Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Apr 10:16:1542334.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1542334. eCollection 2025.

The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Walter Krause Neto  1 , Thaís Lima Vieira Krause  1   2 , Eliane Florencio Gama  1
Affiliations

The impact of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Walter Krause Neto et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

This systematic review aims to examine and synthesize the existing literature regarding gluteus maximus (GMax) hypertrophy as a result of dynamic exercises that incorporate hip extension with external resistance. A comprehensive search was undertaken across the following databases: PubMed/Medline, SportDiscuss, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. Twelve articles met the established inclusion criteria, leading to the subsequent key findings: 1) resistance training exhibits a moderate effect on GMax hypertrophy (11 studies, SMD 0.71, 95% CI [0.50, 0.91], p < 0.00001, I2 = 22%); 2) subgroup analyses of single (seven studies, SMD 0.74, 95% CI [0.36, 1.13], p = 0.0001, I2 = 52%) and combined (six studies, SMD 0.68, 95% CI [0.44, 0.92], p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%) training protocols have demonstrated moderate effects; 3) when emphasizing GMax hypertrophy at the expense of other muscle groups, single exercises, such as the barbell hip thrust, should be prioritized; 4) back squats performed in parallel or full range of motion significantly enhance GMax hypertrophy; 5) leg press machines and kneeling hip extensions can also facilitate increased GMax hypertrophy; 6) training programs that incorporate combined hip extension exercises, whether single-joint or multi-joint, significantly promote an increase in GMax hypertrophy. This study concludes that a variety of exercises-whether focused on a specific joint (single-joint) or encompassing multiple joints (multi-joint)-can effectively stimulate GMax hypertrophy, whether executed individually or in combination.

Keywords: exercise; hip; muscle mass; resistance training; skeletal muscle.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flowchart corresponding to the article search process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Risk of bias averaged per question.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Funnel plot of standardized mean differences (SMD) of gluteus maximus hypertrophy. SE = standard error.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Forest plots of the data examining the effect of resistance training on gluteus maximus hypertrophy (produced in the Review Manager 5.4.1 software). The appearance of the same study multiple times indicates more than one exercise in the research.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Forest plots of gluteus maximus hypertrophy were examined by the type of assessment (produced in the Review Manager 5.4.1 software). The appearance of the same study multiple times indicates more than one exercise in the research.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Forest plots of gluteus maximus hypertrophy were examined by the effect of isolated and combined exercise protocols (produced in the Review Manager 5.4.1 software). The appearance of the same study multiple times indicates more than one exercise in the research.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Forest plots of gluteus maximus hypertrophy were examined by the effects of the training status (produced in the Review Manager 5.4.1 software). The appearance of the same study multiple times indicates more than one exercise in the research.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Andersen V., Fimland M. S., Mo D. A., Iversen V. M., Vederhus T., Rockland Hellebø L. R., et al. (2018). Electromyographic comparison of barbell deadlift, hex bar deadlift, and hip thrust exercises: a cross-over study. J. Strength Cond. Res. 32 (3), 587–593. 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001826 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Balshaw T. G., Funnell M. P., McDermott E., Maden-Wilkinson T. M., Abela S., Quteishat B., et al. (2023). The effect of specific bioactive collagen peptides on function and muscle remodeling during human resistance training. Acta Physiol. (Oxf). 237(2):e13903. 10.1111/apha.13903 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barbalho M., Coswig V., Souza D., Serrão J. C., Hebling Campos M., Gentil P. (2020). Back squat vs. Hip thrust resistance-training programs in well-trained women. Int. J. Sports Med. 41 (5), 306–310. 10.1055/a-1082-1126 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barbalho M., Souza D., Coswig V., Abrahin O., Paoli A., Gentil P., et al. (2021). The effects of resistance exercise selection on muscle size and strength in trained women. Int. J. Sports Med. 42(4):371–376. 10.1055/a-1121-7736 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barker P. J., Hapuarachchi K. S., Ross J. A., Sambaiew E., Ranger T. A., Briggs C. A. (2014). Anatomy and biomechanics of gluteus maximus and the thoracolumbar fascia at the sacroiliac joint. Clin. Anat. 27 (2), 234–240. 10.1002/ca.22233 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources