Hip Thrust vs Squat: Which Builds More Glutes?

Hip thrust vs squat debates usually sound absolute: “only hip thrusts grow the glutes,” or “if you squat deep, you do not need a hip-extension accessory.” Controlled work sits between those slogans. In a nine-week set-volume equated trial with magnetic resonance imaging, Plotkin and colleagues (2023) found similar gluteus maximus growth from barbell back squat or barbell hip thrust training, even though first-bout gluteal surface EMG was higher in the hip thrust — a reminder that acute excitation is not a free hypertrophy unlock. Squats still grew quadriceps and adductors more, and strength gains stayed specific to the trained lift.

That distinction matters because internet arguments often treat equipment as morality. Barbell back squats load the body upright through the spine with balance and bracing demands; hip thrusts fix the torso on a bench and emphasize horizontal hip extension near lockout. Acute EMG comparisons often favor the thrust for gluteus maximus (Contreras et al., 2015; Williams et al., 2021), while chronic MRI data show similar glute growth when weekly hard sets are matched (Plotkin et al., 2023). This article keeps claims sized to EMG, hypertrophy, and transfer evidence — not invented mesocycle crowns — then gives a practical template beside leg press vs squat, front vs back squat, machine vs free weights, progressive overload, RPE, and weekly hard sets.

What actually differs between the hip thrust and the squat

A barbell back squat starts standing with the load on the torso. Hips and knees flex and extend together while you brace against gravity; gluteus maximus contributes across the hip-extension arc, but vastus lateralis demand is also high. Contreras et al. (2015) compared upper and lower gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis EMG during 10-repetition-maximum back squat and barbell hip thrust sets in resistance-trained women: mean and peak upper and lower gluteus maximus activity were greater in the hip thrust, biceps femoris favored the thrust as well, and vastus lateralis was higher in the squat — useful for understanding demand share, not a medical rule that “squats do not train glutes.”

Read the paired silhouettes as the same hip-extension family under different torso constraints — upright squat versus horizontal thrust — not as a free hypertrophy unlock for one tool over the other.

Williams et al. (2021) later compared gluteus maximus activation across back squat, split squat, and barbell hip thrust in academy soccer players and again found higher mean and peak gluteus maximus EMG in the hip thrust than in the back squat, with split squat values between the two — another acute signal that horizontal hip extension can recruit the glutes hard without proving a chronic size winner. Neto and colleagues (2020) systematically reviewed gluteus maximus activation across common strength and hypertrophy exercises and placed hip-extension patterns such as the hip thrust among the higher-activation options in the literature they pooled, while still noting that methodology (electrode site, load, familiarization) limits direct ranking across every study.

Do not read higher acute thrust EMG as a guarantee that squats “form weak glutes,” or that hip thrusts automatically grow more muscle every mesocycle. Technique, depth or lockout you can control, load selection, and progressive exposure still dominate results, and this page is training education — not injury diagnosis.

Which builds more glute muscle or strength?

If you are hunting a mesocycle winner for glute hypertrophy, the clearest head-to-head with imaging is Plotkin et al. (2023): untrained college-aged adults trained either back squat or hip thrust for nine weeks with equated set volume. Gluteus maximus cross-sectional area increases were similar across groups; point estimates modestly favored the hip thrust at some gluteal sites but with wide confidence intervals. Squats produced greater quadriceps and adductor growth. Three-repetition-maximum strength favored the trained exercise (squat 3RM rose more in the squat group; hip thrust 3RM rose more in the thrust group), while deadlift 3RM and an isometric wall-push test improved similarly. First-session gluteal EMG was higher in the hip thrust and did not consistently predict who grew more.

Krause Neto, Krause, and Gama (2025) later synthesized resistance-training effects on gluteus maximus hypertrophy across dynamic hip-extension exercises. Overall, resistance training showed a moderate effect on gluteus maximus size; both single-exercise and combined programs worked, and they noted that when the goal is to emphasize gluteus maximus at the expense of other muscle groups, single-joint options such as the barbell hip thrust can be prioritized — while parallel or full-range back squats, leg-press patterns, and combined hip-extension menus still stimulate growth. That is programming nuance, not proof that squats are useless for glutes.

Transfer stays specific. Contreras et al. (2017) compared six weeks of hip thrust versus front squat training in adolescent males: hip thrust training improved horizontal force outcomes more clearly in that sample, while front squat training showed clearer edges on some vertical-force and front-squat strength measures — useful for sport intent, not a universal “thrust builds more glutes” claim. Andersen et al. (2018) also showed that hip thrusts can produce high gluteus maximus EMG relative to conventional and hex-bar deadlift variants in a crossover design, so the thrust belongs in the same hip-extension family conversation as other pulls without replacing progressive overload on your primary lifts.

Strength outcomes stay lift-specific. A heavy hip-thrust PR does not automatically equal a competition squat, and sports that need upright bracing or a tested squat usually want squat practice even when thrusts let you pile denser glute volume near lockout. For glute hypertrophy, pick the pattern you can progress with stable technique, honest effort, and recoverable joint stress — then match weekly hard sets, just as you would when browsing the exercise library for squat and hip-thrust progressions. The style that lets you train honest hard sets with progressive overload will usually “build more” than the style you skip.

A practical hip thrust vs squat template for lifters

Use this for 2–4 weeks before declaring a lifelong squat-versus-thrust religion:

1. Default squat when you need upright strength, quad/adductor growth, or sport-specific bracing. Plotkin et al. (2023) support treating the squat as the better tool when you also want thigh hypertrophy and a practiced upright pattern.
2. Default hip thrust when you want denser horizontal hip-extension volume or a glute-emphasized single joint. Contreras et al. (2015), Williams et al. (2021), and Krause Neto et al. (2025) support treating the thrust as a high-glute option — useful as a primary or accessory when squat depth, spinal fatigue, or equipment access limit upright work.
3. Use hip thrust as accessory volume after a primary squat — or reverse the order when the thrust is the priority. Example: back squat as the main lift, then 2–3 hard hip-thrust sets; or thrust-primary in a glute-focused block while you keep one lighter squat technique day.
4. Match lockout and depth to the stimulus you want. Chase controlled full hip extension on thrusts and a squat depth you can brace — not half-reps that only look viral (Contreras et al., 2015; Plotkin et al., 2023).
5. Run a short A/B check at the same RPE. After warm-ups, work a heavy set of five to eight around RPE 7–8 on squat and on hip thrust on separate days. Note bracing quality, low-back fatigue, and next-day soreness — not only which lift “felt more glute.”
6. Keep one primary hip-extension pattern for a mesocycle and rotate the other as accessory volume. Match weekly hard sets rather than chasing every variation every session (Plotkin et al., 2023; Krause Neto et al., 2025).
7. Tag the pattern beside working sets. One light Lyfta mention fits here: log whether hard sets were squat or hip thrust so load and RPE trends stay honest when the torso constraint changes — not whether the set “felt more functional” by itself.

The paired checkmark icons mirror the template — test both tools, keep one primary pattern for a mesocycle, and log which sets used squat versus hip thrust.

Common mistakes

• Calling squats “not a glute exercise” solely because acute EMG is higher in the hip thrust — chronic MRI still showed similar glute growth when set volume was equated (Contreras et al., 2015; Plotkin et al., 2023).
• Assuming a big hip-thrust number automatically transfers to a competition squat or vertical jump when Plotkin et al. (2023) and Contreras et al. (2017) show strength and performance edges stay specific.
• Comparing a bounced, quarter-depth squat to a full lockout thrust and declaring a hypertrophy winner without matched effort or range (Contreras et al., 2015; Plotkin et al., 2023).
• Chasing endless hip-thrust plate theater until the set becomes a lumbar hyperextension bounce instead of a controlled hip extension (Williams et al., 2021; Neto et al., 2020).
• Stacking heavy squats and max-effort thrusts in the same session until low-back fatigue, not stimulus, becomes the limiter (Plotkin et al., 2023; Andersen et al., 2018).
• Ignoring progressive overload and weekly hard-set tracking — or overreading acute EMG as a mesocycle scoreboard (Plotkin et al., 2023; Neto et al., 2020).
• Skipping weekly hard-set tracking because a comment section declared a winner.

When not to obsess over hip thrust vs squat

Skip the free-weight versus accessory debate if you are still missing sleep, protein, or consistent hard sets. Prioritize the programming guides in the articles hub first. Reach for a pattern change when spinal fatigue repeatedly limits squat volume, you need denser glute work, or sport skills require a tested upright squat — not because a comment section declared a winner.

Seek clinical care for acute hip, knee, or low-back injuries — this page is not medical advice. If either pattern produces sharp pain, numbness, or atypical joint stress, stop and reassess setup, load, or coaching. Sport needs differ; train the hip-extension pattern you will actually need on the platform, field, or gym floor.

References

1. Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J. A comparison of gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and vastus lateralis electromyographic activity in the back squat and barbell hip thrust exercises. J Appl Biomech. 2015;31(6):452-458. PubMed · DOI
2. Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, McMaster DT, Reyneke JH, Cronin JB. Effects of a six-week hip thrust vs. front squat resistance training program on performance in adolescent males: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(4):999-1008. PubMed · DOI
3. Andersen V, Fimland MS, Mo DA, Iversen VM, Vederhus T, Rockland Hellebø LR, Nordaune KI, Saeterbakken AH. Electromyographic comparison of barbell deadlift, hex bar deadlift, and hip thrust exercises: a cross-over study. J Strength Cond Res. 2018;32(3):587-593. PubMed · DOI
4. Neto WK, Soares EG, Vieira TL, Aguiar R, Chola TA, Sampaio VL, Gama EF. Gluteus maximus activation during common strength and hypertrophy exercises: a systematic review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203. PubMed · PMC
5. Williams MJ, Gibson NV, Sorbie GG, Ugbolue UC, Brouner J, Easton C. Activation of the gluteus maximus during performance of the back squat, split squat, and barbell hip thrust and the relationship with maximal sprinting. J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(1):16-24. PubMed · DOI
6. Plotkin DL, Rodas MA, Vigotsky AD, McIntosh MC, Breeze E, Ubrik R, Robitzsch C, Agyin-Birikorang A, Mattingly ML, Michel JM, Kontos NJ, Lennon S, Frugé AD, Wilburn CM, Weimar WH, Bashir A, Beyers RJ, Henselmans M, Contreras BM, Roberts MD. Hip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift. Front Physiol. 2023;14:1279170. PubMed · DOI · PMC
7. Krause Neto W, Krause TLV, Gama EF. The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2025;16:1542334. PubMed · DOI · PMC