Ahhh, the age old debate about which exercise is number one when it comes to targeting the powerhouse of hip extension, the gluteus maximus (GMax). The barbell hip thrust (BHT) has gotten a tremendous amount of attention over the past few years based on a few studies with limited participants that showed the BHT to elicit higher activity in the GMax than traditional barbell back squats (BSQ)(1). Other exercises commonly performed to target GMax are deadlift variations, split squats, bridges, and lunges. But which of these exercises is actually the best at targeting GM activity? Spoiler alert, none of the above!
Neto et al (2)Â published a systematic review of the evidence in March 2020 in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine seeking to determine which exercise actually showed the highest activation of GMax. The studies utilized EMG to measure muscle activation, a technique by which surface electrodes are placed on the skin to measure electrical activity of the musculature in the area. Which exercise was the winner? If you guessed the step up and its variations, then you are correct! Below is a graph (2)Â showing the exercises ranked from left to right in order of highest GMax activity (only the exercises classified as very high muscle activation, >60% MVIC, included).
The authors hypothesize that step up variations come out on top due to the exercises being weight bearing and unilateral in nature requiring GMax to not only provide power for hip extension but also to stabilize the pelvis and control medial rotation and adduction of the femur maintaining knee position. The step up can be challenging to increase load due to the high stability demand of the exercise, even for the experienced lifter. The BHT appears to be the easiest GMax exercise to increase load as it seeks to isolate hip extension and has little demand on trunk stability. There have also been studies that show the greater depth achieved with a BSQ, the greater hypertrophy measured in GMax and an ever larger contribution from the adductor magnus.
Take home message, there are a lot of great exercises you can use to target GMax and improve your power generation during hip extension which is essential to nearly all athletic performance and daily activities. Pick one that works for you, load it up, and do it on a regular basis. And don’t be afraid to spice things up with a little variety here and there! If you would like to assess your hip extension strength, book an appointment and one of the expert clinicians at RISE will leverage technology to provide you with accurate and objective data, then get you going down a path to performance and longevity!
Citations:
Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J. A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyographic Activity in the Back Squat and Barbell Hip Thrust Exercises. J Appl Biomech. 2015 Dec;31(6):452-8. doi: 10.1123/jab.2014-0301. Epub 2015 Jul 24. PMID: 26214739.
Neto WK, Soares EG, Vieira TL, Aguiar R, Chola TA, Sampaio VL, Gama EF. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020 Feb 24;19(1):195-203. PMID: 32132843; PMCID: PMC7039033.