Yes, according to a 2026 MRI study, glute hypertrophy depends on the exercise you choose. Over 10 weeks, cable hip extension produced more overall gluteus maximus growth (9% vs. 5%), concentrated in the lower (distal) region. Cable hip abduction shifted growth toward the upper (proximal) gluteus maximus and produced a small increase in the gluteus medius and minimus. If you want growth across the whole glute complex, the practical answer is to train both movement patterns rather than relying on one.
This study tests a claim lifters have argued about for years: can exercise selection change where a muscle grows, and not only how much? For the glutes, the answer appears to be yes. The magnitude of the effect is large enough to matter for program design.
Key Finding
Hip extension and hip abduction both grew the gluteus maximus, but they grew different parts of it. Extension favored the lower portion of the muscle. Abduction favored the upper portion and also reached the smaller lateral glutes.
The authors describe this as the first direct indication that varying exercises can modulate regional gluteal hypertrophy. The word to note is "regional." Calling the gluteus maximus a single muscle undersells how differently its regions respond to load.
Study Details
The researchers used a within-subject design, which is one of the strongest options for this kind of question. Each participant trained one leg with hip extension and the other with hip abduction. Leg assignment was randomized and balanced for limb dominance.
- Participants: 17 young adults (mean age 28.3 ± 4.3 years)
- Duration: 10 weeks
- Frequency: 2 sessions per week
- Volume: about 10 sets per week per leg
- Intensity: 8–12 repetition maximum (8–12RM)
- Exercises: unilateral cable hip extension (HExt) vs. unilateral cable hip abduction (HAbd)
- Hypertrophy measure: MRI cross-sectional area (CSA) at proximal, middle, and distal regions of the gluteus maximus (GMax), and of the gluteus medius plus minimus (GMed + GMin) combined
- Strength measure: 1RM on both exercises
Each person served as their own control. That design removes much of the between-person noise from genetics, diet, sleep, and training history, which usually blurs hypertrophy comparisons.
Results
Overall Gluteus Maximus Hypertrophy
Both exercises significantly increased total GMax cross-sectional area. Hip extension produced nearly twice the growth:
- Hip extension: about 9%
- Hip abduction: about 5%
Regional Growth Patterns
The main finding of the paper is how the growth was distributed along the muscle.
| Region of GMax | Hip Extension | Hip Abduction |
|---|---|---|
| Proximal (upper) | 5% | 10% |
| Middle | 8% | 4% |
| Distal (lower) | 14% | 1% |
The two patterns are close to mirror images. Hip extension produced its largest change at the bottom of the muscle, where abduction did almost nothing. Abduction produced its largest change at the top, where it doubled the result of extension.
Gluteus Medius and Minimus
- Hip extension: GMax growth outpaced GMed + GMin growth (9% vs. 2%), and the GMed + GMin change was not significant
- Hip abduction: similar effects across both muscle groups (5% vs. 4%)
In short, hip extension acted mainly on the gluteus maximus. Abduction spread its effect across the glute complex more evenly.
Strength Was Highly Specific
- Hip extension 1RM: +40% with HExt training vs. +23% with HAbd training
- Hip abduction 1RM: +35% with HAbd training vs. +17% with HExt training
This fits the well-established principle of specificity. You get strongest at what you practice. The cross-over gains were still meaningful, though. Some of that may reflect cross-education, where training one limb modestly improves the untrained or differently trained limb.
Limitations
The design is strong, but the results need context.
- Small, specific sample. Seventeen young adults is typical for MRI training studies, but it limits how far the results generalize. The abstract does not describe participants' prior training status. Lifters with years of glute training may see smaller or different regional responses.
- Narrow exercise selection. Both movements were unilateral cable exercises. The study did not test squats, hip thrusts, Romanian deadlifts, or machine abduction. Those exercises load the hip through different ranges of motion and resistance profiles, so the regional patterns may not carry over directly.
- Short duration and modest volume. Ten weeks at roughly 10 weekly sets is a reasonable dose, but it is one block of training. Whether regional differences grow, narrow, or level off over a year of training is unknown. Also, the gluteus medius and minimus were measured together, so the study cannot separate them.
What This Means for Your Training
The main takeaway is not that one exercise is better. Hip extension and hip abduction are complementary tools that each emphasize a different region. A glute program built only on extension-pattern lifts likely leaves the upper glute max and lateral glutes undertrained. The reverse is also true.
Here is a practical way to apply the findings.
- Keep hip extension as the base. It produced the most total GMax growth and the largest strength gains in its own pattern. Hip thrusts, cable kickbacks, back extensions, and Romanian deadlifts all belong in this category, though only the cable version was tested here.
- Add a dedicated abduction movement. Cable abduction, machine abduction, or banded variations target the upper GMax and glute medius/minimus in a way extension work did not in this study.
- Split your weekly glute volume. The study used about 10 sets per week per exercise. If you train glutes directly, a reasonable starting split is around 6 sets of hip extension work and 4 sets of abduction work per week, spread across 2 sessions. Adjust from there based on recovery and response.
- Use the 8–12RM range for the isolation work. Research consistently suggests hypertrophy is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. Moderate reps are still practical for cable and machine movements, where very heavy loads become awkward.
- Progress each pattern separately. Strength gains were strongly exercise-specific (40% vs. 23%, 35% vs. 17%). Track load and reps for each movement independently instead of assuming progress in one carries over to the other.
- Run the block for at least 8–10 weeks before judging it. Regional hypertrophy builds slowly. Consistency across a full block tells you more than any single session.
If you already use hip thrusts and feel your upper glutes lag behind, this study offers a plausible explanation and a simple fix. Add two to four weekly sets of abduction.
How This Fits Into Your Training Log
Because strength gains here were tied closely to each exercise, Kenso's rule-based progression engine treats hip extension and abduction as separate lifts with their own load targets. Add cable abduction as its own tracked lift in Kenso so its progression doesn't get buried under your thrust numbers.
The Bigger Picture
This paper adds to a growing view that muscles are not uniform units. Different regions can respond differently depending on how they are loaded. For lifters, this changes the question from "what is the best glute exercise?" to "which glute regions does my current program cover?"
You can answer that question with your own data. If your training log shows months of hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts with no abduction work, you now have a concrete, evidence-based reason to adjust. Kenso's AI Coach can review your logged training history and show how your glute volume splits across movement patterns.
Conclusion
The study by Attarieh and colleagues gives MRI-based evidence that exercise selection affects where the glutes grow, not only how much. Hip extension produced more total gluteus maximus hypertrophy, concentrated in the lower region. Hip abduction favored the upper region and reached the gluteus medius and minimus.
The sample was small and the exercises were limited to cable variations, so the exact percentages should not be treated as fixed rules. The direction of the findings is still clear and easy to act on. Train both patterns, progress each one separately, and give the program enough time to work. Kenso helps you do that, with each lift logged, each progression tracked, and your program built with intention.
FAQ
Is hip extension or hip abduction better for glute hypertrophy?
In this study, hip extension produced more total gluteus maximus growth (about 9% vs. 5%). Hip abduction produced more growth in the upper gluteus maximus and a small increase in the gluteus medius and minimus. For complete glute development, the evidence supports doing both rather than choosing one.
Which exercises target the upper glutes?
In this study, cable hip abduction produced 10% growth in the proximal (upper) gluteus maximus, compared with 5% from hip extension. Abduction-pattern exercises such as cable, machine, or banded abduction are a reasonable choice if upper glute development is your goal.
How many sets per week should I do for glute hypertrophy?
Participants in this study grew with about 10 sets per week per exercise, split over 2 sessions at 8–12RM. That is a sensible starting point. Many lifters split it roughly 60/40 between hip extension and abduction work, then adjust based on recovery and progress.
Do hip thrusts work the gluteus medius?
This study tested cable hip extension, not hip thrusts. In that extension movement, gluteus medius plus minimus growth was small (about 2%) and not statistically significant. If you want to develop the lateral glutes, adding direct abduction work is the better-supported approach.
How long does it take to see regional glute growth?
The study measured meaningful regional changes after 10 weeks of training twice per week. Results will vary with training history, nutrition, and recovery. Running a full 8–10 week block with consistent progression is a reasonable minimum before judging an approach.
Citation
Attarieh P, Nunes JP, Khani S, Moniri A, Goli A, Negahdar S, Mohammadinia F, Fallah MH, Shahrbanian S. Regional hypertrophy of the gluteal muscles is task-specific: Differential responses to 10 weeks of hip extension versus hip abduction training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2026. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005701. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42842490/