Addition of the barbell hip thrust is effective for enhancing gluteus maximus hypertrophy in young women

Abstract There is a heated debate regarding the effectiveness of performing the barbell hip thrust to elicit gluteus maximus hypertrophy. Notably, evidence on this topic is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of performing 45º leg press and stiff-leg deadlift (L-S) vs. performing 45º leg press, stiff-leg deadlift plus barbell hip thrust (L-S-BHT) on gluteus maximus muscle size. The sample comprised 33 untrained young women randomly separated into 2 resistance training groups: L-S (n = 15) and L-S-BHT (n = 18). The muscle thickness of the gluteus maximus was assessed through B-mode ultrasound before and after 30 resistance training sessions. The resistance training program was carried out over 10 weeks, 3 days·week− 1. Both training regimens elicited significant increases in gluteus maximus muscle thickness from pre to posttraining (P < 0.001). Notably, L-S-BHT had superior augments (L-S-BHT = + 9.3% vs. L-S = + 6.0%, P = 0.016). The current results suggest that performing barbell hip thrust enhances muscle hypertrophy of the gluteus maximus in untrained young women. From a practical perspective, the inclusion of barbell hip thrust should be considered when the prescription aims to optimize the gluteus maximums hypertrophy.