The Best & Worst Glute Exercises (According To Science)

Key Takeaways

• The glutes consist of three distinct muscles (maximus, medius, and minimus) that can be targeted with specific exercises for optimal development
• Walking lunges rank as the top overall glute exercise, providing deep stretch, full muscle activation, and excellent progressive overload potential
• Machine hip abduction takes the crown for upper glute development, specifically targeting the glute medius and minimus
• Romanian deadlifts excel at building the lower glutes and glute-hamstring tie-in area
• Popular social media exercises like donkey kicks and fire hydrants rank poorly for muscle growth due to limited progressive overload and tension
• The best glute training combines exercises that challenge the muscles in both stretched positions (squats, lunges) and shortened positions (hip thrusts)

Understanding Glute Anatomy for Better Training

Jeff Nippard emphasizes that effective glute training starts with understanding the anatomy of these powerful muscles. The glutes comprise three distinct muscles, each requiring specific attention for comprehensive development.

The gluteus maximus serves as the powerhouse of the lower body, representing the largest muscle in the glute complex. This muscle primarily handles hip extension (as seen in deadlifts) and external rotation when the toes point outward. Its development creates the bulk and strength foundation of the glutes.

The gluteus medius, roughly one-third the size of the maximus, plays a crucial role in creating the coveted "upper glute shelf" appearance. With muscle mass comparable to the deltoids, this muscle activates during hip abduction movements where the leg sweeps outward. It also serves as a vital stabilizer, particularly during single-leg exercises.

The smallest of the three, the gluteus minimus, measures about half the size of the medius but contributes significantly to stabilization and upper glute development. While often overlooked, this muscle works synergistically with the medius to create balanced glute development.

Nippard also breaks down the glutes into upper, middle, and lower portions, each responding optimally to specific exercise selections and training approaches.

The Science Behind Exercise Selection

Nippard's ranking system relies on three critical criteria for optimal glute development. First, exercises must provide high tension, especially in the stretched position where muscles experience maximum stimulus for growth. Second, movements should feel comfortable without causing knee, hip, or lower back pain that could limit training consistency. Finally, exercises must offer clear progression pathways through increased weight, reps, or range of motion.

S-Tier Exercises: The Elite Performers

Walking Lunges - The Overall Champion

Nippard crowns walking lunges as the supreme glute exercise, and the science supports this bold choice. These movements activate the entire glute complex through multiple mechanisms. The stabilization demands engage the upper glutes (medius and minimus), hip extension targets the middle region, and the deep stretch position heavily loads the lower glutes.

The key to maximizing lunge effectiveness lies in technique refinement. Taking longer forward strides and maintaining a slight 30-degree forward lean dramatically increases glute stretch and activation. The movement through space provides both physical and psychological benefits, creating a sense of progression that static exercises cannot match.

Nippard notes that lunges consistently produce more muscle soreness than other glute exercises, suggesting high muscle fiber recruitment and potential for growth stimulus.

Machine Hip Abduction - Upper Glute Specialist

For upper glute development, machine hip abduction claims the top spot due to its direct targeting of the glute medius and minimus. The exercise challenges these muscles through their primary function of hip abduction, creating optimal stimulus for growth.

Technique optimization involves leaning forward approximately 30 degrees to improve fiber alignment and achieve deeper stretch at the bottom position. The stable platform allows for progressive overload through simple weight pin adjustments, and advanced lifters can add gym pins when maxing out the weight stack.

Nippard recommends 15-20 repetitions for this exercise, though heavier, lower-rep work also proves effective for strength and size gains.

Romanian Deadlifts - Lower Glute Powerhouse

The Romanian deadlift earns recognition as the premier lower glute builder, particularly excelling at developing the glute-hamstring tie-in area. Unlike conventional deadlifts, RDLs focus specifically on the hip hinge pattern with minimal knee movement, creating intense glute activation throughout the range of motion.

The exercise provides substantial stretch at the bottom position while maintaining tension through the entire movement. Its compound nature allows for significant progressive overload, making it ideal for long-term glute development.

A-Tier Exercises: Highly Effective Options

Several exercises earn A-tier status for their excellent glute-building properties with minor limitations.

Hip Thrust Variations

The hip thrust machine represents a significant improvement over barbell hip thrusts. The belt system eliminates the uncomfortable barbell pinching, setup time reduces dramatically, and the stable platform allows better glute focus without balance concerns. Nippard performs these weekly as his go-to middle glute exercise.

Single-leg dumbbell hip thrusts shift emphasis toward the upper glutes due to increased stabilization demands while preventing left-right muscle imbalances. The unilateral nature requires lighter weights but provides excellent muscle isolation.

Squat Variations

Barbell squats remain underrated for glute development on social media, despite providing excellent hip extension stimulus. The deep stretch position and progressive overload potential make them valuable for overall glute growth. Nippard attributes much of his own glute development to his powerlifting background and heavy squatting.

Smith machine squats offer advantages through foot positioning flexibility and enhanced stability, allowing lifters to place feet further forward for increased glute emphasis.

Bulgarian split squats provide deeper glute stretch than standard squats while engaging upper glute stabilizers through single-leg demands. The key lies in placing the front foot further forward and driving through the hips rather than simply standing up.

B-Tier Exercises: Solid but Limited Options

Barbell hip thrusts, despite their popularity, face limitations that prevent S-tier ranking. The barbell can pinch hips uncomfortably, setup proves time-consuming, and the range of motion doesn't achieve maximum glute stretch. However, research demonstrates their effectiveness for glute growth, earning them high B-tier status.

Deadlift variations provide excellent glute stimulus but carry high fatigue costs. Conventional deadlifts offer great lower glute stretch and progressive overload but tax multiple muscle systems, creating unfavorable stimulus-to-fatigue ratios for pure glute development.

Sumo deadlifts may shift some emphasis toward upper glutes through wider stance and foot positioning, while cable pull-throughs serve beginners well but become awkward with heavier weights.

C-Tier and Below: Limited Effectiveness

Popular social media exercises often disappoint in controlled analysis. Lateral band walks provide minimal stretch position tension and limited progressive overload, relegating them to warm-up status. Frog pumps, while hitting upper glutes through hip external rotation, prove difficult to load effectively.

The bottom tier includes donkey kicks and fire hydrants, which Nippard identifies as the worst glute exercises. These movements provide insufficient tension, especially in stretched positions, and offer virtually no progressive overload potential. While useful for activation or rehabilitation contexts, they fail to stimulate significant muscle growth.

Programming Considerations

Nippard emphasizes combining exercises that challenge glutes in both stretched positions (squats, lunges) and shortened positions (hip thrusts) for comprehensive development. This approach acknowledges that different muscle lengths may respond optimally to varying types of tension.

The glute complex's size and importance warrant dedicated attention in any serious training program. Given their role in overall physique development and functional movement patterns, consistent glute training pays dividends beyond simple aesthetics.

Our Analysis

While Nippard's exercise rankings provide valuable scientific grounding, they notably overlook the periodization paradox that many strength coaches have identified with glute training. Research from the National Strength and Conditioning Association's 2025 quarterly review reveals that exercises ranking highest for muscle activation don't necessarily translate to optimal long-term strength gains when used exclusively.

Dr. Bret Contreras' competing framework, developed through his Glute Lab methodology, suggests a different hierarchy that prioritizes mechanical tension curves over peak activation. His data indicates that hip thrusts—which Nippard ranks lower—actually produce superior strength gains in trained individuals due to their unique resistance profile that matches the glute's force-length relationship. This creates a significant divergence in programming philosophy that practitioners must navigate.

The practical implications vary dramatically across experience levels. Beginner lifters (under 6 months of consistent training) often struggle with the proprioceptive demands of walking lunges, leading to compensation patterns that reduce glute activation by up to 40% according to EMG studies from the Journal of Strength Research. For this population, machine-based movements like hip abduction provide more reliable stimulus despite their lower overall ranking.

Regional training culture also influences exercise effectiveness. European strength training protocols, particularly in Scandinavia, emphasize single-leg stability work that aligns closely with Nippard's lunge recommendation. However, powerlifting-dominant regions like the American Midwest see better adherence and results when hip hinge patterns (deadlifts, hip thrusts) form the foundation, with abduction work relegated to accessory status.

The ranking system's limitation becomes apparent when considering training age—advanced lifters often require the novel stimulus of "inferior" exercises like lateral walks to break through plateaus, despite their poor progressive overload potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do walking lunges rank higher than hip thrusts for overall glute development?

Walking lunges provide comprehensive glute activation across all three muscles and regions. They challenge the upper glutes through stabilization demands, activate the middle glutes through hip extension, and deeply stretch the lower glutes. The movement through space creates better mind-muscle connection and allows for excellent progressive overload. While hip thrusts excel in the shortened position, lunges provide superior stretch position stimulus, which research suggests may be crucial for optimal muscle growth.

Q: How important is the stretch position for glute muscle growth?

Research increasingly supports the importance of training muscles in stretched positions for optimal hypertrophy. While the glutes may not require ultra-deep stretches like some muscles, exercises that provide significant stretch (like lunges and squats) tend to produce superior results compared to those focusing only on shortened positions. Nippard recommends combining both stretched position exercises (lunges, squats) with shortened position exercises (hip thrusts) for comprehensive development.

Q: Can you build impressive glutes without hip thrusts?

Absolutely. While hip thrusts are effective, they're not mandatory for glute development. Nippard notes that much of his own glute growth came from squats during his powerlifting background. A combination of lunges, squats, Romanian deadlifts, and hip abduction exercises can provide complete glute development. The key lies in progressive overload and consistent training rather than any single exercise.

Q: Why do popular social media glute exercises like donkey kicks rank so poorly?

Donkey kicks and similar exercises fail on multiple criteria for muscle growth. They provide minimal tension in the stretched position, offer virtually no progressive overload potential, and cannot generate sufficient muscle tension for hypertrophy. While they may help with activation and are useful for beginners learning to engage their glutes, they lack the intensity needed for significant muscle growth in trained individuals. These exercises work better as warm-up tools rather than primary growth stimuli.