Frog Pump
How to Do a Frog Pump
Lie face up on a mat with the knees bent and the soles of the feet pressed together.
Let the knees open outward into a comfortable butterfly position and bring the heels close enough to the pelvis for a stable setup.
Place the arms by your sides and keep the spine and ribcage controlled.
Press the feet together lightly and brace the trunk.
Drive the hips upward by contracting the glutes while keeping the knees open.
Pause briefly at the highest position you can reach without arching the lower back.
Lower the hips under control until they lightly approach or touch the floor.
Repeat for the planned reps while maintaining the same foot and knee position.
Form Check & Technique
DO THIS (Technique Tips)
- Press the soles of the feet together.
- Keep the heels relatively close to the hips.
- Use a comfortable butterfly position.
- Keep the ribcage and pelvis controlled.
- Pause briefly at the top.
- Use high reps only while form stays consistent.
- Switch variations if frog pumps do not feel productive for you.
AVOID THIS (Common Mistakes)
- Arching the Lower Back at the Top — Fix: keep the ribs controlled and stop when the glutes finish hip extension.
- Feet Sliding Away — Fix: bring the heels closer and maintain light sole-to-sole pressure.
- Knees Closing During Reps — Fix: keep the butterfly position consistent without forcing extreme range.
- Using Momentum — Fix: pause briefly at the top and lower under control.
- Forcing a Hip Position That Feels Uncomfortable — Fix: reduce knee opening or choose another glute bridge variation.
- Assuming Everyone Should Feel a Huge Glute Burn — Fix: judge the exercise by controlled tension and progression, not by one subjective sensation.
- Adding Weight Before Bodyweight Control — Fix: master stable bodyweight reps first.
About Frog Pump
The frog pump is a floor-based hip-extension exercise performed with the soles of the feet together and the knees opened outward in a butterfly position. It is commonly used as a bodyweight glute exercise for warm-ups, high-rep finishers, or added glute volume. Keep the feet close enough to stay stable, lift the hips by contracting the glutes, and stop the top position before the lower back begins to arch.
Frog Pump Muscles Worked
The gluteus maximus is the main hip extensor during the frog pump.
- The abducted and externally rotated hip position changes the setup compared with a standard glute bridge, while the lateral glutes, adductors, and core help stabilize the pelvis and thighs.
Sets & Reps Guidance
Technique / Learning
Technique / warm-up: 2–3 sets of 12–20 bodyweight reps with a brief top squeeze.
Strength Focus
Loaded accessory work: 3–4 sets of 10–20 reps with a securely positioned dumbbell or band.
Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
Muscle growth / pump work: 2–4 sets of 20–40 controlled reps, stopping before the lower back takes over.
General training baseline. Need.fit automatically adjusts exact sets, reps, and working weight based on your individual fitness level, recovery, and progress over time.
Exercise Variations & Alternatives
Banded Glute Bridge
Standard glute bridge with a mini-band providing abduction resistance.
Dumbbell Hip Thrust
Bench-supported loaded hip extension with a dumbbell across the hips.
Single-Leg Hip Thrust
Unilateral bench-supported hip extension.
Machine Hip Thrust
Guided hip extension for easier progressive loading.
Hip Thrust
Learn proper hip thrust form, muscles worked, bench and foot setup, top-position cues, common mistakes, progressions, variations, and practical sets and reps.
Barbell Bench Press
Learn proper barbell bench press form, muscles worked, grip and bar-path cues, common mistakes, and practical sets and reps for strength or muscle.
Frog Pump vs Glute Bridge
Both are floor hip-extension exercises.
- A standard glute bridge uses feet flat and roughly hip-width apart, while the frog pump presses the soles together and opens the knees outward.
- That altered hip position changes how the movement feels and which stabilizers contribute.
Frog Pump vs Frog Thrust
Bret Contreras distinguishes frog pumps from frog thrusts by upper-body position: frog pumps are performed from the floor like a glute bridge, while frog thrusts elevate the shoulders on a bench like a hip thrust.
Why Frog Pumps Are Often Used for High Reps
The bodyweight setup is simple, stable, and easy to repeat without much equipment. Bret Contreras describes using sets of 25–50 reps as finishers, but this is coaching practice rather than proof that a specific rep count is uniquely optimal.
Do Frog Pumps Always Activate the Glutes Better?
No.
- Bret Contreras explicitly notes that some people feel frog pumps strongly in the glutes while others do not.
- Use the exercise if the setup feels comfortable and you can produce a clear glute contraction; another bridge or thrust variation may work better for you.
How to Add Weight to Frog Pumps
A dumbbell can be placed securely across the hips, or a band can be used depending on the setup. Add load only if the knees, feet, and pelvis remain stable and the lower back does not take over.
How Close Should Your Feet Be?
Bring the heels close enough to the pelvis to make the hip extension comfortable and repeatable. Bret Contreras recommends keeping the feet together and close to the buttocks, but individual hip comfort should determine the exact position.
How to Program Frog Pumps
Use them for a short glute warm-up, as moderate-rep accessory work, or as a high-rep finisher after heavier squats, deadlifts, or thrusts. Stop when hip extension turns into lower-back arching or the foot position breaks down.
Sources & References
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