Best Glute Exercises According to Science: Gluteus Maximus, Medius, Minimus and Adductors

Which exercises actually train your glutes best?

The obvious answers are usually squats and hip thrusts. But if you look at the research more closely, there are many effective options: deep squats, split squats, leg presses, step ups, Romanian deadlifts, back extensions, hip abductions and more.

And if you want to develop the entire hip rather than only the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and hip adductors deserve attention too.

The difficulty is that exercise studies do not all measure the same thing. Some measure muscle growth with MRI. Others measure muscle activation with EMG. More recent research can estimate the actual forces produced by individual muscles.

So instead of giving every exercise a made up score out of ten, this article compares the best available evidence for each movement.

First, what does %MVIC mean?

EMG studies often report muscle activity as a percentage of a maximal voluntary isometric contraction, or %MVIC.

Very roughly:

Muscle activity	%MVIC
Low	0 to 20%
Moderate	21 to 40%
High	41 to 60%
Very high	Above 60%

This is useful for comparing exercises within a study, but it should not be interpreted as a percentage of your muscle fibres being used.

It also does not tell us directly how much muscle an exercise will build.

For example, hip thrusts can produce greater glute EMG than squats, yet a nine week MRI study found similar glute growth between the two exercises.

Long term muscle growth data therefore take priority when we have them.

Gluteus maximus exercises compared

The gluteus maximus is the largest glute muscle and a powerful hip extensor. That means exercises involving substantial hip extension can train it, but they do not necessarily stress it in exactly the same way.

Exercise	Main stimulus	Best available research finding
Deep back squat	Glute max, quads, adductors	Glute max volume increased 6.7% after full squat training versus 2.2% with half squats
Barbell hip thrust	Glute max	Nine weeks produced similar glute growth to squats despite higher acute glute EMG
Leg press	Glute max, quads	Included among exercises shown to increase glute max size in hypertrophy research
Split squat	Glute max, quads, adductors	Classified as very high glute max activation, above 60% MVIC, in a systematic review
Step up	Glute max, glute medius	Step up variations were among the highest glute max EMG exercises in a systematic review
Single leg squat	Glute max, glute medius	About 59% MVIC glute max and 64% MVIC glute medius in one study
Single leg deadlift	Glute max, glute medius	About 59% MVIC for both glute max and glute medius
Romanian deadlift	Glute max, hamstrings	Produced 94% greater glute max activity than a seated back extension machine in one 6RM study
45 degree back extension	Glute max, hamstrings	Produced 140% greater glute max activity than the seated back extension machine
Lateral step up	Glute max, glute medius	Reviews report high to very high activation depending on technique
Lunge	Glute max, quads, adductors	Loaded lunge variations commonly fall into the very high glute max activation category
Prone hip extension	Glute max	Useful direct hip extension option, particularly with the knee flexed

The deep squat numbers are particularly interesting. Ten weeks of full squat training increased gluteus maximus volume by 6.7 ± 3.5%, while half squats produced only 2.2 ± 2.6% growth. Adductor muscle volume also increased more with the deeper squat.

This supports something that is useful in practice:

If your anatomy and mobility allow it, increasing usable squat depth can increase the stimulus to the hips.

What about the hack squat, one of the best glute exercises?

I would absolutely include the hack squat as a squat variation.

But I would not pretend that we have the same quality of direct glute hypertrophy research for the hack squat that we have for traditional squats.

Peer reviewed research comparing back squats with hack squats shows that the supported hack squat allows substantially higher absolute loading while reducing trunk muscle activity.

That makes the hack squat an excellent lower body hypertrophy exercise.

How glute dominant it becomes will depend strongly on the machine design, foot placement, squat depth and the amount of hip flexion you achieve.

So I would classify the hack squat as: Very useful glute and quad exercise, but currently supported more by biomechanics and general squat research than direct glute hypertrophy trials.

That distinction is much more scientifically responsible than inventing an EMG number.

Are hip thrusts better than squats for glutes?

Not necessarily.

A nine week controlled study used MRI to compare squat training with hip thrust training. Both produced similar increases across the measured gluteus maximus regions.

However, squats produced greater quadriceps growth and approximately 2.5 cm² more adductor cross sectional area compared with hip thrust training.

This makes the exercises complementary.

A squat heavily loads the hip while it is flexed.

A hip thrust produces large hip extension demands closer to full hip extension.

For somebody who wants maximal glute development, using both patterns makes more sense than declaring one the winner.

Do back extensions train the glutes?

Definitely.

This is one exercise that deserves far more attention in glute programmes.

A study in resistance trained women compared the Romanian deadlift, the 45 degree Roman chair back extension and a seated back extension machine using 6RM loads.

Compared with the seated machine, gluteus maximus activation was:

94% higher during the Romanian deadlift

140% higher during the 45 degree back extension

In the upper portion of the movement, the back extension actually produced 74% greater glute activation than the Romanian deadlift.

So a properly performed 45 degree back extension is not merely a lower back exercise. It can be a serious glute and hamstring exercise.

Gluteus medius and minimus exercises compared

The gluteus medius and minimus help abduct the hip and control the position of the pelvis, especially during single leg movements.

This is why simply doing more hip thrusts is not necessarily the best way to train them.

Exercise	Glute medius or minimus evidence
Side lying hip abduction	Around 81% MVIC glute medius in one study
Single leg squat	Around 64% MVIC glute medius in one study
Single leg deadlift	Around 59% MVIC glute medius
Pelvic drop or hip hitch	High activity across multiple glute medius and minimus segments
Lateral step up	High middle glute medius activation
Standing resisted hip abduction	High glute medius and minimus activity
Single leg bridge	High activity in selected glute medius and minimus segments
Resisted lateral walk	Useful glute medius exercise
Side bridge with hip abduction	Among the highest glute medius EMG exercises reported
Hip abduction machine	Simple, stable and easy to progressively overload

One study found 81 ± 42% MVIC for the gluteus medius during side lying hip abduction.

The single leg squat generated 64 ± 25%, while the single leg deadlift produced 59 ± 25%.

A systematic review of 56 studies also found that pelvic drop variations, standing hip abduction, lateral step ups, single leg bridges and resisted side steps can all produce high activity in different regions of the gluteus medius and minimus.

This is important because the gluteus medius and minimus are not just one homogeneous block of muscle. Different sections can contribute differently depending on the movement.

What about your inner thighs?

The muscles on the inner thigh are your hip adductors.

These include the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus and gracilis.

And they are much more involved in traditional lower body training than many people realise.

Copenhagen plank versus squats and deadlifts

A new 2026 peer reviewed study estimated individual adductor muscle forces during eight exercises.

The long lever Copenhagen adduction exercise ranked in Tier 1 for every adductor muscle measured.

The short lever Copenhagen was also Tier 1 for the adductor brevis and adductor longus.

But compound exercises performed surprisingly well.

Conventional deadlifts and sumo deadlifts were Tier 1 for parts of the adductor magnus and for gracilis. Squats and step ups also ranked Tier 1 for the hip extension portion of the adductor magnus.

Exercise	Main adductor emphasis	Research ranking
Long lever Copenhagen	Broad adductor group	Tier 1 across all measured adductors
Short lever Copenhagen	Adductor longus and brevis	Tier 1
Conventional deadlift	Adductor magnus, gracilis	Tier 1 for selected muscles
Sumo deadlift	Adductor magnus, gracilis	Tier 1 for selected muscles
Deep squat	Adductor magnus	Tier 1 for selected portion
Step up	Adductor magnus	Tier 1 for selected portion
Lateral slide	General adductors	Tier 2
Side lying adduction	Adductor longus	Very high EMG in earlier research

This gives us another useful lesson:

An exercise does not need to look like an inner thigh exercise to train the inner thigh muscles.

Deep squats and deadlifts can place substantial demands on the adductor magnus because part of this muscle is also a powerful hip extensor.

Is the sumo squat best for the inner thighs?

A wide stance can increase adductor involvement, but the answer is more nuanced than fitness folklore suggests.

Research in competitive bodybuilders found that sumo squat variations produced greater adductor longus activation during the ascending phase compared with the other squat variations tested.

Older research also found that changing squat stance width influences the activity of the medial thigh and gluteal muscles.

However, another study comparing common adductor exercises found that side lying hip adduction and ball squeezes produced more adductor longus activity than sumo squats.

So sumo squats certainly train your adductors. They are simply not an isolation exercise for them.

So which exercises would I choose?

If your goal is overall glute and hip development, I would build your programme around several movement categories rather than chasing one supposedly perfect exercise.

1. A deep squat pattern

Examples:

• Back squat

• Front squat

• Hack squat

• Leg press

• Single leg press

• Split squat

• Bulgarian split squat

These provide substantial hip and knee flexion and allow you to progressively load the glutes, quadriceps and adductors.

2. A hip extension exercise closer to lockout

Examples:

• Barbell hip thrust

• Machine hip thrust

• Glute bridge

• Cable hip extension

These provide a different resistance profile from deep squat movements.

3. A hip hinge

Examples:

• Romanian deadlift

• Conventional deadlift

• Single leg Romanian deadlift

• 45 degree back extension

These train the glutes alongside the hamstrings and, depending on the movement, the adductor magnus.

4. A single leg or pelvic stability exercise

Examples:

• Step up

• Lateral step up

• Single leg squat

• Single leg deadlift

• Pelvic drop

These are particularly useful for the gluteus medius and minimus.

5. Direct hip abduction

Examples:

• Hip abduction machine

• Cable hip abduction

• Side lying hip abduction

• Band resisted standing abduction

These allow you to give the smaller gluteal muscles more direct work.

6. Direct adduction

Examples:

• Long lever Copenhagen

• Short lever Copenhagen

• Cable hip adduction

• Side lying hip adduction

• Adductor machine

These complement the adductor stimulus already obtained from squats, deadlifts and lunges.

Don’t forget mobility and your warm up

Choosing the right glute exercises is only part of the picture. To get the most out of movements such as deep squats, hack squats, leg presses, split squats, Romanian deadlifts and hip thrusts, you also need to be able to move comfortably through the range of motion that the exercise requires. Limited ankle mobility, stiff hips or restricted upper back movement can make it harder to reach good positions and may reduce the range of motion you can train through.

This is something I always focus on with clients: improving the mobility we actually need for the exercises we are performing, so we can improve form, use a better range of motion and warm up properly before adding heavier loads.

Before a lower body or glute session, I usually prefer dynamic mobility drills rather than long static stretches. The exact exercises depend on the person and the workout, but some simple options are:

• Ankle rocks for ankle dorsiflexion before squats, split squats and leg presses

• Deep squat holds with a counterweight to practise a comfortable deep squat position

• Leg swings forwards and sideways to dynamically warm up the hips

• 90/90 hip rotations to work on hip internal and external rotation

• Cossack squats for hip and inner thigh mobility

• Adductor rock backs to prepare the adductors for deeper squats and wider stance exercises

• Walking lunges with rotation to warm up the hips and trunk

• World’s greatest stretch for the hips, hamstrings and upper back

• Open books to improve upper back rotation

• Hip flexor stretch with an overhead reach to open the front of the hip

• Glute bridges and bodyweight squats to rehearse the movements you are about to load

• Light Romanian deadlifts or split squats as progressively heavier warm up sets before your working sets

You do not need to perform every drill. A few minutes spent on the areas that are actually limiting you is usually more useful than following a long generic mobility routine. The goal is not flexibility for the sake of flexibility. The goal is to give you enough usable mobility and control to squat deeper when appropriate, move your hips freely, maintain good technique and train the glutes through an effective range of motion.

The main takeaway

• There is no single best glute exercise.

• Different exercises stress different muscles, different regions of the same muscle and different portions of the range of motion.

• For the gluteus maximus, deep squats, hip thrusts, split squats, step ups, Romanian deadlifts and back extensions are all strong options.

• For the gluteus medius and minimus, single leg movements, lateral step ups, pelvic drops and direct hip abduction become more important.

• For the adductors, do not underestimate deep squats and deadlifts, but Copenhagen adduction exercises provide one of the most direct and demanding ways of training the inner thighs.

The practical solution is therefore not to find the exercise with the highest EMG number. It is to combine a few good exercises that load the hip differently, train them through a useful range of motion and progressively make them harder over time. That is much closer to what the actual research supports.

If you want help applying these principles to your own training, I offer personal training in Antwerp and online coaching.

Sources - peer reviewed

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• Kubo K et al. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2019. PMID 31230110.

• Krause Neto W et al. Frontiers in Physiology. 2025. PMID 40276368.

• Pedersen H et al. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2021. PMID 33948095.

• Moore D et al. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2020. PMID 33344003.

• DiStefano LJ et al. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2009. PMID 19574661.

• Collings TJ et al. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2026. PMID 41931009.

• Serner A et al. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2014. PMID 23511698.

• Coratella G et al. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021. PMID 33477561.