The Best Glute Exercises
The best exercises for strengthening the gluteus maximus
Research driven information about which gluteus maximus exercises are the best to do and which ones are a waste of your time.
What is the gluteus maximus muscle?
The gluteus maximus is one of the most powerful and largest muscles in the body. It is a muscle found in the buttock region of the body and has attachments to the gluteus medius fascia, ilium, thoracolumbar fascia, sacrotuberous ligaments, dorsal sacroiliac ligaments, sacrum, coccyx, and erector spinae aponeurosis. This muscle accounts for 16% of the total cross-sectional area (Winter et al., 2005).
What does the gluteus maximus do?
The glute max is a global mobilizer that is responsible for hip extension and external rotation. The superior fibers work to produce hip abduction torque and inferior fibers produce hip adduction torque (Lafond et al., 1998). In addition to its role in active hip extension and hip abduction, the gluteus maximus acts as both a local and global stabilizer. It acts to locally stabilize the proximal femoral head within the acetabulum by controlling femoral head translation. It acts a global stabilizer through both eccentric and isometric contractions.
As a local stabilizer the gluteus maximus does it’s job by:
1) stabilizing the low back through it’s connection to the erector spinae and thoracolumbar fascia
2) Sacroiliac joint through contraction and compression
3) Lumbosacral region by co-contracting with the psoas major
4) Stabilizing the knee through iliotibial band attachment
In hip extension, the gluteus maximus acts as a primary hip extender while working alongside other muscles including the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and the ischiocondylar portion of the adductor magnus. While no hip muscle ever truly works in isolation, today’s blog post will explore which loaded exercises are best at targeting the gluteus maximus as the primary hip mover.
What are some common exercises for the gluteus maximus?
Exercises that challenge the hip in extension, abduction, or external rotation will generally target the gluteus maximus muscle. It’s due to this that exercises such as the glute bridge, side lying clamshell, or crab walks are traditionally prescribed to patients that are dealing with hip pain relating to the glute max. Likewise, personal trainers and strength coaches may get their clients to do exercises like deadlifts in order to train up your glutes. While these exercises are widely accepted as exercises that target your glutes by your physiotherapists, chiropractors and massage therapists, are these exercises truly the best ones to do? After all other muscles are certainly engaging as well during these exercises. Contrary to popular belief, commonly completed exercises may not be the best exercise for you to do.
Which exercises target the gluteus maximus in hip extension?
Before we can start talking about which exercises are the best for targeting the gluteus maximus we first need to understand an outcome measure called MVIC that we’ll looking at in this blog article. MVIC is an acronym for maximum voluntary isometric contraction. It is a standardized method of measuring muscle strength. It is sometimes used as a substitute for the normalization of electromyography data (EMG data).
One study by Neto et al (2020) took a look at exercises that are commonly used to target the gluteus maximus and found the following (based on glute max MVIC%):
Front Step Up - 169%
Lateral Step Up - 114%
Diagonal Step Up - 113%
Cross Over Step Up - 104%
Split Squat - 70%
Normal Lunge - 66%
Deadlift - 64%
Stiff Leg Deadlift - 40%
Surprisingly enough, the deadlift which is an exercise commonly programmed to ‘target the glutes’ came ‘dead’ last (pun intended) in this list of exercises for activating the gluteus maximus muscle.
Are clamshells good for the gluteus maximus?
Another study by McBeth et al. examined three side-lying hip strengthening exercises to assess for both gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscle activity. Interestingly enough, this study examined glute activity in the widely prescribed clamshell exercise and found evidence that is contrary to popular belief. It was highly theorized that the combination of hip abduction and external rotation should directly lead to strengthening of the gluteus maximus but this study suggests otherwise. In the clamshell exercise the anterior hip flexors MVIC% was 54.2%, the TFL was 34.4%, gluteus medius was 32.6%, gluteus maximus was 34.2%. In the clamshell exercise it was observed that the exercise resulted in the highest activation in the anterior hip flexors, with little activation of the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles.
McBeth et al. also examined the side lying hip abduction with and without external rotation exercise as these exercises are widely prescribed for glute strengthening. External rotation of the hip during a side lying hip abduction was previously theorized to bias the exercise towards gluteus maximus activation. However it was observed that the external rotation of the hip instead targeted the tensor fascia latae instead. It was then concluded that this occurred since the TFL was biomechanically aligned to resist gravity (unlike the gluteus maximus in this position). In this exercise the MVIC% of the TFL was 70.9, gluteus medius was 53% and gluteus maximus at 31.7%.
Are Hip Thrusters good for the Gluteus Maximus?
A systematic review by Neto et al. took at look at the some of the current literature to determine whether or not the barbell hip thrust exercise was a good exercise for the hip extensor muscles. They took a look at studies that analyzed muscle activation using normalized EMG signal or as a percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). In their search, they determined that 12 studies met their inclusion criteria. There was a pooled sample size of 58 participants across these 12 studies.
After examining these 12 articles they concluded that the barbell hip thrust exercise was better than squats and that with all variations of this exercise that it had greatest muscle excitation of the gluteus maximus (followed by erector spinae, hamstrings, and quadriceps femoris). The pooled data revealed the following:
Back Squat - 85% peak upper gluteus max, 130% peak lower gluteus max
Barbell Hip Thrust - 172% peak upper gluteus max, 216% peak lower gluteus max
American Hip Thrust - 157% peak upper gluteus max, 200% peak lower gluteus max
Band Hip Thrust - 120% peak upper gluteus max, 185% peak lower gluteus max
Split Squat - 100% peak gluteus max
In conclusion there is evidence that the barbell hip thruster exercise is effective at recruiting and activating the gluteus maximus muscle.
Are Glute Bridges good for the Gluteus Maximus?
The glute bridge is also known as the hip bridge exercise. It is an exercise that is widely prescribed by physiotherapists, doctors, and chiropractors for the management of buttock or lower back pain. As the name implies, theoretically this exercise was created as a beginner exercise to target the gluteus maximus. This exercise is often prescribed as it is a low load and easy-to-teach exercise that requires minimal or no equipment. Surely this exercise is effective for targeting the gluteus maximus right? After all it is a movement that closely resembles the barbell hip thrust, which as we just discussed is effective for targeting the glute max.
Macadam and Feser decided to take a look at muscle activation of the gluteus maximus muscle in multiple exercises across multiple studies in a systematic review. They found that the standard glute bridge exercise resulted in a peak maximum voluntary isometric contraction percentage of just 41.5%. Comparatively speaking, this MVIC% shows that the glute bridge, also known as the supine bridge, is not a good exercise for activating the gluteus maximus muscle. That said, it may be strategically used for acute glute strains as it may allow low levels of glute activation while remaining below the pain threshold (and therefore promoting movement and circulation without aggravating symptoms).
A study by Lehecka et al. took a look at the single-leg bridge exercise to see how much activation of the gluteus maximus occurred in the exercise (MVIC%). They found that within this exercise there was a 51.01% MVIC for the gluteus maximus and 57.81% MVIC for the gluteus medius in the traditional position. Interestingly enough, they found more activation in the biceps femoris muscle which had a MVIC of 75% (when arms were placed across your chest instead of the floor).
Are Bulgarian Split Squats good for the Gluteus Maximus?
The Bulgarian split squat has become a popular exercise on social media and is chosen by personal trainers and strength coaches to train the quads and glutes. This exercise is typically used as an exercise progression to the conventional split squat exercise as it elevates the hind leg in order to increase the load of the lead leg. Within the rehabilitation space, it is an exercise that is used to manage knee, hip and low back pain. Physios and chiros may recommend this exercise as it simultaneously develops hip and knee strength, stability, and motor patterning. As a popular exercise choice for many, it begs the question “does the Bulgarian split squat effectively target my glutes?”.
In a study by Mausehund et al. they tested the activity of gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris and gluteus maximus in varying split squat exercises. Specifically they looked at the rear elevated split squat (a.k.a. Bulgarian split squat), single leg squat (also known as the front step up), and split squat (also known as the stationary lunge) exercises. This study found that there were no significant differences in peak EMG activity of the gluteus maximus and vastus lateralis between any of these exercises. They also noted that muscle activity was highest for the vastus lateralis, followed by the gluteus maximus, then gluteus medius for all exercises.
This study revealed that the gluteus maximus had 71-79% MVIC during all exercises. Interestingly enough, biceps femoris activity varied quite a bit between exercises with MVIC% at 76.1% in the rear foot elevated split squat, 62.3% in the split squat and 59.7% in the single leg squat exercise. What does this mean? While the Bulgarian split squat may not be a superior exercise in activating the gluteus maximus muscle, it is still a viable option for those who are looking to strengthen their glutes while simultaneously targeting their quadriceps and hamstrings.
Can weak glutes cause my injury?
Due to the many functions that the gluteus maximus has in joint stabilization and movement production, ‘weak’ or ‘inactive’ gluteus maximus muscles have been associated with low back pain, ACL injuries, knee pain, hamstring strains, FAI syndrome, and ankle sprains. It is currently believed that since the body is designed to compensate to continuously allow movement, when dysfunction exists in the gluteus maximus biomechanical overload can occur in adjacent regions leading to repetitive or acute injuries. Likewise, the opposite may apply as well. When injury or dysfunction exists in the knee, ankle or low back, the gluteus maximus may be impacted leading to tendinopathy of it’s tendons.
Who should I see for glute pain?
If you have buttock pain… chances are that it’s not just your gluteus maximus that is bothering you. Many different conditions can cause buttock pain including (but not limited to):
Piriformis syndrome
Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
Ischial tuberosity bursitis
Erector spinae referral pain
It’s due to this extensive list of differential diagnosis that you might find that a certain exercise ‘is not working’. Each condition is managed differently, with some conditions managed completely opposite of others. In order to prevent delays in your recovery it is recommended to consult a physiotherapist or chiropractor near you in order to receive a diagnosis.
Both healthcare professionals will be able to perform a physical assessment, orthopedic tests, and neurological tests to determine which condition may be causing your butt pain. If you’re thinking of visiting a Rehab Hero therapist in Markham or North York, click on the button below to book an appointment online.
Conclusion
With the advent of social media there is now an abundance of exercise content online. It is due to this that it has become a lot easier to find information and to try things at home. Although access to information has become so much more available, it has become that much harder to sort out the ‘good’ information from the ‘bad’ misinformation. My goal with this blog post was to help you sort through the data by isolating which exercises have been shown (with research evidence) to be the most effective at targeting the gluteus maximus muscle.
With that said, to keep things simple, if you’re looking to focus on targeting the gluteus maximus then the hip thruster and step up exercises (and many of their variations) will be the best for activating your gluteus maximus. Contrastly, traditionally programmed exercises such as the glute bridge, clamshell, or deadlift is not as effective at targeting the gluteus maximus muscle.
Keep that booty moving and I’ll see you all next time with my next blog post!
-Dr. David Song
Written by: Dr. David Song
Dr. David Song is a chiropractor that can be found near Woodbine and Steeles in Markham. With a background in strength training and fitness, he helps his patients to overcome hip pain through exercise rehabilitation by staying up to date with research.
References
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McBeth JM, Earl-Boehm JE, Cobb SC, Huddleston WE. Hip muscle activity during 3 side-lying hip-strengthening exercises in distance runners. J Athl Train. 2012 Jan-Feb;47(1):15-23. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-47.1.15. PMID: 22488226; PMCID: PMC3418110.
Neto WK, Vieira TL, Gama EF. Barbell Hip Thrust, Muscular Activation and Performance: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2019 Jun 1;18(2):198-206. PMID: 31191088; PMCID: PMC6544005.
Lehecka BJ, Edwards M, Haverkamp R, Martin L, Porter K, Thach K, Sack RJ, Hakansson NA. BUILDING A BETTER GLUTEAL BRIDGE: ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF HIP MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING MODIFIED SINGLE-LEG BRIDGES. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2017 Aug;12(4):543-549. PMID: 28900560; PMCID: PMC5534144.
Macadam P, Feser EH. EXAMINATION OF GLUTEUS MAXIMUS ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EXCITATION ASSOCIATED WITH DYNAMIC HIP EXTENSION DURING BODY WEIGHT EXERCISE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2019 Feb;14(1):14-31. PMID: 30746289; PMCID: PMC6350668.
Knoll MG, Davidge M, Wraspir C, Korak JA. Comparisons of Single Leg Squat Variations on Lower Limb Muscle Activation and Center of Pressure Alterations. Int J Exerc Sci. 2019 Aug 1;12(1):950-959. PMID: 31523343; PMCID: PMC6719809.
Mausehund L, Skard AE, Krosshaug T. Muscle Activation in Unilateral Barbell Exercises: Implications for Strength Training and Rehabilitation. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Jul;33 Suppl 1:S85-S94. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002617. PMID: 29870422.
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