Bridge
The bridge is a floor exercise that trains the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back by lifting the hips off the ground while lying on your back. The NSW guide programs it as an alternating single-leg movement, so each rep also tests pelvic stability on one side.
How to Perform It
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet about ten inches from your buttocks. Keep your arms at your sides or folded across your chest and keep the pelvis neutral. Raise the hips until the knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line. Lift the right foot and extend that leg until it lines up with the shoulder, hip, and knee, while the glute and hamstring of the left leg support your weight. Do not let the pelvis dip toward the unsupported side. Hold for three to four seconds, lower back to the start, and repeat with the left leg. Keep alternating until the set is complete.
Why It Matters for BUD/S
The guide names the bridge as one of the three core exercises it adds on top of push-ups and sit-ups, alongside the plank and bird dog. It targets the posterior chain, the glutes and hamstrings that drive every stride on the beach and every kick in the water. A pelvis that stays level under single-leg load is the same skill that keeps your hips from collapsing during long runs and lets your lower back tolerate carrying weight. The guide's stated goal for core work is better body balance and alignment, better stability, and fewer injuries. The bridge does that for the hips directly.
Where It Sits in the 26-Week Plan
Core work appears four times a week in the 26-week schedule: on the Upper/Core days on Monday and Friday and on the Core/Push-Sit-Pull days on Wednesday and Thursday. The bridge progression runs in five blocks. Weeks 1 through 6 call for 2 sets of 20 alternating reps, and the target rises to 3 sets of 30 alternating reps by weeks 22 through 26. The guide describes the table as an example of how training might be structured and tells you to work up to the listed sets and reps within each block, not to hit them on day one.
Prescription by program week
| Weeks | Sets x reps |
|---|---|
| 1-6 | 2 x 20 reps (alternating) |
| 7-11 | 2 x 25 reps (alternating) |
| 12-16 | 3 x 20 reps (alternating) |
| 17-21 | 3 x 25 reps (alternating) |
| 22-26 | 3 x 30 reps (alternating) |
Squeeze the glute of the supporting leg before the other foot leaves the floor. If the hip on the lifted side drops, the rep does not count.
Related Terms
Core exercises in the NSW preparation program target the trunk stabilizers — abdominals, obliques, lower back, and hip muscles — through a progressive rotation of planks, bridges, bird dogs, supermans, and side planks. These exercises build the trunk stability that supports every movement in BUD/S, from running to swimming to log PT.
The bird dog is a quadruped core exercise in which you extend one arm and the opposite leg while keeping the torso still. The NSW guide names it, with the bridge and plank, as one of the core exercises to add to regular push-ups and sit-ups, and it programs the movement as alternating reps.
The plank is an isometric hold on the forearms and toes that trains the abdominals, lower back, and shoulders to keep the body rigid. It is the simplest core exercise in the NSW guide and the one with the longest holds, reaching 60 seconds per set by the end of the program.
Lower body strength training in the NSW preparation program builds the leg and posterior chain strength needed for running, swimming kicks, load carriage, and the high-volume physical demands of BUD/S. These sessions target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves through compound movements.
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