One builds strength, the other mobility.
The gist:
When performing glute bridges for strength, people typically raise their hips too high, which turns it into a mobility move.
Expert insight:
If your goal is strength, you need to hold a posterior pelvic tilt from start to finish, says Brittany Shimansky, group fitness instructor at Equinox Austin in Texas. Doing so requires glute and ab engagement. Find your pelvic tuck by drawing your hip bones toward your lowest ribs when you’re in the start position, with back and glutes on the ground. Raise your hips about four inches, until they're just higher than fist-height, pause, then lower to start for one rep.
When you lift your hips so high that your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, you lose that pelvic tilt, she explains. Extending the range of motion shifts the focus from glute strength to posterior chain mobility.
The bottom line:
Both versions of the glute bridge have merits, and neither is better than the other, Shimansky notes. Take your pick based on your goals for that day’s session.