Hip Thrust Vs. Back Squat for Glute Development

The hip thrust and squat are two different exercises used to improve lower body strength, power, and muscle mass. If you're looking to build your glutes, you're not alone. Many strength and fitness athletes have the same goal, as well as the average gym-goer who wants to improve their appearance.

The two exercises are effective in different ways and for different purposes. The hip thrust is best for activating the glutes, while the squat is better for building overall lower-body strength. The hip thrust exercise results in greater glute activation throughout the entire range of motion when compared to the squat exercise. Our research concludes:

• We would rather do hip thrusts than squats.

• When you hip thrust, the tension on your glutes is more consistent than when you squat, because when you squat, the tension on your glutes will turn on and off throughout the range of motion.

• The hip thrust produces more stress on the glutes which results in a greater “pump.”

• The squat exercise results in more muscle damage to the gluteus muscles, which stimulates muscle growth. However, damage to muscles is not enough to cause maximum growth.

• A more practical approach to developing optimal glutes would be to train both the hip thrust and squat. Both exercises have been shown to increase gluteal muscle growth and target different areas of the glutes.

There is more to the story though to increase your glute development.

We'll discuss how to get the most out of hip thrusting and squatting by looking at the anatomy of the glute. We'll also talk about the science of glute development, the benefits and drawbacks of the hip thrust compared to squats, and suggest a training approach for each movement.

How Do The Glutes Function?

What role do the glutes play?

When we know the function of the glutes, we can better understand how to target them through exercises like hip thrusts or squats.

The glutes are made up of three muscles: gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.

• Glute Maximus 

The glute max is the meatiest part of the glute, and is the part that you would sit on while in a chair. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the human body. It is the “meaty” part of the glute.

The main function of the gluteus maximus is to extend the hip, but it also aids in other movements of the hip, like lifting the leg to the side, rotating the hip outward, and tilting the pelvis backwards.

• Glute Medius 

The glute medius muscle is located on the upper, outer side of the buttock.

The primary role is hip abduction. Lifting your leg to the side instead of in front or behind you, or exercises that make your knees stay in an outward position. The glue also stabilizes the hip and pelvis. This means that the glute medius muscle is also active when performing single-leg movements.

• Glute Minimus  

The glute minimus is the lower part of the glute located on the side.

The primary role is hip abduction. The party likewise can be targeted through exercises that move the leg away from the focal point of the body. The glute minimus helps with rotating the thigh inwards at the hip.

Now that we understand what the function of the gluteal muscles are, we can investigate how these muscles are utilised when performing exercises such as the hip thrust and the squat.

The Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a very effective move for working the glutes, and is often used to improve hip extension performance, as well as to activate and strengthen the glutes. The hip thrust is a popular exercise among athletes who are looking to increase their strength, power, and fitness. This exercise is often used as a supplemental movement to help improve the squat, deadlift, and glute development.

Make sure to check out our guide on hip thrusts to learn more about why they're beneficial.

Position the barbell in the hip crease to start. Adjust as needed to get comfortable. If you are experiencing pain in your hip flexors when performing barbell exercises, you can try placing a pad or mat in the hip crease to reduce the pressure on the area.

After you have positioned yourself with a flexed hip, hold the barbell in the hip crease so your back is flat and flexed. Your feet should be pushing down into your heels with bent knees.

To ensure that your joints are healthy, your knees should form a 90-degree angle when you exercise. This will help increase stability.

2.

Stabilize the upper back on the bench.

Position yourself on the bench so that your upper back is resting on it and your body forms a 90 degree angle with the bench.

Your shoulder blades should be pressing into the bench while your head and upper back remain on the bench or just behind it.

At the top of the hip thrust, you should be able to lift your hips upwards so that your torso is parallel to the floor. If you feel like you cannot complete the set, you may also need to readjust your positioning on the bench/upper back.

3.

Press through the heels and lift the hips.

To begin, make sure you are in a comfortable position with your back flat. Then, pull your belly tight. Lifters often arch their lower back and put too much weight on their hips at the bottom of the position.

Keep your torso locked in as you move your hips up and down. Imagine that your torso is like a crowbar or level. The person performing the movement should not feel any instability in their core.

Before you lift, tighten your abs and pinch your glutes together. Avoid arching your back.

Muscle Worked – Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a movement you can do to increase the strength of your glutes and hamstrings. Below are the main muscle groups used during the hip thrust:

• Gluteus Maximus (hip extension)
• Gluteus Medius and Minimus (hip abduction and stability)
• Hamstrings

The hamstrings help with the hip thrust movement by adding power to the hip extension.

The Squat

The squat is a key movement for athletes to build muscle mass and strength, and to train for movements found in daily life and sport. Squats come in many different forms that can be seen in power, strength, and fitness sports. Each one provides unique benefits for developing the legs, back, and glutes.

Set Your Base

Step one foot forward so your shins touch the bar. Start by placing a barbell in a rack and stepping under it so your shins touch the bar. Make sure to properly engage your upper back in step 2, set a firm foundation with your core, and mentally prepare for un-racking the barbell. These steps are key in ensuring a successful lift.

It is recommended that you keep your feet in the squat stance, or slightly narrower, when taking the load off the rack hooks, rather than stepping in and out with one foot. This is especially the case as the loads get heavier.

The heavier the loads are, the greater the risks are of sustaining an injury. This step is important when lifting heavy loads, as there is a greater risk of injury. Not not rush this process.

2.

Get a Grip

The width of your grip should allow you to comfortably hold the barbell while maintaining appropriate form. This will allow you to fully utilize your upper back and forearm muscles to keep the barbell in place during the high-bar squat. When performing a barbell squat, the barbell should be placed on the traps, rather than on the rear delts or lower on the back.

When you do this, you should flex your upper back and traps so the barbell has something to rest on. Be careful not to extend your back too much as you do this, as many people will lose tension and bracing in their core.

Make sure you squeeze the bar when you're in position and find a secure grip. Once you have found the barbell, pull it into your body so it is tight against you. This will make you and the barbell one unit that is massively dense and stable.

3.

Step Out and Get Stable

When you are ready, remove the barbell from the rack using either a 2 or 3-step approach (as this is often the best way to minimize barbell movement and conserve energy). Place your feet so that they are about hip-width apart and your toes are slightly pointed out. Keep your chest up and your core and obliques (side muscles) contracted.

You shouldn't lean too far forward, as this high-bar variation of the squat should allow you to keep your torso up and vertical.

If you're having trouble with your squat form, pre-squatting may be the answer. This can be a difficult and inconsistent process for many beginner and intermediate squatters, but with proper form and technique, it can help improve your squat. You should use the same set up and walkout techniques when you squat so that it becomes more automatic.

4.

Pull Yourself Down into the Squat

Plant your feet, evenly distribute your weight, and slightly push your hips back while letting your knees bend forward. Keep your knees tracking over your toes. To avoid rounding your back or collapsing your chest, keep your upper back tight.

To help improve your posture while sitting, imagine gripping the floor with your toes and creating space for your belly between your thighs. typically, the instruction to “keep your knees out” is given, which can be helpful for some people (but it can also cause their knees to bend too much). Think about pulling your torso straight down so that the abdominals and hip flexors assist in the movement.

When you lower yourself into a squat, be mindful of your body position and pay attention to how your weight is distributed. You don't want your torso to collapse, so make sure you're stable before proceeding.

5.

Squat to Depth, and Stand Up

Many people squat to a depth where their thighs are parallel with the ground, or lower. Once you have assumed the desired depth, push your back upwards into the bar while simultaneously pushing the feet aggressively through the floor, making sure to keep weight in the heels (and toes). Stand with your chest high and core locked.

Make sure your spine is positioned upright and your heels are flat on the ground. A rule of thumb for assessing high-bar squat technique is that the shin angle should be parallel to the spine. If two angles continue to intersect, it could be a sign of leaning too far forward, which would result in horizontal displacement of the barbell.

focus on feeling your legs (quadriceps), upper back, and hips working as you exercise

Muscle Worked – Squat

A squat is a leg exercise that targets the muscles in the thighs, buttocks, and hips. The muscles targeted when squatting depend on the style of squat (back vs front, low bar vs high bar, etc).

Generally speaking, the high-bar and front squat variations target the:

• Quadriceps
• Glutes
• Hamstrings 

The low-bar back squat shifts the weight lower on the back, which shifts more loading to the:

• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps 

What the Research Says…

The question of whether the hip thrust or the squat is better for glute training is a common one, and there is research available on the topic. Below are some of the research findings:

• The hip thrust significantly produced more glute engagement than the back squat. One research study found that the hip thrust elicits 2X more EMG muscle activation in the upper glute, lower glute, biceps femoris than a back squat (1).
• The hip thrust elicited higher EMG activity in the glutes than both the conventional deadlift and the hex deadlift. While we are comparing the hip thrust to the squat in this article, it should be noted how highly effective the hip thrust is at glute activation when compared with other known powerful glute and hamstring builders (2).
• The hip thrust, when combined with squat training, was found to elicit a 31% increase in squat performance when compared to the control group who all performed the squat. This is key to point out as it validates the effectiveness of the hip thrust at increase both squat performance AND glute engagement more than doing squats alone; suggesting squats are not effective glute builders (3).

Hip Thrust Vs. Squat

The following section will discuss the differences between the hip thrust and three variations of the squat commonly used in strength, power, and fitness sports.

Hip Thrust Vs. High-Bar Back Squat

The hip thrust can be classified as a lunge, while the high-bar back squat can be classified as a squat. The hip thrust is a movement that mostly uses the glutes, with only a limited amount of load placed on the quadriceps and hamstrings. This makes it more of a movement that uses hip flexion and extension.