Your glutes largest muscle group in your body, making them incredibly important for pretty much every physically demanding thing you do.
While most trainers would point to the traditional squat for building muscles below the waist, it’s the hip thrust that activates your glutes and prevents some of the problems that arise from ignoring those “non-mirror” muscles. “Weak glutes are associated with tight hip flexors, sore knees, and can be associated with poor movement mechanics,” says Dr. Austin Robinson, a strength coach with a Ph.D. in exercise science. “Targeting the glutes with hip thrusts should help these issues and improve other important lifts, such as squat and deadlift.”
Don’t think I am saying stay away from squats because hip raises are it. Absolutely not, you need both moves. According to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics led by “The Glute Guy” Bret Contreras, barbell hip thrusts activate the gluteus maximus and biceps femoris (part of the hamstrings muscle group) more than barbell back squats when using estimated 10-rep max loads for each exercise. The study emphasizes the importance of performing both exercises: Starting with compound movements, such as squats, and deadlifts to target your entire lower-body musculature, then incorporating hip thrusts or bridges to isolate your glutes and build power as you learn to effectively extend your hips.
According to Robinson, the reason the hip thrust is so good at targeting your glutes is because your knees remain bent throughout the exercise. “When the knees are bent and the hips are extending, “Robinson says, “The hamstring musculature becomes ‘inactivated,’ which leaves most of the hip extension coming from the glutes.”
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