Do back squats build glutes / make your glutes sore?

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Appalachia7
Appalachia7 Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am trying to build up my glute muscles, but when I do back squats, my glutes are never really sore afterwards. I have done back squats before under the supervision of experienced trainers so I am pretty sure my form is correct. I own Bret Contreras and Kellie Davis's Strong Curves and Mike Matthew's Thinner Leaner Stronger and both are big advocates of back squats for the glutes. Are they actually working my glutes even though I don't get sore there?? Thanks for any input anyone can provide.

Replies

  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    Are you going deep enough, Pushing with your heels and really squeezing your glutes as you push up? Many people don't understand the importance of mind muscle connection when it comes to building muscle. Id suggest lowering the weight a bit to help build that connection and aim for 8-14 reps a set to recruit more muscle fibres. I personally feel squats in my quads more than anything, so I recently switched to box squats since they put a greater emphasis on your glutes and hamstrings
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
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    Back squats definitely do help to build glutes, however, in my opinion there are far more effective glute exercises. Weighted lunges, weighted step ups and glute bridges are some for example. I squat four times a week and almost never have sore glutes. Throw some heavy weighted BB lunges in there and my glutes cry for mercy. :D
  • mochachichi
    mochachichi Posts: 74 Member
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    Those are great exercises already mentioned but don't forget you have 3 glute muscles that make up the behind. Any hip abduction exercises (like lateral tube walking) while keeping your leg internally rotated will work the glute medius and minimus...may as well hit all 3 muscles
  • illyich
    illyich Posts: 195 Member
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    Squats are a compound movement that hit quads, hamstrings, glutes, and depending on the variation, abs, obliques, and some other stuff around the arms. They're ridiculous. I would say that just because they aren't sore doesn't mean they aren't getting worked, but go with Jessef593's suggestions above. If you want to be extra sure, add in some more compound movements that work it more, like hyperextensions, lunges, weighted step ups.
  • AlisonH729
    AlisonH729 Posts: 558 Member
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    I train lower body usually twice a week and don't typically get sore. But I took a week off and went heavy last night and I'm sore today. I squat & do weighted lunges & hip thrusts among other things.

    When you are working out, are you working? Or just going through the motions? As long as I am putting in work, and consistently making progress I take that into bigger consideration than whether or not I am sore.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I am going to concur with you. I generally find that my quads get sore after squatting more than my glutes do. But, if I try to run the next day, I can definitely tell that they have been worked. I am going to guess it may just have something to do with that specific muscle itself. It's big. It gets worked a lot day to day. Maybe it is just more accustomed to being challenged.
    Do you deadlift too?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    soreness does not equal muscle gains...

    squats and deadlifts are great work outs for your lower body and glutes...

  • Appalachia7
    Appalachia7 Posts: 28 Member
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    Thanks everyone for all the input!! It has made me feel better that they are helping. Squatting heavy makes me about equally lightly sore over pretty much my whole body. I am definitely working (not going through the motions) when I squat and I am definitely going deep enough (a little below parallel for sure, but I don't have great flexibility). I do deadlift also. I feel like the weighted walking lunges are what gets my glutes most sore. And I am still a bit embarrassed to do hip thrusts in the gym (I'm 45) so I only do them if there are relatively few people in the gym as the same time as me.
  • Appalachia7
    Appalachia7 Posts: 28 Member
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    Oh, and I think maybe I do need to lighten my weight a bit and focus on the glute squeeze more, as this past time I did 3 sets of 100 lbs, 4 reps (that is heavy for me :-), and ended up with a bit of a sore neck from bad form.
  • antennachick
    antennachick Posts: 464 Member
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    Lunges are awesome for building glutes. I dis heavy reverse lunges at 85lbs with cleans and wow I could feel my butt the next day lol.
    Also went walking 400 meter lunges every few weeks...insane but works
    If you go lower then paraell squeeze your butt comming up you will benefit more in the butt as well in your squats
  • parkerpowerlift
    parkerpowerlift Posts: 196 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    soreness does not equal muscle gains...

    squats and deadlifts are great work outs for your lower body and glutes...

    This above! Thank you! As a newer powerlifter (on my 2nd year of recreational lifting), I can also attest to this. Pain doesn't equal gains. Eventually, your body shouldn't suffer though DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) nearly as badly as you go on.

    OP, keep up the work!
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
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    Now that I've started doing exercises that more specifically target my glutes, like hip thrusts and cable kickbacks and single leg glute bridges, I can feel my glutes working more during back squats. Before that, not so much. When I'm targeting glutes specifically though, I do sumo squats. I do regular back squats on leg day.

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