30 Seconds SummaryHip thrust and back squat training elicit similar gluteus muscle hypertrophy and transfer similarly to the deadlift
- New study compares effectiveness of squats and hip thrusts in stimulating lower body muscle growth over a 9-week program.
- Participants consisted of untrained men and women, ensuring results weren't biased by previous lifting experience.
- Both exercises equally effective in developing upper, middle, and lower gluteus maximus while fostering total glute size; neither significantly affected glute medius and minimus.
- Squats showed more growth in quadriceps and inner thighs, while hip thrusts also promoted significant thigh development but did not affect hamstrings.
- In terms of strength, both exercises equally enhanced deadlift and wall push strength; specific exercises increased corresponding specific strengths (squat or hip thrust).
- Electromyography (EMG) data revealed higher glute muscle activity during hip thrusts than squats, but no direct correlation was found between EMG levels and muscle growth.
- Study confirms that neither EMG data nor subjective muscle sensation reliably indicate actual muscle growth.
- Research funded personally by the authors, indicating a high level of commitment and interest in the study's outcomes.
