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.

Scientific Claim

Strength gains from resistance training are highly specific to the exercised movement, as 3RM back squat strength increased significantly more in the squat group (14 kg) and 3RM hip thrust strength increased significantly more in the hip thrust group (26 kg), despite similar overall training volume.

Original Statement

“Squat 3RM increases favored SQ [14 ± 2 kg; CI95% (9, 18)], and hip thrust 3RM favored HT [−26 ± 5 kg; CI95% (−34, −16)].”

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 RCT design with direct strength testing and non-overlapping CIs supports definitive causal language. The effect sizes are large and clinically meaningful.

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

People who trained squats got better at squats, and people who trained hip thrusts got better at hip thrusts — even though both groups grew similar glute muscles. Strength gains are specific to the exact movement you practice.

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

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.

98%

If you want to get stronger at squats, doing squats is way better than doing leg extensions—but if you want to get stronger at leg extensions, both exercises work about the same.

80%

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.

80%

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.

79%

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.

79%