Do Hip Thrusts Really Help Your Squat?

Hip thrusts are popular for glute growth, but do they actually help your squat? Here's what lifters. . .

June 10, 2025

Hip thrusts are popular for glute growth, but do they actually help your squat? Here's what lifters need to know.

The hip thrust has become a go-to glute exercise, and it absolutely builds strength in the hips. But whether it helps your squat depends on how you program it. For powerlifters, the transfer to squatting is not guaranteed.

It comes down to how you use it.

Hip thrusts can improve hip extension strength, which is part of the squat. But they do not mimic squat mechanics. That means you should treat them as a supplemental movement, not a direct carryover. They are most useful when your glutes are the limiting factor in your lift, or when you need to add volume without stressing your spine.

If your sticking point is in the mid to upper range of motion, or if your glutes are underdeveloped compared to your quads and back, hip thrusts can help. Just know that for raw squat carryover, movements like pause squats, tempo squats, and front squats will usually provide a more direct benefit.

Hip thrusts are a tool, not a magic fix. Use them with purpose, and they can fill the right gap in your training.

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