The five glute exercises worth building a programme around are the barbell hip thrust, the squat, the Romanian deadlift, the split squat and banded lateral work. The hip thrust produces more than double the measured gluteal activity of a squat at matched loads. The squat still earns second place, because the two exercises load the muscle at opposite ends of its range and a programme wants both.
Where pain in the buttock is the reason for the search, it is worth separating a muscular problem from a nerve one first, which is what PhysioHub's guide to buttock muscle pain sets out to do.
Four of the five train the gluteus maximus in hip extension, and the fifth covers the side of the hip, which the other four largely miss. They are ranked on measured gluteal demand, how far they can be loaded, and how many people can perform them today.
| Exercise | Best for | What makes it stand out | Dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Barbell hip thrust | Maximum glute demand | More than double the squat's measured gluteal activity | 3–4 × 8–12 |
| 2. Back or goblet squat | Whole-leg strength | Loads the glutes hardest in the stretched position | 3–4 × 6–10 |
| 3. Romanian deadlift | Glutes and hamstrings together | Trains hip extension through the longest range | 3 × 8–12 |
| 4. Split squat or step-up | One leg at a time | Exposes and fixes side-to-side differences | 3 × 8–12 each side |
| 5. Banded lateral walk or side-lying abduction | Gluteus medius | The only entry here aimed at the side of the hip | 3 × 12–20 each side |
This is a documentary review of published biomechanics and training evidence rather than a laboratory test run by us. Around fifteen commonly recommended glute exercises were considered, including the barbell hip thrust, glute bridge, back squat, front squat, goblet squat, Romanian deadlift, conventional deadlift, split squat, Bulgarian split squat, step-up, lunge, cable kickback, banded lateral walk, side-lying abduction and the 45-degree back extension.
Four criteria decided the order: measured gluteal activity in electromyography studies, how far the exercise can be progressively loaded, how much of the range of hip extension it trains, and how many people can perform a version of it without equipment or coaching.
The sources read were Contreras and colleagues' 2015 comparison of the back squat and barbell hip thrust in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, subsequent training studies comparing hip thrust and squat training for gluteal growth, NICE guideline NG59 on exercise for low back pain, and the NHS physical activity guidelines. Evidence checked in August 2026.
What could not be checked: electromyography measures activity during single sets and predicts muscle growth only loosely. Where training studies exist, they suggest the hip thrust and the squat produce similar gluteal growth over twelve weeks, so the ranking reflects mechanics and practicality as much as measured activation.
Cover both ends of the range. Squats and Romanian deadlifts load the glutes hardest with the hip bent, and the resistance fades as you stand up. Hip thrusts and bridges load them hardest at the top, where the hip is straight. A programme with one of each trains the muscle through everything it does.
Include something on one leg. Walking, running and climbing stairs happen on one leg at a time, and a barbell across two legs hides a weaker side indefinitely. Split squats and step-ups bring that difference into the open within a set.
Do not skip the side of the hip. The gluteus medius holds the pelvis level when you stand on one leg, and hip extension exercises train it only lightly. This is the muscle behind a good proportion of lateral hip and knee complaints.
Pick loads you can add to. Glutes are large, strong muscles and they respond to load. Bodyweight bridges are a starting point rather than a destination, and the exercise that lets you keep adding weight for a year is the one that will still be working in six months.
What it is
Shoulders on a bench, feet flat on the floor and a padded barbell across the hips, driving the hips up until the body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
Who it suits
Anyone who wants the most gluteal work per set, and particularly anyone whose lower back objects to heavy squatting and deadlifting.
How to do it
Bench under the shoulder blades, feet flat and roughly shin-width apart so the shins are vertical at the top. Tuck the ribs down, drive through the heels, and finish with the hips level rather than arched. Pause for a second at the top of every repetition. Three to four sets of 8 to 12.
What the evidence supports
This is the highest measured gluteal demand of the common exercises. Contreras and colleagues' 2015 study in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics compared the hip thrust and back squat at ten-repetition maximum loads in 13 trained women. The hip thrust produced mean upper gluteus maximus activity of 69.5 per cent of maximum voluntary contraction against 29.4 per cent for the squat, lower gluteus maximus of 86.8 against 45.4 per cent, and biceps femoris of 40.8 against 14.9 per cent. Quadriceps activity was statistically similar between the two.
Limits and cautions
Arching the lower back to finish the repetition is the fault that turns this into a back exercise, and it is what most people do when the weight goes up too fast. Keeping the ribs down and stopping the lift when the hips are level fixes it. The bar needs a proper pad, and shins that angle backwards at the top mean the feet are too far away.
Time and effort
Ten minutes including setting up the bench and bar. The setup is the main barrier, which is why the single-leg bridge is the version most people actually do at home.
Why it made the list
It ranks first on measured demand by a wide margin, it loads the top of the range that squats leave out, and it stays available on weeks when the lower back will not tolerate anything else.
What it is
A loaded squat to at least parallel, with the weight either on the back or held at the chest.
Who it suits
Almost everyone. The goblet version with a single dumbbell or kettlebell suits beginners and anyone training at home; the barbell version raises the ceiling once technique is established.
How to do it
Feet slightly wider than the hips with the toes turned out, brace, and squat until the hip crease is level with or just below the top of the knee, keeping the lower back in its natural curve. Drive up with the chest and hips rising together. Three to four sets of 6 to 10. Our guide to proper squatting form covers the checkpoints in detail.
What the evidence supports
The squat loads the gluteus maximus hardest in the stretched position at the bottom, which is a mechanically different stimulus from the hip thrust. Training studies comparing twelve weeks of hip thrust training against twelve weeks of squat training have found similar gluteal muscle growth from the two, despite the large difference in measured activation, which is why the squat holds second place rather than dropping down the list.
Limits and cautions
Depth decides how much of the glute gets trained, and depth is the first thing to disappear as the weight climbs. Anyone stopping well above parallel is training mostly quadriceps. Knee or hip pain at the bottom usually responds to a change of stance before it needs a change of exercise.
Time and effort
Twelve minutes with warm-up sets. It is the most fatiguing exercise here and belongs early in a session.
Why it made the list
It trains the glutes alongside everything else in the leg, it can be loaded for years, and it transfers directly to standing up, climbing and carrying.
What it is
A hip hinge with a barbell or dumbbells, lowering the weight down the thighs with the knees softly bent until a stretch is felt in the hamstrings, then driving the hips forward.
Who it suits
Anyone who wants the glutes and hamstrings trained together, and anyone whose sport involves running, jumping or fast changes of direction.
How to do it
Stand with the bar at the thighs, knees softly bent and fixed, then push the hips backwards and let the bar travel down the legs while the back keeps its natural curve. Stop where the stretch arrives, usually around mid-shin, then drive the hips forward to stand. Three sets of 8 to 12 with a moderate load.
What the evidence supports
The Romanian deadlift trains hip extension through the longest range of any exercise here and loads the glutes and hamstrings simultaneously in the stretched position. Loading a muscle in a lengthened position is one of the better-supported principles in strength training, and this is the most accessible way to do it for the back of the hip.
Limits and cautions
Turning it into a squat by bending the knees is the usual drift, and it removes most of the hamstring work. Rounding the lower back to reach further down is the fault that matters, and a mirror or a phone camera settles it in one set. Anyone with current low back pain should build up from a much lighter load than feels necessary.
Time and effort
Eight minutes. It costs less recovery than a heavy squat and pairs well with it in the same session.
Why it made the list
It fills the range that hip thrusts and squats between them still leave thin, and it trains the hamstrings at the same time, which matters for anyone who runs. The pattern overlaps with our guide to hamstring pain.
What it is
A squat performed on one leg at a time, either with the rear foot behind or elevated, or by stepping up onto a box.
Who it suits
Anyone with a noticeably weaker side, anyone returning from a knee or hip problem, and anyone training at home with limited weight available.
How to do it
For the split squat, take a long stride, drop the back knee towards the floor and drive up through the front heel, keeping the torso upright. For the step-up, use a box that puts the thigh roughly parallel at the start and push through the top foot without pushing off the floor with the back one. Three sets of 8 to 12 each side.
What the evidence supports
Single-leg loading produces high gluteal demand at a fraction of the total load of a barbell squat, which is why it survives in rehabilitation programmes where two-legged lifting is too much. It also trains the gluteus medius in its stabilising role, because the pelvis has to stay level throughout, which the two-legged exercises do not require.
Limits and cautions
Balance limits the load before the muscles do, which frustrates people and is solved by holding a rack or the wall with one hand. Front knee pain usually means the stride is too short. Anyone whose pelvis drops on the unsupported side is doing useful work at a load that is currently too high.
Time and effort
Ten minutes for both sides. It is the most honest exercise here about how even your strength really is.
Why it made the list
It exposes side-to-side differences that a barbell hides for years, and it produces serious gluteal work with a single dumbbell, which makes it the most practical loaded option for home training.
What it is
Taking the leg out to the side against a band or gravity, either walking sideways with a band above the knees or lying on one side and lifting the top leg.
Who it suits
Runners, anyone with pain on the outside of the hip, anyone whose knee drifts inwards under load, and anyone who spends most of the day sitting.
How to do it
For the lateral walk, band above the knees, quarter squat position, and step sideways keeping tension on the band with the feet no closer than hip width. For the side-lying version, lie on one side with the body in a straight line and lift the top leg to about 30 degrees with the toes pointing forwards rather than up. Three sets of 12 to 20 each side.
What the evidence supports
The gluteus medius holds the pelvis level during single-leg stance, and hip abduction strengthening is a standard component of rehabilitation for lateral hip pain and for knee complaints involving poor control of the thigh. These exercises target it directly, which the four hip extension exercises above do only incidentally.
Limits and cautions
It cannot be loaded heavily, so it is an addition rather than a main lift. Rolling backwards during the side-lying version turns it into a hip flexor exercise, which is the commonest fault. Pain on the outside of the hip while doing it usually means the range needs shortening for a few weeks, and our full hip exercise sheet sets out how to progress it.
Time and effort
Five minutes. It works well as a warm-up before the heavier exercises on this list.
Why it made the list
It covers the one job the other four barely touch, and it is the exercise most often missing from the programmes of people who arrive with lateral hip and knee pain.
| Exercise | Main target | Where in the range it loads hardest | Equipment | Lower back load | Usable at home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell hip thrust | Gluteus maximus | Hip straight, top of the lift | Barbell, bench, pad | Low | Single-leg bridge version |
| Back or goblet squat | Glutes and quadriceps | Hip bent, bottom of the lift | Barbell or one dumbbell | Moderate to high | Yes, goblet version |
| Romanian deadlift | Glutes and hamstrings | Hip bent, longest range | Barbell or dumbbells | Moderate | Yes, with dumbbells |
| Split squat or step-up | Glutes, one side at a time | Hip bent, on one leg | None, or one dumbbell | Low | Yes |
| Lateral walk or abduction | Gluteus medius | Side of the hip throughout | A band, or nothing | Very low | Yes |
The third column is the one worth reading twice. Two of these load the glutes hardest with the hip bent and one loads them hardest with the hip straight, which is the argument for keeping both in a programme.
If you want the fastest change in the glutes themselves, hip thrust twice a week and squat once, and add weight whenever the last repetition still looks like the first.
If your lower back is the limiting factor, lead with hip thrusts, split squats and lateral work, and keep the Romanian deadlift light until symptoms settle.
If you run, prioritise the Romanian deadlift and single-leg work, and keep the banded lateral work as a permanent fixture. Those are the patterns that show up in running.
If you train at home with one dumbbell, goblet squats, split squats and single-leg bridges cover almost everything on this list. Our guide to the best exercises without equipment fills in the rest.
If you have 20 minutes, twice a week, do hip thrusts, split squats and a set of banded lateral walks. That covers both ends of the range and the side of the hip.
What has changed in the appointment book over the last couple of years is who arrives asking about glute training. It used to be runners and gym regulars. Now it is just as likely to be someone in their fifties who has started strength training for the first time, often after a knee or hip problem, and who has read that weak glutes are behind most of it.
The clinical picture that keeps repeating is more specific than that. The gluteus maximus is usually working perfectly well, and what testing finds is a gluteus medius that fatigues quickly on one side, showing up as a pelvis that drops during a single-leg stance test within about fifteen seconds. That side-to-side difference is invisible in a two-legged squat and obvious the moment someone stands on one leg, which is why single-leg testing tends to change the plan more than any amount of discussion about which exercise activates most.
Where hip or buttock pain is what brought you here, our page on back pain covers how the hip and lower back are assessed together.
What is the best glute exercise?
The barbell hip thrust, on the measured evidence. A 2015 study in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics by Contreras and colleagues compared it against the back squat in 13 trained women at their ten-repetition maximum, and found mean upper gluteus maximus activity of 69.5 per cent of maximum voluntary contraction in the hip thrust against 29.4 per cent in the squat, with lower gluteus maximus at 86.8 against 45.4 per cent. The squat remains the better whole-leg exercise, which is why both appear on this list.
Are squats enough for glutes?
They build them, and they leave the top of the range untrained. A squat loads the glutes hardest at the bottom, where the hip is bent, and the resistance falls away as you stand up. The hip thrust does the opposite. Programmes that include both cover the whole range, which is why the two exercises sit first and second here.
How long does it take to see a change in the glutes?
Measurable strength changes appear within four to six weeks, and visible changes take longer, typically three to six months of consistent training with progressive loading. Twelve-week training studies comparing hip thrusts and squats have found similar gluteal muscle growth from both, so consistency and load matter more than the choice between them.
Do I need a gym to train my glutes?
No. The single-leg glute bridge, the split squat and the step-up all load the glutes hard using bodyweight alone, and a single dumbbell or a loaded rucksack extends them for months. The barbell versions raise the ceiling rather than being the entry point.
Why do I feel squats in my quads and not my glutes?
Usually depth, stance and load distribution. Squatting to at least parallel, widening the stance a little and keeping the weight spread across the whole foot all increase the demand on the hips. Pausing for a second at the bottom also helps, because it removes the bounce that lets the quadriceps take over on the way up.
Will glute exercises help my back pain?
Often, as part of a broader exercise programme. NICE recommends exercise as the core treatment for low back pain, and hip strengthening is a standard component because the glutes extend the hip during walking, standing from a chair and lifting. What the evidence does not support is the idea that weak glutes are the single cause of most back pain.
Is the hip thrust safe for the lower back?
For most people, yes, and it is often the exercise that stays in a programme when squats and deadlifts have come out. The load sits across the hips rather than the spine and the trunk stays roughly horizontal, which keeps compressive load on the lower back low. The bar needs a pad and the ribs should stay down at the top rather than the back arching to finish the lift.
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