The Best Exercises for Building the Glutes
The Gluteus Maximus is a muscle that is extremely important for athletic performance (sprinting, jumping, etc.) and proper biomechanical function with daily activities. Often, weak gluteal muscles can also be the cause of faulty movement patterns leading to lower back pain.
A new study in the Journal of Sports Science Medicine reviewed research to determine which common exercises lead to the most Gluteus Maximus activation. In other words, the study investigated the best workouts for building, strengthening, and sculpting the glutes.
The Study:
The format of this study is a systematic review - which is one of the highest quality research studies that are performed. The study reviewed 16 previous studies which reported muscle activation levels as a percentage of Maximum Voluntary Contraction.
The Results:
The exercises that lead to “very high level of gluteus Maximus Activation” were the following:
traditional lunge, barbell hip thrust, modified single-leg squat, conventional deadlift, band hip thrust, barbell hip thrust, step up and it’s variations (lateral, diagonal, cross over), hex bar deadlift, rotational barbell hip thrust, and belt squat.
According to the study, The top 5 exercises from highest to lowest gluteus Maximus activation are..
Step-Up
Lateral Step-Up
Diagonal Step-Up
Crossover Step-Up
Hex-Bar Deadlift
Rotation Barbell Hip Thrust
Traditional Barbell Hip Thrust
Belt Squat
Split Squat
In-Line Lunge
Source: Neto WK, Soares EG, Vieira TL, et al. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203. Published 2020 Feb 24.