Back Squat vs. Hip Thrust Resistance-training Programs in Well-trained Women

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Muscle strength and hypertrophy are key goals for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
• Comparing compound exercises like back squats and hip thrusts is crucial for optimizing training programs.
• Understanding the specific adaptations to different resistance exercises informs exercise selection for targeted muscle development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of 12-week back squat (BS) versus hip thrust (HT) training on muscle strength and hypertrophy in well-trained women.
• To determine which exercise, BS or HT, is more effective for enhancing quadriceps femoris and gluteus maximus muscle thickness and 1-repetition maximum (1RM).

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two trained women were divided into two groups: one performing BS and the other performing HT exercises for 12 weeks.
• Muscle thickness (MT) of the quadriceps femoris and gluteus maximus was measured before and after the training period.
• One-repetition maximum (1RM) tests for both BS and HT were conducted pre- and post-training.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant increases in hip extensor muscle thickness and HT 1RM.
• The BS group exhibited significantly greater increases in quadriceps femoris MT (12.2% vs. 2%) and gluteus maximus MT (9.4% vs. 3.7%) compared to the HT group.
• The BS group also achieved substantially higher improvements in BS 1RM (35.9% vs. 4.3%) than the HT group in HT 1RM.

Conclusions:

• Back squats are more efficient than hip thrusts for promoting muscle hypertrophy in the quadriceps femoris and gluteus maximus in trained women.
• Back squats lead to greater strength gains in the back squat 1RM compared to hip thrusts' effect on hip thrust 1RM.
• While both exercises enhance hip extensor strength, BS offers superior overall muscle development and strength adaptation in the studied population.