Generating hypotheses is a fundamental aspect of scientific discovery. I encourage all of you to formulate your own hypotheses based on the analysis of the biomechanics of the exercises and exploring the available literature.

The study of "Lee Hamilton" will be very important in the environment of strength conditioning. Or my predictions will plummet and the hip thrust will be catapulted to the top of the list of best glute exercises and most functional exercises, or critics' predictions will remain valid and hip thrusts will not lead to no improvement and may be thrown to the path.

It is quite clear to me that critics have a poor knowledge of sports science and biomechanical instincts, but that is why research is so important. Instead of calling other names, collecting attractive anecdotes, generating conspiracy theories, finding false experts to make extravagant claims, changing the positions of the sayings and demanding impossible proofs, or distorting the logic to mold preexisting prejudices, we can carry out tests Randomized controlled and see what data reveal, then to update our knowledge base and form new theories.

We will move forward conducting a large training study (longitudinal studies / training are rare in strength training because they require much more time and effort than transversal / mechanical studies) that will provide a lot of clarity as to how good the training is. Three most popular exercises of the lower body (squat, deadlift, and hip thrusts) compare them to each other regarding their transfer to performance and the ability to grow the glutes. When I say "we," I mean Lee Hamilton and his team of researchers, since they will be directing the study. But my team (attentively, Chris Beardsley, Andrew Vigotsky, Brad Schoenfeld, and John Cronin) will give the information and consolidate the support. This posting will seem intimidating to many individuals who do not have better contact with the terminology of sports science, but I will try to do it in a good way at the end, in the conclusion section.

In order to measure all the variables of interest pre- and post-intervention (before and after the six weeks of training), Hamilton and colleagues will be using this technology and will collect this data:

• Electromyography (EMG): The average EMG amplitude of the gluteus maximus and the peak EMG amplitude of the gluteus may (between the squat, hip thrust, and deadlift).
• Tensiomyography (TMG): Time of contraction, relaxation time, and muscle shift of the gluteus maximus.
• Force Platform: The maximum isometric strength of the mid thigh pull, the maximum force of horizontal thrust, force, RFD, momentum, power, and work (between the squat, hip thrust, and deadlift).
• Linear position transducers: Weight bar displacement and speed (between squat, hip push, and deadlift)
• Isokinetic dynamometry: The isometric hip extension torque at 90º, 45º, and 0º degrees, isokinetic hip extension torque at 60º / sec, 180º / sec, and 360º / sec.
• Ultrasound: Thickness of the muscle, angle of pennation, length of the fascicle.
• Timing lights: 10 m sprint, 40-yard sprint, 5-10-5 agility test.
• Guns to measure speed: Maximum sprint speed.
• Measurements with Measuring tapes: Vertical jump height, horizontal jump distance, rotary medicine-ball throwing distance.
• Goniometry: Angular displacement of the hip and knee joint (between the squat, hip push, and deadlift)
• Video-capture: Joint displacement of the hip and knee joint, angles of the segments.
• 1RM tests: Maximum of the squat, maximum of the hip push, maximum of the dead weight.

We are going to get a lot of valuable data that will require an amount of time to analyze everything properly.

Essentially, we will take inexperienced lifter subjects and expose them to 6 weeks of training, 3 times per week. One group only of full squat, one group of only hip push, and another group of conventional deadlift only. The volume will be matched and the overload will be periodized and progressive.

Below, I will announce my predictions based on my current knowledge of previous research, background of the model, and strength training and sport science. I encourage you to make predictions so that when the study is finally published later, you can check to see how your biomechanical instincts are.

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

Concentric force

1. Hip pushes

2. Deadweight

3. Squats

1. Squats
2. Deadweight
3. Hip pushes

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

Displacement of the bar

1. Squats
2. Deadweight
3. Hip pushes

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

Ultrasound

Changes in the thickness of the gluteus maximus muscle

1. Hip pushes
2. Squats
3. Deadweight

1. Hip pushes
2. Squats
3. Deadweight

1. Squats
2. Deadweight
3. Hip pushes

Force platform

Improvements in the isometric strength of the middle thigh pull

1. Deadweight
2. Hip pushes
3. Squats

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

Improvements in maximum speed

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

10-meter sprint improvements

1. Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

1. Squats
2. Hip pushes
3. Deadweight

Vertical jump improvements

1. Deadweight
2. Squats
3. Hip pushes

1. Deadweight
2. Hip pushes
3. Squats

1. Deadweight
2. Hip pushes
3. Squats

Improvements in isometric 90º hip extension

1. Deadweight
2. Squats
3. Hip pushes

1.  Hip pushes
2. Deadweight
3. Squats

Improvements in the strength of squats

1. Squats
2. Hip pushes
3. Deadweight

1. Hip pushes
2. Squats
3. Deadweight

1. Deadweight
2. Hip pushes
3. Squats

I'm pretty sure I could be wrong in many predictions, but that's what makes the research entertaining - learning via hypothesis testing.

Let me be the first to say that performing squats and deadlifts is actually more "hard" than performing hip thrusts. You can check my Instagram and see that I do heavy squats and deadlifts and hip pushes week after week, and squats and deadlifts require more psychological effort and lead to greater total muscle activation than hip pushes . However, getting better at sports requires the preferential strengthening of some muscles and ranges of movement (ROM) over others. Hip thrusts do not strengthen the thighs like the quadriceps or the thoracic / hamstring erectors like the deadlift, nor do they work well in the deep down position in the stretch position, but nevertheless they will transfer very well to performance. The hip extension force through a full ROM is superior in sports, and the hip push is superior for the end-range strength of the hip extension. This is incredibly important and underappreciated in the strength training environment.

I was pretty sure with certain predictions, especially predictions of strength due to specificity. But I fully assumed in the other predictions, for example, the rotatory power (I could make a better case for all three exercises), middle thigh pull (this would be reduced to dead weight vs. IMO hip pushes), and the horizontal jump (this would be reduced to the dead weight vs the hip pushes IMO).

I have chosen the hip thrusts to bring the gluteus maximus to the maximum levels of the greatest amplitude of the average and maximum EMG and the concentric force, speed, and power, as well as the maximum changes or improvements in the muscular thickness of the gluteus maximus. and orientation of the pennation, horizontal thrust force, sprint of 10m and 40 yards, maximum speed, isometric hip extension force at a neutral angle (0 degree) of the hip, and maximum pushing force Hip.

I have chosen the squats to carry the maximum levels of eccentric force and displacement of the weight bar, as well as the maximum changes or improvements in the length of the fascicle of the gluteus maximus, agility test 5-10-5, and strength maximum squat.

I have chosen the deadlift to bring the maximum improvements in the strength of the mid-thigh pull, the vertical and horizontal jump, the rotating force with medicine-ball throw, the isometric hip extension force at a flexion angle ( 90 degrees) of the hip, and the maximum force of the deadlift.

I believe that hip thrusts will require maximum amounts of electrical power to the gluteus maximus (due to the interaction between the nature of the single activation of the EMG angular curve inherent to the gluteus maximus [see Worrell et al.] And the unique nature of the curve of the angle of torque inherent in the exercise of the hip push)

Due mainly to the activation of a superior EMG in addition to the stress and metabolic stress that they produce, I believe that the hip pushes will lead to greater gains in hypertrophy. Since the hip thrust is harder at the top of the movement that is when the buttocks shorten, they probably will not lead to any change in the length of the muscle (the fascicle), but the pennation orientation could increase slightly.

I believe that due to the mechanical efficiency of the hip push exercise, during the rise phase (concentric), it causes higher outputs of force (mass by acceleration), speed, and power (force by speed). However, since individuals tend to allow gravity to simply do its job during the lower (eccentric) phase, the hip thrust causes lower eccentric productions in the force. I believe that the hip push would also involve the shortest range of movement outside of the three exercises.

I believe that because of the horizontal vector and the angular torque curve inherent in the hip push, in addition to superior gluteal activity and moderate hamstring activity, they will be better transferred to the sprint and horizontal thrust force, and they will improve the production of torque much more at a neutral hip extension angle (strength of the end of the range of the hip extension). Obviously they will maximize the strength of the hip push due to the law of specificity, but they will also transfer better to squats than to deadlifts and better to deadlifts than squats.

Due to the interaction between the nature of the single EMG activation of the angular curve inherent to the gluteus maximus [see Worrell et al.] And the unique nature of the angular curve of the torque inherent in the squat exercise, I believe that the squat will produce lower gluteus maximal EMG amplitudes. However, due to the muscle damage they produce in addition to the moderate activation and tension, they would still produce better gains in gluteus maximus hypertrophy (not as much as hip thrusts). And since the squats are harder at the bottom in a stretched position (flexed range of hip extension), they will 'lengthen' the muscle fibers slightly (longer fascicle length).

Since the squats require an inversion of the eccentric phase to the concentric phase in the air (the hip pushes and the dead weight can almost fall to the ground), they will lead to higher levels of the eccentric force (mass by acceleration during the descent phase). The squats would use a maximum range of movement in terms of weight bar displacement of all three exercises.

Due to the demands of knee extension and the heavy eccentric / downhill component inherent in the squat, I believe that they will transfer better to agility. Due to the specificity, the squats will transfer better to the squat strength.

Due to the specificity of movement between the dead weight and the vertical jumps, I believe that the dead weight will maximize the capacity of the vertical jump. However, although the deadlift is naturally axial, I believe that it would overcome the hip thrusts slightly in the horizontal jump, due to the superior activation of the hamstrings inherent in the deadlift. Although deadlift activates the hamstrings better than hip thrusts, I contend that hip thrusts would still be much more effective in improving speed due to greater demands at the end of the range of hip extension.

I chose the dead weight to transfer better due to the isometric strength of the mid thigh pull due to the similarity in the movement pattern, but the hip pushes would strengthen this test much better due to the similarity in the joint angle of the extension of hip and torques. I also chose the deadlift to transfer better to the rotating power (rotary release with medicine-ball) since it uses very well the buttocks and the erectors and they seem to involve a greater activity of the total 'core', but I can see the pushes of hip and squats that lead to superior improvements.

Dead weight will transfer better to dead weight according to the law of specificity, and will also improve the isometric hip extension torque to 90 degrees (flexed range of hip extension force) to a maximum degree.

Most importantly, I predict that all three exercises are needed to help maximize performance in athletes.