The barbell back squat is a compound resistance exercise for building lower body strength and mass. The gluteal muscles are significantly involved in both the execution and stabilization required for a heavy barbell squat. This movement relies heavily on the power generated by the glutes. This article explores the specific role of the glutes, how technique modifications can boost their activation, and how the squat compares to exercises designed for targeted glute development.
How Glutes Contribute to the Squat Movement
The gluteal muscle group includes the large Gluteus Maximus and the smaller Gluteus Medius and Minimus. The primary function of the Gluteus Maximus is hip extension, which drives the hips forward and upward from the bottom position of the squat. This powerful hip extension allows the lifter to successfully stand back up against resistance.
The Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus act largely as stabilizers during the entire movement. These muscles control the femur, preventing the knees from collapsing inward (knee valgus). This external rotation force ensures the joints track correctly and the main prime movers can operate efficiently. Without this gluteal stability, the squat would be inefficient and potentially harmful to the knee joint.
While the quadriceps are the primary drivers of knee extension, the glutes are the main movers for hip extension during the squat. The glutes and quads work together synergistically, but the role of the Gluteus Maximus becomes progressively more important as the squat deepens. This makes the barbell squat a comprehensive lower-body exercise, simultaneously loading the muscles around both the hip and the knee.
Technique Adjustments to Boost Glute Activation
Modifying the standard barbell squat technique can significantly shift the emphasis onto the gluteal muscles. One of the most effective ways to increase glute activation is by increasing the depth of the squat. Research using electromyography (EMG) shows that the Gluteus Maximus becomes progressively more active as the squat depth increases, particularly when moving past parallel.
Studies have shown that the Gluteus Maximus’s contribution can be considerably higher in a full-depth squat compared to a partial or parallel squat. A deeper squat requires a greater degree of hip flexion, demanding a more powerful hip extension from the glutes to initiate the ascent. Squatting with the hip crease below the top of the knee is therefore a highly effective way to maximize glute involvement.
Adjusting the foot position also influences glute recruitment. A wider stance (one and a half to two times shoulder width) combined with a slight outward flare of the toes generally increases glute activation. This wider position encourages more hip external rotation and allows the hips to drop lower, placing a greater stretch and demand on the glutes.
The placement of the barbell on the back can also alter the biomechanics to favor the glutes. The low-bar squat position, where the bar rests lower across the rear deltoids, requires the torso to lean forward more than the high-bar position. This forward lean creates a greater moment arm at the hip, increasing the torque demand on the hip extensors and leading to greater involvement of the glutes and hamstrings.
Squats Versus Targeted Glute Development Exercises
While the barbell squat is a powerful glute exercise, it is a compound lift that distributes the load across multiple joints and muscles. The squat is highly effective for building overall lower body mass, stability, and strength, integrating the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings simultaneously. This broad recruitment pattern makes it an excellent choice for general strength and athletic performance.
However, when the goal is to achieve the highest possible peak glute activation, particularly for the Gluteus Maximus, other exercises may be more targeted. Exercises like the barbell hip thrust specifically focus on horizontal hip extension, minimizing quadriceps involvement. Studies using EMG have often shown that hip thrusts elicit significantly higher levels of peak Gluteus Maximus activation than the back squat.
The hip thrust achieves this higher peak activation because the resistance is applied perpendicular to the body, maximizing mechanical tension on the glutes at the point of full hip extension. Research indicates that hip thrusts can produce two to three times more glute activation than a back squat, especially at the top of the movement. Therefore, the squat should be viewed as a foundational, high-utility exercise for the glutes, complemented by targeted movements like the hip thrust for comprehensive development.