The Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test assesses posterior-chain endurance using a bridge position that increases hamstring demand. The single-leg hamstring bridge has more specific research support than the double-leg version. It has been studied for hamstring injury prediction in Australian Rules football, field testing in football players, military performance screening, criterion validity and reliability against dynamometry, and newer maximum-speed protocols for assessing hamstring fatigue.
The safest evidence-based wording is that this test may assess hamstring-biased posterior-chain endurance, not isolated hamstring capacity. Recent research specifically warns that single-leg bridge performance should not automatically be treated as isolated hamstring endurance because gluteal, trunk and task-specific factors may also contribute.
Hamstring endurance and posterior-chain capacity are important in running, sprinting, field sports, jumping, deceleration and repeated high-speed efforts. The Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test provides a simple field-based way to assess how long or how many repetitions a client can maintain a hamstring-biased bridge task.
The test can be performed as a double-leg or single-leg variation. The double-leg version is less demanding and may be useful for lower current capacity or early-stage monitoring. The single-leg version is more demanding and more useful for side-to-side comparison.
The result should not be used alone to diagnose hamstring injury risk, readiness or tissue status. It should be interpreted with symptoms, training history, strength testing, sprint exposure, ROM, running tolerance and related performance tests.
Test name: Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test
Common versions: Double-leg hamstring bridge, single-leg hamstring bridge
Category: Hamstring-biased posterior-chain endurance
Primary score: Repetitions completed or hold time in seconds
Best use: Side-to-side comparison, baseline testing, retesting and monitoring posterior-chain endurance
Key limitation: Evidence is strongest for specific single-leg hamstring bridge protocols; double-leg versions and modified setups have less direct published evidence.
The Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test places the client in a supine bridge position where heel position, knee angle and support surface are chosen to increase hamstring demand. Common approaches include:
Double-leg bridge hold
Double-leg bridge repetitions
Single-leg bridge hold
Single-leg hamstring bridge repetitions
Heel-elevated single-leg hamstring bridge
Maximum-speed single-leg bridge repetitions
The exact setup must be recorded because knee angle, heel height, box height, tempo and range of movement all change what the test measures.
The Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test may be used to assess:
Hamstring-biased endurance
Posterior-chain fatigue tolerance
Side-to-side differences
Baseline and retest change
Response to hamstring endurance training
Lower-limb capacity in running and field sport settings
Integrated hip extension and knee flexion endurance
It may also provide useful context when combined with isometric knee flexion strength, Nordic hamstring testing, sprint exposure, hip ROM and symptoms.
The primary score is either:
Valid repetitions completed or time held in seconds, depending on the chosen protocol.
The result may reflect:
Hamstring endurance
Gluteal contribution
Posterior-chain endurance
Trunk and pelvic control
Heel-bearing force
Hip height maintenance
Fatigue tolerance
Cramping response
Pain or symptoms
Familiarisation and motivation
It should not be described as isolated hamstring endurance unless the protocol and supporting evidence justify that wording. In particular, the Single Leg Bridge Test has been challenged as a pure isolated hamstring endurance measure in healthy men.
The test may be useful for:
Field sport athletes
Runners
Sprinters
Football and soccer players
Gym and strength-training clients
Clients undergoing posterior-chain endurance monitoring
Professionals comparing sides
Professionals tracking changes over time
It may not be suitable if the client experiences cramping immediately, cannot maintain pelvic position or cannot tolerate the bridge setup.
Mat or flat surface
Bench, box or step if using heel-elevated protocols
Stopwatch or Measurz stopwatch
Measurz rep counter for repetition-based testing
Measurz metronome for cadence-controlled protocols
Optional Measurz AR measurement for heel distance, box height or setup
Optional inclinometer for pelvis or trunk position
Optional MAT tools such as Anker, Gripper or Muscle Meter for related isometric knee flexion, hip extension or lower-limb strength testing
Measurz platform for side, reps, hold time, symptoms, cramping, compensations and retest comparison
For repetition-based testing, the Measurz rep counter and metronome can help standardise counting and tempo. For timed holds, use the Measurz stopwatch. AR measurement can help document heel placement or bench height.
The client lies supine with knees bent and heels placed in the chosen position.
Foot position and knee angle are recorded.
The client lifts the hips to the target bridge height.
Start timing once the correct position is achieved.
Stop when hip height drops, cramping occurs, symptoms become unacceptable or the client chooses to stop.
Record time and reason for stopping.
The client lies supine with the test heel on the floor, bench or box depending on protocol.
The non-test leg is lifted and held clear.
The client lifts the hips into a bridge and returns under control.
Use a consistent tempo if comparing over time.
Count valid repetitions until form failure, cadence failure, reduced hip height, cramping, symptoms or voluntary stop.
Test both sides after consistent rest.
Newer research has examined a maximum-speed single-leg bridge test using 20 repetitions to assess hamstring muscle endurance and fatigue. This version may provide practical fatigue-related outcomes such as buttock-raising speed and heel-bearing force, but it is a more specific protocol and should not be mixed with traditional slow repetition or hold tests.
Record:
Version: double-leg or single-leg
Protocol: hold, repetitions, timed repetitions or maximum-speed repetitions
Side tested
Repetitions or time
Heel height or surface height
Knee angle
Tempo or cadence
Hip height quality
Cramping
Pain or symptoms
Reason for stopping
Side-to-side difference
Retest date
A higher score generally suggests greater posterior-chain endurance, but interpretation should consider protocol, heel position, knee angle, tempo, fatigue, symptoms and side-to-side difference.
The single-leg hamstring bridge has been studied in athletes. Freckleton, Cook and Pizzari examined the predictive validity of a single-leg bridge test for hamstring injuries in Australian Rules football players, supporting its use as a field screening measure in that specific sport context, but this does not mean the test should be used alone as an injury prediction tool. Worst and Henderson also cite this work when discussing the SLB’s relevance to hamstring injury risk contexts.
A study in military personnel examined predictive validity and reproducibility of the single-leg hamstring bridge test in relation to performance classification, supporting its use as a functional field test in that population.
Use these as field-use bands only and only when the same protocol is used:
Excellent: 30+ valid repetitions
Good: 20–29 repetitions
Moderate: 10–19 repetitions
Developing: 5–9 repetitions
Low current endurance profile: under 5 repetitions
For single-leg hamstring bridge holds:
Strong: 60+ seconds
Good: 40–59 seconds
Moderate: 20–39 seconds
Developing: 10–19 seconds
Low current tolerance: under 10 seconds
These values are practical benchmarks, not universal norms. For stronger evidence-backed benchmarking, use exact-protocol studies, internal Measurz group data, side-to-side comparison and baseline retesting.
Evidence is developing and protocol-specific. A recent criterion validity and reliability paper examined the single-leg hamstring bridge test against isokinetic dynamometry and reported on test-retest reliability, reinforcing that the SLHBT is a practical field test but should not be assumed to replace more objective strength measures.
Recent maximum-speed single-leg bridge research showed that the test produced changes consistent with hamstring fatigue: semitendinosus and biceps femoris median frequency decreased during the protocol, while buttock-raising speed and heel-bearing force also declined. This supports the idea that specific bridge protocols can capture hamstring fatigue-related changes, but the findings apply to that maximum-speed 20-repetition protocol in male recreational athletes.
The broader single-leg bridge literature also warns against overclaiming. A 2024 paper specifically argued that the Single Leg Bridge Test does not measure isolated hamstring endurance in healthy men, meaning Measurz articles should describe it as a hamstring-biased or posterior-chain endurance test unless the exact protocol is shown to isolate hamstrings.
Common errors include:
Not recording knee angle
Not recording heel height or box height
Allowing hip height to drop
Counting poor-quality reps
Inconsistent tempo
Comparing hold tests with repetition tests
Testing one side with more rest than the other
Ignoring cramping
Describing the result as isolated hamstring strength
Using one score to infer injury risk or readiness
The Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test can help professionals:
Monitor hamstring-biased posterior-chain endurance
Compare left and right sides
Track response to training
Identify fatigue or cramping during bridge tasks
Combine findings with isometric knee flexion strength, Nordic hamstring testing, sprint exposure and hip ROM
Educate clients using a simple repeatable endurance measure
Record:
Test name: Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test
Version: double-leg or single-leg
Score type: hold, reps, timed reps or maximum-speed reps
Side tested
Repetitions or time
Heel position
Knee angle
Bench or box height
Tempo or cadence
Hip height quality
Pain score
Cramping
Symptoms
Compensations
Reason for stopping
Retest date
Related strength, ROM and endurance results
The Measurz stopwatch, rep counter and metronome can support consistent testing. AR measurement can document setup, while MAT tools such as Anker, Gripper and Muscle Meter can provide related isometric strength measures. This test should be stored alongside other Measurz lower-limb tests, orthopaedic tests, ROM measures, outcome measures, strength tests and endurance tests.
It measures hamstring-biased posterior-chain endurance, pelvic control and fatigue tolerance during a bridge task.
No. The test can strongly involve the hamstrings, but gluteals, trunk and task mechanics also contribute.
The single-leg version is more demanding and better for side-to-side comparison. The double-leg version may be useful for lower-capacity clients or entry-level monitoring.
For repetition-based versions, 20–30+ valid repetitions may suggest good to strong endurance, but protocol matters. For hold versions, 40–60+ seconds may provide useful practical context.
Some sport-specific research has examined predictive validity, but the test should not be used alone to predict injury or make clearance decisions.
The Hamstring Bridge Endurance Test is best described as a hamstring-biased posterior-chain endurance assessment.
Single-leg protocols have stronger evidence than double-leg protocols.
The test should not be described as isolated hamstring endurance unless the exact protocol supports that claim.
Setup details such as knee angle, heel height, tempo and stopping criteria are essential.
Measurz can track reps, time, symptoms, cramping, setup and retest progress.
Freckleton, G., Cook, J., & Pizzari, T. (2014). The predictive validity of a single leg bridge test for hamstring injuries in Australian Rules football players. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(8), 713–717. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092356.
Pori, P., Kovcan, B., Vodicar, J., et al. (2021). Predictive validity of the single leg hamstring bridge test in military settings. Applied Sciences, 11(4), 1822. doi: 10.3390/app11041822.
Sano, Y., Kawabata, M., Van Hooren, B., Sumiya, Y., Murase, M., Watanabe, Y., Shimono, Y., Kenmoku, T., Watanabe, H., & Takahira, N. (2026). A practical assessment of hamstring muscle endurance and fatigue using the maximum-speed single-leg bridge test. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 18, Article 18. doi: 10.1186/s13102-025-01458-y.
Sole, G., et al. (2024). The Single Leg Bridge Test does not measure isolated hamstring endurance in healthy men. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.
[Authors not displayed in search result]. (2023). Criterion validity and reliability of the single leg hamstring bridge test. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
