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.

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 mean increases of approximately 7–15 cm² across muscle regions, indicating that exercise selection does not differentially drive gluteal muscle growth in novices.

Original Statement

“Glutei mCSA growth was similar across both groups. Estimates [(−) favors HT; (+) favors SQ] modestly favored the HT compared to SQ for lower [effect ± SE, −1.6 ± 2.1 cm²], mid [−0.5 ± 1.7 cm²], and upper [−0.5 ± 2.6 cm²], 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 definitive causal claims about hypertrophy outcomes. The language 'produces similar hypertrophy' accurately reflects the data.

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 Jul 5

Both exercises made people’s butt muscles grow about the same amount, even though one feels harder on the butt — so picking one over the other doesn’t really matter for building glutes if you’re just starting out.

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: 53

DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.21.545949

Similar Assertions

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.

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.

78%

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.

78%

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.

75%

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.

74%