Hip thrusts are considered the ultimate move for glute gains – so are they effective for supercharging strength and muscle?

A woman doing a hip thrust with a barbell in the gym.

Ask any strength and conditioning coach and they’re likely to attest: hip thrusts are the closest thing to a cheat code for glute growth you’ll come across, at least where exercise is concerned. It’s slightly more complex than that, of course – progressive overload (where you gradually increase the challenge level over time) is key when the goal is to build strength and muscle mass, while quality sleep and nutrition are priorities too – as is factoring in any personal limitations. So, just how effective are hip thrusts for glute gains?

“The hip thrust is one of the best exercises for engaging the gluteal muscles,” says Third Space master trainer Lucie Cowan. “These are the muscles in your buttocks, and they consist of three main parts: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.”