Doing hip thrusts or squats for 9 weeks with the same total work builds your butt muscles just as much, even though hip thrusts feel like they work your butt harder during the exercise.

Scientific Claim

Nine weeks of set-volume equated resistance training using either the barbell hip thrust or back squat produces similar hypertrophy in the gluteus maximus in untrained young adults, with no statistically significant difference in cross-sectional area increases across upper, mid, and lower regions despite greater acute muscle activation during hip thrusts.

Original Statement

“Gluteus mCSA increases were similar across both groups. Specifically, estimates [(−) favors HT (+) favors SQ] modestly favored the HT versus SQ for lower [effect ±SE, −1.6 ± 2.1 cm²; CI95% (−6.1, 2.0)], mid [−0.5 ± 1.7 cm²; CI95% (−4.0, 2.6)], and upper [−0.5 ± 2.6 cm²; CI95% (−5.8, 4.1)] gluteal mCSAs but with appreciable variance.”

From study:Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

definitive

Can make definitive causal claims

Assessment Explanation

The study is a randomized controlled trial with objective MRI measurements, allowing causal inference. The language 'produces similar hypertrophy' accurately reflects the data showing no significant difference with moderate confidence.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2023

Even though hip thrusts made the butt muscles fire more during the workout, both exercises grew the butt muscles about the same after 9 weeks — so neither one was better for building glutes.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift

Score: 55

DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1279170

Similar Assertions

Doing hip thrusts or squats for nine weeks, with the same total amount of work, makes your butt muscles grow just as much—so neither exercise is clearly better for building glutes if you're new to lifting.

92%

Squats build your thigh muscles (quads and inner thighs) more than hip thrusts do, because squats involve more knee and hip movement that engages those muscles more.

83%

Squats make your thighs bigger—especially the front and inner muscles—while hip thrusts don’t really change your thigh size, making squats better if you want to build overall leg muscle.

81%

If you want to get stronger at squats, you need to squat; if you want to get stronger at hip thrusts, you need to do hip thrusts—training makes you better at the exact movement you practice.

79%

If you want to get stronger at squats, you need to squat; if you want to get stronger at hip thrusts, you need to do hip thrusts. Training one doesn’t make you much stronger at the other.

79%