Advanced Glute Workout: Build Serious Posterior Power
This session is built for advanced lifters who already know their way around a barbell and are ready to push gluteus maximus development with intention and precision. You've earned the technical vocabulary and the loading capacity to make every exercise in this sequence count. We'll walk you through the science, the structure, and the details that separate a well-designed glute session from just going heavy.
What the research says
The research gives us a clear picture of what actually moves the needle for gluteus maximus size and activation. A 2025 meta-analysis found that resistance training using hip extension exercises produced a moderate effect on gluteus maximus hypertrophy overall, and identified specific exercises — including the barbell hip thrust, back squats performed at parallel or full depth, leg press, and kneeling hip extensions — as effective drivers of that growth. A separate 2020 systematic review mapped activation levels across a wide range of loaded hip extension exercises and found that several of them — including the barbell hip thrust and its variations, deadlifts, lunges, squats, and step-up variations — produced very high gluteus maximus activation (above 60% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction). When comparing exercises directly, a 2019 study found that the barbell hip thrust produced significantly higher gluteus maximus EMG activity than the back squat at the same absolute load, and a 2019 systematic review confirmed that the barbell hip thrust produces greater gluteus maximus and biceps femoris activation than the squat. A 2025 study on squat training also found that squatting with a 'knees in' tibiofemoral alignment was associated with a decrease in gluteus maximus volume, while a 'knees out' alignment did not produce that outcome — though the authors noted the direction of the loading effect remains unclear.
The evidence base is solid for gluteus maximus activation and hypertrophy from hip extension exercises: findings are drawn from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and controlled EMG studies, though some individual studies involve small samples and the mechanistic picture for a few variables (like squat alignment effects) remains incomplete.
A 2020 systematic review of 16 studies found that multiple loaded hip extension exercises produced very high levels of gluteus maximus activation, defined as greater than 60% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Step-up variations produced the highest activation levels, followed by deadlifts, barbell hip thrust variations, lunges, and squats.
View study →A 2019 systematic review found that the barbell hip thrust produced greater gluteus maximus and biceps femoris activation compared to the squat, based on normalized EMG data. The straight bar deadlift showed greater biceps femoris activation than the barbell hip thrust. Four studies in the review demonstrated a significant acute improvement in sprinting activities following barbell hip thrust exercise; two studies showed chronic improvement in sprint time, while two others did not.
View study →A 2019 study comparing the back squat, Romanian deadlift, and barbell hip thrust in eight men found that the barbell hip thrust produced significantly higher gluteus maximus EMG activity than the back squat at 1RM (ES = 1.39, p = 0.038). The difference between the barbell hip thrust and Romanian deadlift for gluteus maximus activity was not statistically significant (ES = 0.49, p = 0.285). Gluteus maximus activity during the barbell hip thrust at a 60 kg load was similar to its MVIC value (ES = 0.22, p = 0.523), whereas for the squat and Romanian deadlift at 60 kg, gluteus maximus activity was significantly lower than at MVIC.
View study →A 2025 study training 11 healthy women for 6 weeks found that gluteus maximus volume decreased in the 'knees in' squat group (p = 0.045) but did not significantly change in the 'knees out' group. The authors noted that the direction of the loading effect for the 'knees in' condition — whether it reflects muscle atrophy or water loss from glycogen depletion — remains unclear. Both groups increased lower-body strength and vasti muscle volumes.
View study →A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis (11 studies, SMD 0.71, 95% CI [0.50, 0.91], p < 0.00001) found that resistance training involving hip extension with external resistance produced a moderate effect on gluteus maximus hypertrophy. Subgroup analyses showed moderate effects for both single-exercise (seven studies, SMD 0.74, 95% CI [0.36, 1.13], p = 0.0001) and combined-exercise (six studies, SMD 0.68, 95% CI [0.44, 0.92], p < 0.00001) training protocols. The review identified the barbell hip thrust as the priority single exercise when emphasizing gluteus maximus hypertrophy, and noted that back squats performed at parallel or full range of motion significantly enhance gluteus maximus hypertrophy, while leg press and kneeling hip extensions can also facilitate increased gluteus maximus hypertrophy.
View study →The routine
Main
Begin seated on the ground with a loaded barbell over your legs. Using a fat bar or having a pad on the bar can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by this exercise. Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lay down flat on the floor. Begin the movement by driving through with your heels, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your upper back and the heels of your feet. Extend as far as possible, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
Begin seated on the ground with a bench directly behind you. Have a loaded barbell over your legs. Using a fat bar or having a pad on the bar can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by this exercise. Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it. Begin the movement by driving through your feet, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Extend as far as possible, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
On a flat bench lie facedown with the hips on the edge of the bench, the legs straight with toes high off the floor and with the arms on top of the bench holding on to the front edge. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings and straighten the legs until they are level with the hips. This will be your starting position. Start the movement by lifting the left leg higher than the right leg. Then lower the left leg as you lift the right leg. Continue alternating in this manner (as though you are doing a flutter kick in water) until you have done the recommended amount of repetitions for each leg. Make sure that you keep a controlled movement at all times. Tip: You will breathe normally as you perform this movement.
Kneel on the floor or an exercise mat and bend at the waist with your arms extended in front of you (perpendicular to the torso) in order to get into a kneeling push-up position but with the arms spaced at shoulder width. Your head should be looking forward and the bend of the knees should create a 90-degree angle between the hamstrings and the calves. This will be your starting position. As you exhale, lift up your right leg until the hamstrings are in line with the back while maintaining the 90-degree angle bend. Contract the glutes throughout this movement and hold the contraction at the top for a second. Tip: At the end of the movement the upper leg should be parallel to the floor while the calf should be perpendicular to it. Go back to the initial position as you inhale and now repeat with the left leg. Continue to alternate legs until all of the recommended repetitions have been performed.
Secure one end of the band to the lower portion of a post and attach the other to one ankle. Facing the attachment point of the band, hold on to the column to stabilize yourself. Keeping your head and your chest up, move the resisted leg back as far as you can while keeping the knee straight. Return the leg to the starting position.
Cooldown
From a lying position, bend your knees and keep your feet on the floor. Place your ankle of one foot on your opposite knee. Grasp the thigh or knee of the bottom leg and pull both of your legs into the chest. Relax your neck and shoulders. Hold for 10-20 seconds and then switch sides.
Lie down on the floor with your right leg straight. Bend your left leg and lower it across your body, holding the knee down toward the floor with your right hand. (The knee doesn't need to touch the floor if you're tight.) Place your left arm comfortably beside you and turn your head to the left. Imagine you have a weight tied to your tailbone. let your tailbone fall back toward the floor as your chest reaches in the opposite direction to stretch your lower back. Switch sides.
Set and rep ranges are general starting suggestions based on this guide's level — adjust to your own experience, and progress gradually.
This is an advanced session involving heavy axial and posterior-chain loading — if you have a history of lumbar, sacroiliac, or hip issues, check with a qualified professional before adding load to hip thrust patterns; technique always takes priority over weight on the bar.