Which lift works your butt and hamstrings harder?
A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyographic Activity in the Back Squat and Barbell Hip Thrust Exercises.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Two popular leg exercises were tested to see which one makes your glutes and hamstrings fire more.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Two popular leg exercises were tested to see which one makes your glutes and hamstrings fire more.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 526 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J
Related Content
Claims (4)
When doing a hip thrust with a barbell instead of a squat, the butt and back of the thighs light up more on muscle sensors during the same level of effort.
When comparing hip thrusts and squats at the same effort level, the front thigh muscle (quadriceps) works just as hard in both exercises.
Hip thrusts turn on your butt and hamstrings more than squats, but both exercises work your front thigh muscles just as hard.
When trained women lift heavy weights, thrusting the hips up with a barbell turns on the butt and hamstring muscles way more than doing a squat, but the front thigh muscle works about the same in both exercises.