Squats vs. Hip Thrusts: Which Builds Bigger Glutes?
Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Hip thrusts activated glutes more on day one—but didn’t lead to more growth.
Common fitness wisdom says higher muscle activation = more growth. This study breaks that rule, showing acute EMG doesn’t predict hypertrophy.
Practical Takeaways
If your goal is bigger glutes, you can choose either squats or hip thrusts—just make sure you’re doing enough volume and progressive overload.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Hip thrusts activated glutes more on day one—but didn’t lead to more growth.
Common fitness wisdom says higher muscle activation = more growth. This study breaks that rule, showing acute EMG doesn’t predict hypertrophy.
Practical Takeaways
If your goal is bigger glutes, you can choose either squats or hip thrusts—just make sure you’re doing enough volume and progressive overload.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Physiology
Year
2023
Authors
Daniel L. Plotkin, Merlina A. Rodas, Andrew D. Vigotsky, Mason C McIntosh, Emma Breeze, Rachel Ubrik, Cole Robitzsch, Anthony Agyin-Birikorang, Madison L. Mattingly, J. M. Michel, Nicholas J. Kontos, Sarah Lennon, A. Frugé, C. Wilburn, Wendi Weimar, Adil Bashir, Ronald J. Beyers, Menno Henselmans, Bret M. Contreras, Michael D Roberts, Kelly Johnson, Simon Walker
Related Content
Claims (6)
Compound exercises involving greater total muscle mass do not produce superior hypertrophy in target muscles compared to isolation exercises when training volume and effort are equated.
How much your butt muscles 'fire up' during your first hip thrust or squat doesn’t tell you how much they’ll grow over time — the feeling during the workout isn’t a reliable guide to results.
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.
Doing squats or hip thrusts helps you get stronger at deadlifts and pushing against a wall about the same amount — neither exercise gives you a big edge over the other for these other movements.
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.