Walk into most gyms, and you’ll see it—benches lined up, barbells padded, and someone hip thrusting their way to “better glutes.” We’ve shifted from squats to hip thrusts as the top booty builder. Social media crowned them the king of glute training, and influencers swear by them.
The message is loud and clear: “If you want strong, sculpted glutes, you need hip thrusts.” But here’s the question not many are asking: Are hip thrusts truly that effective—or are they just overrated?
Here, we’ll through the noise by exploring what hip thrusts do, where they shine, where they fall short, and whether they deserve their top spot as a glute-building staple.
How Did Hip Thrusts Become Popular
A big reason for the hip thrust explosion is Bret Contreras—aka “The Glute Guy.” He didn’t just introduce the movement; he built a case for it.
Through EMG research and years of coaching, Contreras highlighted that hip thrusts produce high levels of glute activation, especially at full lockout. That was a big deal because for the first time, a lift was marketed specifically for glute development.
And the message stuck:
“If you want bigger glutes, do hip thrusts.”
They become social media darlings because they’re easy to film, upload, and sell. There’s also been a shift in how people train, as it’s no longer just about getting strong—it’s about targeted physique development. They’re simple, accessible, and they provide a noticeable “feel” in the target muscle.
That combination made them explode in popularity.
The Science Behind Hip Thrusts and Glute Activation
Hip thrusts are a horizontal hip extension exercise, and that matters because they hit your glutes hardest at lockout. That gives them a unique place in a lower-body program. It’s not “better” than every other glute exercise. It’s just different.
And that difference shows up in the research. A study by Contreras and colleagues found that the barbell hip thrust produced greater gluteus maximus EMG activity than the back squat when both are performed with estimated 10RM loads. Other research comparing the hip thrust with deadlift variations found that the hip thrust produced greater glute max activation than the trap bar deadlift.
But EMG studies don’t tell the whole story. Muscle activation studies tell us a muscle is working, not that one exercise will always build more muscle over time. That’s why the longer-term studies matter more. A 2023 study comparing nine weeks of hip thrust training with back squat training found that both exercises produced similar gluteal hypertrophy, while the squat produced greater thigh hypertrophy. Both exercises work, but they don’t give you the same return.
But science doesn’t give us all the answers. It helps us view hip thrusts through a different lens. “I tend to look at hip thrusts for the glutes the same way I look at biceps curls for the arms, “explains Gareth Sapstead (MSc C.S.C.S.). “Plenty of people build impressive biceps through rows and pull-ups alone. But if someone’s goal is to specifically develop their biceps, curls quickly become one of the most effective tools available. Hip thrusts are in the same category.”
Where Hip Thrusts Truly Shine
Now, let’s give hip thrusts the recognition they deserve. “Because who doesn’t want an exercise that complements your bedroom shenanigans?” says Jason Leenaarts, coach and owner of RevFit.
Well, that’s not the only reason it’s stayed relevant.
Here are a few more.
Ideal for Glute-Focused Workouts
If your goal is to bring up lagging glutes, hip thrusts deserve a spot in your workout. They’re especially useful when:
- Glute size is the priority
- Your lower back is already taking a beating from other lifts
- You need more direct glute work without more squat and deadlift fatigue.
Hip thrusts shine when you use them as a targeted hypertrophy tool.
They Hammer the Glutes Where Other Lifts Don’t
“A lot of lifters struggle to bias their glutes in compound patterns,” explains Sapstead. “That’s where hip thrusts come into their own.”
Squats, split squats, and Romanian deadlifts all target the glutes in a stretched position, but hip thrusts serve a different role: they load your glutes hardest at lockout. This strong contraction in the shortened position makes them a smart complement to squat and hinge movements rather than a replacement for them.
They’re Easier to Recover From
Hip thrusts target the glutes without unnecessarily straining your lower back, overtaxing your grip, or exhausting your nervous system like heavy deadlifts and squats often do. “Compared to more lengthened, stretch-focused movements, they’re also easier to recover from, which makes them a useful option when you want to increase training frequency,” says Sapstead.
That reduced systemic fatigue usually allows you to do more effective glute workouts throughout the week, which is important when aiming for hypertrophy.
Beginner-Friendly
The learning curve is lower, and the target muscle is easier to feel. For beginners and general-pop clients, that matters. When beginners understand what hip extension feels like, the learning curve for more technical exercises like deadlifts and other hinge variations shortens.
Where Hip Thrusts Fall Short
At some point, a popular accessory lift was called “the best glute exercise ever,” period, and that’s where the issue starts.
They’re Not a Complete Glute Builder
Hip thrusts load the glutes hardest at the top of the movement—the shortened position. That’s only part of the hypertrophy equation.
Muscle growth is driven by:
- Tension in the lengthened position
- Tension in the shortened position
- Enough volume and progression over time
“Hip thrusts have put a greater focus on the importance of a strong posterior chain,” explains Jay Ashman of Ashman Strength, “but they are overrated for overall posterior chain strength development because they are biased toward the shortened position.”
Weak Transfer to Total Lower-Body Strength
Hip thrusts strengthen the glutes but do not develop the same overall body coordination, stability, or force production as compound lifts because they primarily focus on one muscle. You will NOT get the same core engagement or posterior chain activation as with squats or deadlifts.
The “Glute Activation” Hype Is Overblown
Even too much water is bad for you, and the trick, as always, is in the dose. When the internet gets hold of a good thing, like hip thrusts, the flow-on effect, like the glute activation effect, is real. We get things like:
- Banded hip thrusts
- Pulses
- Endless burnout sets
- “Feel the squeeze” cues
All of that creates a burn, but burn isn’t growth, and activation is not overload. Too much hype dilutes the intention of the exercise. Granted, it’s not the fault of the exercise and the smart man who popularized it; it’s the thirst for eyeballs that’s driven this craze.
Hip Thrusts Pros and Cons
Let’s summarize where we are.
Pros
High Glute Activation at Lockout: Hip thrusts target the glutes at full hip extension, making them great for building strength and size in the shortened position.
Low Spinal Load, High Volume Potential: Compared to squats and deadlifts, hip thrusts place less stress on the spine and nervous system, allowing for greater recoverable hypertrophy volume.
Beginner-Friendly and Easy to Learn: Most lifters can quickly feel their glutes working—making it a great entry point for targeted glute training.
Safer to Train Close to Failure: You can perform hip thrusts with high effort without the same technical issues or injury risk associated with other heavy barbell lifts.
Cons
Limited Stimulus in the Lengthened Position: Hip thrusts emphasize the top of the movement but don’t challenge the glutes much under stretch.
Weak Carryover to Total-Body Strength: They don’t build the same coordination, stability, or full-body strength as squats, hinges, or unilateral movements.
Easy to Overhype and Misuse: Because they feel effective, lifters often rely too much on them, confusing burn and pump with real progress.
Easy to Perform Incorrectly: Common issues such as lower back overextension, poor foot placement, and bouncing reps reduce effectiveness and increase discomfort.
Which brings us to our next point.
Common Hip Thrust Mistakes Killing Your Gains
When an exercise increases in popularity, you get wild differentiation in good form. Here are the three biggest form problems killing results:
Lower Back Killer
Instead of extending the hips, lifters overarch the lower back to get the bar higher. It looks like a big lockout, but it’s mostly lumbar extension—not glute contraction.
Fix: Keep the ribs down, brace your core, and finish with your glutes, not your spine. Hip thrust is a feel exercise. If you’re not feeling it in your glutes, it’s your back doing the work.
Improper Foot Positioning
Feet too far forward? You’ll feel it in your hamstrings. Feet too close? Quads take over, but either way, your glutes get shortchanged.
Fix: A simple way to prevent this is to do a few bodyweight reps, adjusting your foot position until you feel the glutes doing all the work.
Ego Loading and Bouncing Reps
The classic ego issue—loading plates and rushing through reps without control, or shortening the range of motion to impress others and boost ego. More weight doesn’t lead to more growth if the tension isn’t on the glutes.
Fix: Stop thinking of the hip thrust as just a 1RM squat, bench, or deadlift, and only as a glute hypertrophy exercise. Instead, control the eccentric phase, finish with a strong glute squeeze, and use a load you can own.
Dusan Petkovic
How to Program Hip Thrusts for Maximum Results
Hip thrusts aren’t magic—but when you program and perform them well, they become a powerful hypertrophy tool. Here’s how to achieve real results, not just a burn.
Pair Them With Stretch-Based Glute Work
Hip thrusts hammer the glutes in the shortened position, but for full development, you need to pair them with movements that load the glutes in the lengthened position. Next time you hit a lower-body workout with a hip thrust, also include an RDL, split squat, or a deep squat variation.
Train in these Rep Ranges
Hip thrusts respond well to a variety of rep ranges, but they shine when you can control the movement and keep tension where it belongs.
- 6–10 reps: heavier loading, strength and hypertrophy
- 10–15 reps: sweet spot for glute growth
- 15–20 reps: metabolic stress and finishers
- The key isn’t the rep range, it’s staying close enough to failure while keeping good form. Please load appropriately, not just for eyeballs.
Own the Top Position
Hip thrusts make their money in the shortened position, so own it. If you’re not controlling and squeezing at the top, you’re missing the point of the exercise.
What Happens If You Only Do Hip Thrusts?
When hip thrusts become the centerpiece of your lower-body training instead of a supporting player, things start to fall apart.
Neglecting Fundamental Movement Patterns
There’s so much more to the lower body than just the glutes. If your program focuses solely on hip thrust variations and ignores other fundamental exercises like squats, hinges, and unilateral work, it misses the bigger picture. These movements are essential for building balanced lower-body strength and muscle. “They’re not a replacement for compounds,” says Sapstead. “Just like curls aren’t a replacement for rows.”
Underdeveloped Posterior Chain Strength
Hip thrusts bias the shortened position. If that’s all you’re doing, you’re missing half the hypertrophy equation. Hip thrusts train the glutes—but they don’t challenge the posterior chain the same way deadlifts, RDLs, or good mornings do.
The result? Strong lockout, weak hinge. That imbalance shows up fast when you try to lift heavy or move explosively.
Overuse Tweaks
Heavy hip thrusts, like any barbell exercise, will take their toll. The hips, being heavily loaded all the time, may fight back, even with padding. If you’re not performing the machine variation or have access to the specialized bench, the setup hassles may get annoying, leading to cutting corners.
When performing any exercise for an extended period, execution can also get lax. When that happens with the hip thrust, overarching, bouncing, ego loading—the lower back takes over. And ironically, the very thing people are trying to avoid.
Final Verdict: Should You Keep Hip Thrusts in Your Workout?
Yes—and no.
Hip thrusts aren’t overrated because they don’t work, but because they are misused. When lifters treat them as the only glute exercise, ditch squats and hinges, skip progression, and pile on weight with sloppy, ego-driven reps, bad things happen.
But flip the script: hip thrusts are effective when paired with lengthened-position movements like Romanian deadlifts or split squats. Progress them like any other lift, and perform each rep well. Use them as part of a balanced lower-body program, and they do what they’re supposed to do—build strong, well-developed glutes.
Hip thrusts aren’t the issue. It’s the hype—and how you perform them—that matters.
