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Start with the movement you want to train
The gluteal muscles contribute to different actions, so exercise selection is clearer when it starts with movement rather than a universal “best glute exercise” list.
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- Gluteus maximus: Its main actions include hip extension and external rotation. Hip extension matters when standing up from a chair or a bent position, and during activities such as stair climbing and running. Anatomy overview: StatPearls, Gluteus Maximus Muscle.
- Gluteus medius and minimus: Hip-abduction exercises and tasks that require pelvic control can emphasize these muscles. Single-leg movements also challenge the muscles that help stabilize the pelvis, although measured activity varies across exercises and studies.
These are useful starting points, not claims that an exercise isolates a muscle. A movement can involve several muscles at once, and the demands change with body position, resistance, and whether one or both legs support you.
Exercises to emphasize the gluteus maximus
Choose hip-extension or loaded unilateral movements that you can perform with control and progressively challenge. Studies have reported comparatively high gluteus maximus activation for single-limb squats and single-limb deadlifts in their tested protocols. An ACE summary of an eight-exercise comparison reported that quadruped hip extension and the traditional squat produced the highest gluteus maximus effort in that comparison; horizontal and vertical leg presses produced significantly less activity than the squat in that protocol. These findings are comparisons within specific tests, not a ranking that applies to every person or training goal.
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- Squat or single-limb squat: A practical choice involving hip and knee movement; the single-limb variation increases the balance and unilateral demands.
- Single-limb deadlift: A hip-focused unilateral option that also requires balance.
- Quadruped hip extension: Can be performed with bodyweight; a band or ankle weight can add resistance if appropriate.
ACE’s comparison involved 12 participants and eight exercises and measured the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and hamstrings. It did not measure the gluteus minimus because that muscle is deep and cannot be assessed with surface electrodes in the same way. See ACE’s evidence-based glute workout summary.
Exercises to emphasize the gluteus medius and minimus
The muscles’ segments do not all show the same results in exercise studies. Moore, Semciw, and Pizzari’s 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis included 56 studies selected from 6,918 records. It reported activity by studied segments rather than identifying one universal exercise for the whole medius or minimus.
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| Muscle or segment | Options reported in the 2020 review |
|---|---|
| Gluteus medius: studied segments | Hip-hitch or pelvic-drop variations showed at least high activity across all studied medius segments. |
| Gluteus medius: anterior and posterior segments | Standing isometric hip abduction. |
| Gluteus medius: middle segment | Single-leg bridge; side-lying hip abduction with hip internal rotation; lateral step-up; resisted standing hip abduction with either the stance or swing leg; resisted side-step. |
| Gluteus minimus: studied segments | Standing isometric hip abduction and hip-hitch or pelvic-drop variations. |
| Gluteus minimus: posterior segment | Side-lying hip abduction; dip test; single-leg bridge; single-leg squat. |
These are options reported by the review, not a validated exercise ladder or a guarantee of a particular training outcome. Read the 2020 review of exercises for gluteus medius and minimus segments.
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Use single-leg work for pelvic-control demands
A 2017 systematic review covering 20 studies and 33 exercises or variations found that unilateral stance exercises with movement of the opposite limb often produced high or very high gluteus medius activity. Results for other weight-bearing functional exercises varied considerably between studies. This makes a single-leg bridge, step-up, or controlled single-leg squat a reasonable option to consider, but not a guaranteed winner for everyone.
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The review categorized measured gluteus medius activity as low (0–20% MVIC), moderate (21–40%), high (41–60%), and very high (>61%) in the included protocols. Prone, quadruped, and bilateral bridge exercises generally fell in the low or moderate ranges; specific hip-abduction and rotation exercises ranged from moderate to very high. Those categories describe acute EMG in the reviewed tests, not a promise of strength or muscle-size gains. See Ebert et al.’s systematic review.
Match an exercise to your equipment and training setup
You do not need special equipment to begin choosing among these patterns. Bodyweight options include bridges, squats, single-leg movements, and hip-hitch or pelvic-drop variations. Elastic tubing or bands can add resistance to standing hip abduction and side-steps; a study specifically examined elastic-tubing resistance in standing hip-strengthening exercises. The available evidence does not establish that bands are required or superior to other ways of progressing resistance. See the 2013 elastic-tubing study.
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- If you want a simple starting point: Pair a squat or hip-extension option with a hip-abduction or single-leg option.
- If balance limits a single-leg exercise: Start with a supported version or a position that feels controlled; the studies do not prescribe one progression for every person.
- If an exercise is easy to perform: Consider whether resistance can be increased gradually while maintaining control. Practical fit and progression matter, but the reviewed comparisons do not identify one ideal loading scheme.
Why studies do not settle on one best exercise
Exercise comparisons measure different things. EMG records electrical activity during a tested task; it does not directly measure later muscle growth. Collings and colleagues used motion capture, ground-reaction forces, and EMG in a neuromusculoskeletal model to estimate individual gluteal muscle forces during eight hip-focused exercises. Model-estimated force is a different comparison measure from raw EMG, but it is not a long-term growth trial. See Collings et al., 2023.
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A practical way to build a balanced selection
- Choose a maximus-focused pattern: Select a squat, hip-extension movement, or unilateral hinge or squat variation that suits your equipment and control.
- Add an abduction or pelvic-control pattern: Consider standing hip abduction, a side-step, or a hip-hitch/pelvic-drop variation.
- Include a single-leg option if it fits: A step-up, single-leg bridge, or single-leg squat can add unilateral demands, with activity depending on the specific setup.
- Progress the version you can repeat well: Increase challenge in a way that preserves controlled movement. The studies summarized here do not establish a single best progression or exercise dose.
This is a way to cover different movement demands, not a prescription for a particular number of sets, repetitions, or weekly sessions. If you are managing a diagnosed injury or have specific rehabilitation needs, general exercise-activation findings are not a substitute for individualized clinical guidance.
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