Core · Bodyweight
Thoracic Bridge
How to do the thoracic bridge, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Start on all fours, then reach one arm under your body and rotate your torso open toward the ceiling, lifting your hips and planting the opposite foot to form a bridge. Press through your grounded hand and foot, open the chest, then return and switch sides. This is a mobility move for the upper back and hips.
- 1A rotation and opening through your mid-back and chest
- 2Your glutes lifting and holding the hips up
- 3Your shoulders and chest rotating freely toward the ceiling
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag toward the floor at the top
- Forcing the twist from your lower back instead of the mid-back
- Rushing the rotation instead of moving with control
Muscles worked
The thoracic bridge mainly works the upper abs and glutes, with the obliques, lower back, lower abs, and hamstrings assisting.
- Upper AbsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Mid ChestMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- QuadsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the thoracic bridge for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.