The glutes are among the largest and most visually impactful muscles in the body. Whether you're training for aesthetics or performance, prioritizing glute development pays dividends from every angle. But not all glute exercises are created equal — some deliver deep stretch, high tension, and easy progressive overload, while others are little more than warm-up drills dressed up as hypertrophy work. Here's a science-based ranking of the most popular glute movements, organized by what the research and anatomy actually support.
Understanding Glute Anatomy Before You Train
The glutes are technically three distinct muscles. The gluteus maximus is the powerhouse — responsible for hip extension and external rotation, and the primary target of most glute exercises. The gluteus medius is roughly one-third its size but still substantial (comparable to the deltoids), and it sits on the upper glutes, contributing to that shelf-like appearance. It's most active during hip abduction and single-leg movements. The gluteus minimus is smaller still, but adds size to the upper glutes and plays a key stabilization role.
The glutes can also be divided into upper, middle, and lower regions — and the best training programs target all three. The criteria used to evaluate each exercise here are: high tension especially in the stretched position, comfort (no knee, hip, or low back pain), and capacity for progressive overload over time.
Hip Thrust Variations: Good, But Not Perfect
The barbell hip thrust is probably the most studied glute exercise in existence, and the research confirms it works. It trains hip extension, activates the entire glute, and lends itself well to progressive overload in the 5–15 rep range. Its limitations are real though: the barbell can painfully pinch the hips, it's slow to set up, and even a deep range of motion only brings the glutes to about 90° of hip flexion — compared to the 130° many lifters can achieve. Still, one 9-week study found hip thrusts matched squats for glute growth despite the reduced range of motion. Rating: High B tier.
A hip thrust machine (such as the Nautilus Glute Drive) solves several of those problems. The belt is far more comfortable than a barbell, setup is instant, and the stability of the machine lets you focus entirely on glute engagement. The lack of a deep stretch is still a limitation, but it's the top pick for targeting the middle glutes. Rating: High A tier — #1 exercise for the mid glutes.
The single-leg dumbbell hip thrust shifts some emphasis to the upper glutes because the glute medius and minimus must stabilize throughout. It also prevents left-to-right imbalances. Keep the weight moderate, aim for 12–15 reps, and focus on control. Rating: A tier.
The glute bridge is essentially a hip thrust with reduced range of motion. It's beginner-friendly and easier to set up, but inferior to the hip thrust for that reason. Rating: Low B tier. Frog pumps externally rotate the hips, engaging the glute medius more — but they're hard to load and don't stretch the glutes well. Acceptable as a high-rep finisher only. Rating: High C tier.
Squat and Lunge Variations: The Stretch Specialists
Squats are underrated as glute builders. The barbell back squat extends the hips through a deep range of motion, hitting all regions of the glutes — particularly the middle. The main drawback is that it also delivers a large quad stimulus, making it hard to isolate the glutes. You can shift the emphasis by using a lower bar position, leaning forward more, and squatting below parallel. Rating: A tier. The Smith machine squat, with feet positioned further forward, makes the movement even more glute-dominant by reducing balance demands. Rating: A tier.
The Bulgarian split squat achieves a deeper glute stretch than the standard squat and recruits the upper glutes via the stabilization demand. Placing the front foot further forward and leaning into the movement maximizes glute engagement. It falls just short of S tier because it's difficult to overload, particularly with dumbbells, and it's taxing enough that most people should cap it at two working sets per leg. Rating: High A tier.
Walking lunges are the overall top-ranked exercise in this analysis. They hit the entire glute — upper fibers through stabilization demands, mid glutes via hip extension, and lower glutes through a deep stretch at the bottom. Taking long strides and leaning slightly forward (about 30°) amplifies that stretch. Moving through space also provides a more motivating training experience than stationary reps. They consistently produce significant soreness and muscle stimulus. Rating: S tier — best overall glute exercise. Elevated front-foot lunges add a bit more range of motion and also earn S tier. Smith machine lunges are a solid alternative but rank slightly lower for the simple reason that moving through space is preferable when possible. Rating: High A tier. Curtsy lunges increase glute medius involvement through the diagonal step pattern, but are harder to load. Rating: Low B tier.
Upper Glute Exercises: Hip Abductions and Kickbacks
Machine hip abductions are the best dedicated upper glute exercise available. They train the glute medius and minimus directly through hip abduction — their primary function. Leaning forward about 30° improves the line of pull and deepens the stretch at the bottom. Progressive overload is straightforward: increase the pin weight, and when you max out the stack, add a gym pin for more resistance. Rating: S tier — #1 exercise for the upper glutes.
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Machine hip abduction with forward lean demonstrated on seated abduction machine
Watch at 18:45 →
Cable hip abductions accomplish the same movement pattern but are harder to overload, less stable, and more cumbersome to set up. Rating: B tier. Lateral banded walks provide near-zero tension in the stretched position and are better suited to warm-ups or glute medius activation drills than hypertrophy work. Rating: C tier.
Cable kickbacks (kicked upward and diagonally) engage the upper glute fibers by combining hip extension with hip abduction. They're stable when braced against a machine or bench and are a strong option for isolating the glutes without quad involvement. Rating: Low A tier. Step-ups are similarly effective for the upper glutes due to the single-leg stabilization demand. Setting the box at or just above knee height forces the glutes to work harder than the quads. Rating: Low A tier.
Donkey kicks and fire hydrants — despite their social media popularity — offer very little tension through the glutes and are nearly impossible to progressively overload. They have a place as activation drills or in rehab contexts, but not as hypertrophy exercises. Rating: Low D tier — worst overall glute exercises.
Lower Glute and Compound Movements
The Romanian deadlift is the top pick for lower glute development, particularly the glute-hamstring tie-in. It stretches the glute max under load, is highly conducive to progressive overload, and functions as an effective compound movement without the systemic fatigue of the conventional deadlift. Rating: High A tier — #1 exercise for the lower glutes.
The conventional deadlift is an excellent strength exercise but earns a relatively low score for pure glute hypertrophy because of its high fatigue cost relative to its glute stimulus — the spinal erectors and other muscles take a significant toll. Rating: Low B tier. The sumo deadlift adds hip abduction and external rotation, potentially increasing glute medius activation and shifting emphasis toward the upper glutes. Rating: High B tier.
The 45° back extension is widely underestimated as a glute exercise. Because it trains hip extension, it activates the full glute in both the lengthened and shortened positions. Rounding the upper back and focusing on driving through the hips (rather than hyperextending the lower back) dramatically improves the glute connection. Overloading with a plate held to the chest is straightforward. Rating: S tier.
Cable pull-throughs are a reasonable introduction to hip hinge patterns for beginners, but become awkward and uncomfortable to load as strength improves. Rating: Low B tier. Kettlebell swings can build explosive power and cardiovascular conditioning, but do not generate sufficient sustained tension on the glutes for hypertrophy purposes. Rating: Low D tier.
