Glute training has become a priority in contemporary fitness routines. Motivation is twofold: on the one hand, we are increasingly aware of the functional importance of this muscle group, which can help to prevent discomfort, pain and back injuries, as well as help us to correct our posture.
On the other hand lies the pursuit of the perfect buttock, for those who work on glute hypertrophy with the aim of fitting in with today’s aesthetic standards. In any case, achieving this muscular development requires a strategy and a careful selection of exercises to ensure the training is effective.
In this sense, trainer María Casas warns in a video on social media that not all squat types will achieve the goal of fuller, toned glutes. “If you want a perfect butt, the sumo squat is a complete load of rubbish,” she states, noting that if the primary aim is glute hypertrophy, this type of squat with a wide stance “is not your best option”.
Instead, the trainer proposes the goblet squat as “a much more potent alternative for working your glutes”, provided it is performed with proper depth.
Why the goblet squat is better
The main drawback the expert highlights with the sumo squat concerns its mechanics, which limit the ability of the gluteus maximus to act as the primary driver of the movement. Indeed, the sumo squat is, in effect, “a squat that focuses on the quadriceps and adductors“.
A squat with limitations
According to the expert, performing the sumo squat places the body in a position that hinders an effective activation of the glute. In fact, Casas explains that by opening the legs too wide and externally rotating the hip, “the gluteus maximus loses much of its mechanical tension”. This is because “opening the legs so wide limits hip flexion”.
As a result, “the adductors, especially the adductor magnus, take on a large part of the hip extension work”.
Additionally, the range of motion tends to be smaller in the sumo squat, meaning “an effective stretch of the glute is not achieved”, resulting in “little direct stimulus to the gluteus maximus, with more work for the adductors and quadriceps”.
Advantages of the goblet squat
By contrast, the goblet squat maximises the work on the gluteus maximus by allowing greater depth and control. The narrower position enables the hip to flex more and the gluteus maximus to sit in maximum stretch, according to the coach.
Moreover, this squat has additional technical advantages for achieving that depth. The load, whether a dumbbell or a kettlebell held “in the chest,” helps to keep the torso upright and to descend with depth without sacrificing technique. This deep execution ensures that active tension on the glute is maximised throughout the range, particularly in the eccentric phase and the ascent from the bottom.
Ankle preparation
To ensure we reach the depth necessary for a good result, Casas recommends “working on your ankle mobility”. By improving that mobility, you gain “greater hip flexion that will allow maximising the recruitment of our gluteus maximus“. The combination of these factors results in a “very high efficiency for glute hypertrophy, as well as being accessible and safe”.
In summary, the expert notes that, although the sumo squat “is not a bad exercise,” its biomechanics mean it recruits more the adductors than the glute. Therefore, if the main aim is to develop the glutes, “the goblet squat is far superior: greater range, better stretch and more mechanical tension where the glute truly grows
