If growing strong, full glutes is your goal, you’ve probably wondered which exercise deserves the crown: deadlifts, squats, or hip thrusts. While all three are excellent, each plays a slightly different role in targeting glute hypertrophy. To get the most out of your training, it’s important to understand how these exercises work and where they shine in building your posterior.

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DEADLIFTS: A SOLID POSTERIOR CHAIN BUILDER

Deadlifts are the go-to for developing the posterior chain—glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Variations like Romanian or stiff-leg deadlifts put more emphasis on the glutes by maximizing the stretch at the bottom of the movement, a key stimulus for muscle growth.

That said, deadlifts are not purely glute-focused. While they engage the glutes significantly, research shows they also heavily recruit the hamstrings and lower back, which means they don’t isolate the glutes as well as other exercises. Romanian deadlifts, for example, show glute activation comparable to hip thrusts but involve far more hamstring effort (Delgado 2019)​

Best For: Building overall lower-body strength and posterior chain thickness with moderate glute emphasis.

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SQUATS: THE ALL-AROUND LOWER-BODY BUILDER

Squats are a foundational movement for overall lower-body development. Deep squats and specific variations—like low-bar or wide-stance squats—shift more of the focus onto the glutes compared to traditional high-bar squats.

Studies comparing squats and hip thrusts reveal that squats are excellent for promoting overall lower-body hypertrophy, with strong activation of the quads, adductors, and glutes (Barbalho et al., 2020)​.

However, squats don’t allow for the same level of glute isolation or peak contraction as hip thrusts.

Best For: Developing glutes alongside balanced lower-body strength and aesthetics, including quads and hamstrings.

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HIP THRUSTS: THE GLUTE ISOLATION POWERHOUSE

If maximum glute isolation is your priority, hip thrusts are unmatched. Research confirms that hip thrusts elicit significantly greater gluteus maximus activation than squats or deadlifts, especially during the peak contraction at the top of the movement ​(Contreras et al., 2015)​.

In a 2023 study comparing hip thrusts and squats, both exercises were shown to support similar overall glute growth. However, hip thrusts were far superior for isolating the glutes without engaging other muscles like the quads or hamstrings ​(Plotkin et al., 2023)​.

Best For: Achieving maximum glute hypertrophy and isolation with minimal involvement of other muscles.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

For optimal glute development, the smartest strategy is to include all three exercises in your training:

• Use hip thrusts as your primary exercise for isolating and building the glutes.
• Incorporate squats to develop balanced lower-body strength and aesthetics.
• Add Romanian deadlifts to emphasize the stretch and target the glutes and hamstrings together.

By combining these exercises, you’re addressing three of the four key movement categories for glute growth outlined by Bret Contreras: Thrust/Bridge (hip thrusts), Squat/Press (squats), and Hinge (deadlifts). To round out your routine, add movements from the fourth category, Abduction/External Rotation—like banded side steps or hip abductions—for fully developed and well-rounded glutes.

This multi-angle approach ensures your glutes are not just strong but also symmetrical and aesthetic. Start prioritizing your training, and watch your results soar!

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