Glute exercises: the ones that build them most, according to the research

Published on 5 June 2026

Glutes are the most sought-after muscle group in the gym — and the most poorly trained. Most people do squats and hope for the best. Science has a more specific answer.

The glutes are the largest muscle group in the human body and, paradoxically, one of the hardest to develop with conventional training. The reason is simple: the exercises that dominate most routines (squats, lunges) are not optimal for the gluteus maximus when you are after specific hypertrophy. This guide explains the science behind glute development and the exercises with the most evidence behind them.

Why are glutes so hard to develop?

Most people do squats and lunges and expect their glutes to grow. The problem: the squat mainly works the quadriceps. To really develop the glutes you need exercises that maximise tension in the position of peak contraction, something the squat does not do optimally.

Bret Contreras' research (the "Glute Guy") using electromyography (EMG) showed that the hip thrust generates the highest gluteus maximus activation of all the exercises analysed, beating the deep squat, the deadlift and lunges in most subjects. The mechanical reason: the hip thrust produces maximum resistance at the point of full contraction (hips at 180°), while the squat generates maximum resistance in the hips-flexed position (lower glute activation).

Glute anatomy: the three heads you need to train

The glute complex consists of three muscles with distinct functions, and a complete programme should stimulate all three:

• Gluteus maximus: the largest and most visible. It extends and externally rotates the hip. Best trained with hip thrust, Romanian deadlift and deep squat.
• Gluteus medius: on the lateral side of the hip. It produces hip abduction (moving the leg outwards) and stabilises the pelvis during walking. Trained with cable abduction, clamshells and banded monster walks.
• Gluteus minimus: beneath the gluteus medius. Similar function to the medius. Trained with the same abduction exercises.

The 5 best evidence-based glute exercises

2. Romanian deadlift - works the gluteus maximus and hamstrings with emphasis on the stretched range (maximum tension in the lengthened position). The key: keep the back neutral, push the hips backwards (do not bend the knees), feel the hamstring and glute stretch before coming back up.

3. Bulgarian split squat: produces high glute activation in a wide range-of-motion position. The rear foot elevated on a bench allows greater depth on the front leg, maximising tension in the gluteus maximus. It works one leg at a time, which also reveals and corrects side-to-side imbalances.

4. Low-cable hip abduction: isolates the gluteus medius with constant resistance throughout the whole range of motion. More effective than clamshells for the gluteus medius because it allows load progression. Range: 15-20 reps with good control.

5. Single-leg hip thrust: the unilateral variant increases the demand per glute and also activates the gluteus medius to stabilise the pelvis. Once the barbell bilateral hip thrust is technically solid, the unilateral version is the natural progression.

How many sets and reps to maximise glute development?

The gluteus maximus responds well to medium-high rep ranges (10-20 reps) because it is a muscle with a high proportion of both type I fibres (endurance) and type II (strength/hypertrophy). EMG studies show activation is greatest when working with moderately heavy sets close to failure (RIR 1-2).

• Hip thrust and Bulgarian split squat: 3-4 sets × 8-12 reps, RIR 1-2
• Romanian deadlift: 3-4 sets × 10-12 reps, emphasis on the eccentric phase
• Abduction exercises: 3 sets × 15-20 reps with a squeeze at the point of greatest contraction

Recommended weekly volume for the gluteus maximus: 12-20 direct sets, split across 2-3 sessions. The glute recovers quickly given its size and vascularisation, so training frequencies of 2-3 days a week are well tolerated.

The most common mistakes when training glutes

These mistakes significantly reduce the effectiveness of glute training:

• Not activating the glute before the main session: many people have "gluteal amnesia" - the glute does not activate efficiently because it is inhibited by a sedentary lifestyle. 2-3 minutes of activation (clamshells, banded monster walks, hip circles) before the main exercises improves activation throughout the session.
• Using too much quad in the hip thrust: if you push with your toes instead of your heels, and if the torso is too vertical, the quadriceps dominates the movement. Consciously focus on driving from the heels and flattening the lumbar spine at the contraction point.
• Not reaching full range of motion: partial ranges in the hip thrust or Bulgarian split squat reduce effective muscle tension. The hip must extend fully in the hip thrust.
• Ignoring the gluteus medius: a weak gluteus medius produces knee valgus during squats, instability while running and chronic low back pain. Always include at least one abduction exercise in your glute sessions.

4-week glute programme

This programme can be done 2-3 times a week (not on consecutive days):

• A1. Barbell hip thrust: 4×10, RIR 2 - progress in weight each week
• A2. Bulgarian split squat: 3×10 per leg, RIR 2
• B1. Romanian deadlift: 3×12, eccentric emphasis (3 seconds lowering)
• B2. Low-cable abduction: 3×15 per leg, 1s pause at the point of greatest abduction
• C1. Single-leg hip thrust: 3×12 per leg (weeks 3-4)

Nutrition for glute development

Muscle growth, including glute growth, requires a positive energy balance (a 200-400 kcal caloric surplus) and enough protein (1.6-2.2g/kg of body weight). No food "goes" specifically to the glutes: genetics determines the distribution of the muscle mass gained, but targeted training and proper nutrition do influence the relative proportion of muscle gained in that area.

Progrevia designs your glute programme according to your level, your equipment and your goals, with week-by-week progression already built in.

How often should you train glutes?

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body and, thanks to its high vascularisation, recovers relatively quickly from training. The optimal frequency for glute hypertrophy is 2-3 times a week, which lets you stimulate growth more often than slower-recovering muscle groups such as the chest or the lats.

In practical terms: including glute training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Full Body or a specific Lower day) produces better results than a single high-volume weekly session. Each session can have a different focus: one can prioritise the hip thrust (heavy compound work), another can focus on the Bulgarian split squat (greater range of motion), and a third can include more abduction work for the gluteus medius.

Glute activation: why it matters before training

"Gluteal amnesia" is more common than people think, especially in those with sedentary jobs who spend many hours sitting. The glute, compressed and unused for hours, can show neurological inhibition that reduces its activation during the main exercises.

A 3-5 minute activation protocol before glute training significantly improves gluteus maximus and medius activation during the main session. The most effective activation exercises:

• Banded clamshells (20 reps per side): activates the gluteus medius in external rotation
• Banded monster walks (20 steps in each direction): activates the gluteus medius in loaded abduction
• Hip circles (10 circles per direction, per leg): hip joint mobility and gluteus maximus activation
• Bodyweight hip thrust (15 reps, 2s pause at the top): activates the gluteus maximus at peak contraction before adding load

Does diet help grow the glutes?

There is no diet or food that directs muscle growth preferentially towards the glutes. What diet does control is the overall rate of muscle gain and the fat-to-muscle ratio of what is gained.

To maximise glute hypertrophy:

• Moderate caloric surplus: 200-300 kcal above maintenance. Too aggressive a surplus increases fat gain without accelerating muscle gain.
• Enough protein: 1.6-2.2g/kg of body weight per day. Leucine (an amino acid abundant in high-quality animal proteins) is the main activator of muscle protein synthesis.
• Peri-workout timing: 20-40g of fast-absorbing protein within 1-2 hours after training optimises protein synthesis during the period of greatest metabolic sensitivity.

How to measure progress in glute development

Progress in glute development can be measured in several ways, each with its advantages:

• Load progression in the hip thrust: the most direct indicator of functional hypertrophy. If your barbell hip thrust goes from 60kg to 100kg in 6 months, the glutes have grown significantly.
• Glute circumference: measure at the point of greatest circumference (where the glute is most prominent). A gain of 2-4cm over 3-4 months of consistent training indicates real hypertrophy.
• Progress photos: photos every 4-6 weeks in the same light and position are the most visual method for tracking body composition changes.

Remember that glute development is one of the slowest hypertrophy processes because of the nature of the muscle (most of daily activity happens seated with minimal activation). Patience and consistency are the most important variables in the process.

Frequently asked questions: glute exercises

How long does it take to see bigger glutes? With a well-designed programme, training 2-3 times a week and proper nutrition (enough protein and a slight surplus), visible changes in glute shape appear between weeks 6 and 10. The most pronounced changes show between 3 and 6 months of consistent training.

Does the regular squat work the glutes well? The deep squat does activate the gluteus maximus, but it is mainly quad-dominant. If your specific goal is glute development, the hip thrust produces significantly more gluteus maximus activation than the squat, according to Contreras' EMG studies. Use the squat to build general strength and quads, and the hip thrust as the main glute exercise.

How much weight should I use in the hip thrust? Start with a load that lets you complete 12-15 reps with good technique (neutral back at the top, visible glute squeeze). The long-term goal is handling between 0.75 and 1.5 times your body weight in the barbell hip thrust, a range that indicates solid gluteus maximus development.

Does the barbell hip thrust hurt the hip? If the front of the hip hurts, the torso angle is probably wrong or the bar is badly positioned (it should sit at hip level, not on the abdomen). Add a foam pad to the bar and make sure your back is supported on the bench at shoulder-blade height, not at the waist.

Activation is not growth: what happened when they measured it with MRI

Almost everything said about the hip thrust comes from electromyography studies: you measure how much electrical signal the glute emits during the exercise and assume more signal will mean more muscle. It is a reasonable inference, but it is an inference. In 2023 somebody went and checked it directly, and the result forces a qualification of the usual talking points.

Plotkin, Rodas, Vigotsky and colleagues — with Bret Contreras among the authors, the very researcher who popularised the hip thrust — published a trial in Frontiers in Physiology that randomised untrained participants to a hip thrust group (18 people) or a back squat group (16 people). Nine weeks of supervised training, between 15 and 17 sessions, with set volume equated between groups. Hypertrophy was not estimated: it was measured by MRI, real muscle cross-sectional area.

The three findings, in order of importance:

First: gluteal growth was similar in both groups. Estimates modestly favoured the hip thrust in the lower, mid and upper regions, but with appreciable variance that rules out claiming either is superior.

Second: the squat grew the rest of the leg more. Cross-sectional area increases were greater in quadriceps and adductors in the squat group — something the hip thrust, by its mechanics, cannot offer.

Third, and this is the important one: electromyography did not predict the outcome. Every gluteal site showed greater mean signal during the hip thrust and, even so, that electrical advantage did not consistently translate into more hypertrophy.

The lesson goes beyond the glute: activation measured in a single session is a poor substitute for hypertrophy measured over months. When you see a video comparing exercises "by activation", remember that this metric has already failed at least once in the exercise where it has been used the most.

A 2025 meta-analysis by Krause Neto, Krause and Gama in the same journal completes the picture from the other side. It pooled twelve studies with 318 participants (144 women and 174 men), eleven of them in the meta-analysis, and found a moderate effect of resistance training on the gluteus maximus (standardised mean difference 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.50 to 0.91), with similar effects for isolated exercises and combined protocols alike (Krause Neto et al., 2025). Its most useful detail is not which exercise but how: in the squat, deeper ranges produced greater hypertrophy (Kubo et al., 2019); in the hip thrust, full range beat partial variations.

Translated into your training: stop hunting for the perfect glute exercise and take care of range of motion and load progression. Hip thrust and squat do not compete — the squat also gives you quadriceps and adductors, the hip thrust loads the glute without demanding ankle mobility. Doing both, full range and progressing, beats picking the winner of an electromyography chart.

To put it into practice, the Progrevia routine generator builds a free strength plan with sets, reps and progression adapted to your level and equipment.

Progrevia · Updated 23 October 2026 · How we write our guides

Informational content based on the available scientific evidence: it does not replace advice from a healthcare professional. If you have an injury or a medical condition, or are pregnant, check with one before changing your training or diet.