left), Adductors (left), Quadriceps (left), Iliopsoas (right), Obliques, Transversus abdominis
Why these muscles work or stretch
- Gluteus maximus · Working (contracting): The main worker: holds the hips up on one leg
- Hamstrings · Working (contracting): Pushes the hips up together with the gluteus maximus
- Quadriceps · Working (contracting): Keeps the lifted knee straight
- Triceps brachii · Working (contracting): Presses the arms into the floor
- Rhomboid major · Working (contracting): Draws the shoulder blades together, opening the chest
- Rectus femoris · Stretching: Stretched with the hip extended and the knee bent
- Iliopsoas · Stretching: The front of the standing hip stretches
- Hamstrings · Stretching: Gentle stretch at the back of the lifted leg
- Gluteus medius · Stabilizing: Keeps the hips level
- Adductors · Stabilizing: Keeps the standing knee pointing straight ahead
- Iliopsoas · Stabilizing: Holds the lifted leg vertical
- Obliques · Stabilizing: Keeps the pelvis from rotating as one foot leaves the floor
Practice cues
- Keep both hips level; don't let the lifted-leg hip drop
- Press the standing foot down firmly, knee pointing straight ahead
- Straighten the lifted leg and press the heel to the ceiling; don't turn the head
Benefits
- Strengthens the gluteus maximus and hamstrings of the standing leg
- Builds gluteus medius endurance to keep the pelvis level
- Stretches the front of the hip and the chest
Cautions / contraindications
- Avoid with neck pain or a neck injury; don't turn the head
- Go gently with low-back pain; bend the lifted knee or return to two-legged Bridge
- Use caution with pain in the standing knee
- After the first trimester, avoid lying on the back for long
Easier variations
- Bend the lifted knee, or keep both feet on the floor
- Put a block under the sacrum to support the hips
General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.
Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 18/10/2026
How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)
Related poses
- Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
- Dancer Pose Natarajasana
- One-Legged Wheel Pose Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana
- Wild Thing Camatkarasana
- Bow Pose Dhanurasana
- Wheel Pose (Upward Bow) Urdhva Dhanurasana
A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)