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.

Scientific Claim

Back squat training leads to significantly greater hypertrophy in the quadriceps and adductor muscles compared to hip thrust training in untrained young adults, with effect sizes of 3.6 cm² and 2.5 cm² respectively, indicating exercise-specific regional muscle adaptation.

Original Statement

“mCSA changes were greater in SQ for the quadriceps [3.6 ± 1.5 cm²; CI95% (0.7, 6.4)] and adductors [2.5 ± 0.7 cm²; CI95% (1.2, 3.9)].”

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 objective MRI outcomes and non-overlapping CIs supports definitive causal language. The effect sizes and confidence intervals are clearly reported and statistically significant.

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

The study found that squats made the front thigh and inner thigh muscles grow more than hip thrusts did, just like the claim said — and they measured it accurately with scans.

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

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.

96%

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.

83%

Squats make the lower part of the outer thigh muscle grow more than leg extensions do, probably because squats involve more hip and knee movement together.

82%

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%

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.

78%