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Gluteus maximus
The largest muscle in the body by mass, and the engine behind standing up, climbing and sprinting.
Latin name: Musculus gluteus maximus. In plain English, the main buttock muscle. It is filed here under hip and buttock.
Reference information, not a diagnosis. Where a symptom is described below, it is there so you can describe your own more precisely to a clinician — not so you can name what you have.
Where it is
Gluteus maximus is the thick, coarse-fibred muscle that gives the buttock its shape, running diagonally downward and outward from the back of the pelvis and sacrum to the outside of the upper thigh. Most of its fibres do not attach to bone at all; they end in the iliotibial tract, the thick band of fascia running down the outside of the thigh to the tibia. Only the deeper part attaches directly to the femur.
Its origin includes the sacrotuberous ligament and the thoracolumbar fascia, which links it mechanically to the opposite latissimus dorsi across the back — the arrangement that transfers force diagonally during walking and running.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Posterior gluteal line of the ilium and the bone behind it, the posterior surface of the lower sacrum and coccyx, the sacrotuberous ligament and the thoracolumbar fascia |
| Insertion | Mostly into the iliotibial tract; the deeper fibres into the gluteal tuberosity of the femur |
| Nerve | Inferior gluteal nerve (L5-S2) |
| Main actions | Extension of the hip, particularly from a flexed position; external rotation; the upper fibres assist abduction |
What it does
Standing upright from a chair, climbing stairs, running uphill, sprinting and getting out of a deep squat are all hip extension from a flexed position, and that is where this muscle is strongest. In quiet walking on level ground it is relatively inactive; the effort has to be significant before it contributes much, which is a useful thing to know about why easy walking builds it slowly.
It also externally rotates the hip and, through the iliotibial tract, helps stabilise the extended knee. In humans it is dramatically larger than in other primates, and the leading explanation is endurance running: it decelerates the trunk at each foot strike and keeps you from pitching forward.
Exercises that load it
| Exercise | Category | Muscles the exercise library lists |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | Strength | Quads, glutes, core, back |
| Bodyweight squats | Strength | Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core |
| Deadlift | Strength | Hamstrings, glutes, back, grip |
| Glute bridge | Strength | Glutes, hamstrings, core |
| Lunges | Strength | Quads, glutes, hamstrings, balance |
| Stair climbing | Cardio | Quads, glutes, calves, heart |
| Kettlebell swing | Conditioning | Glutes, hamstrings, back, core |
Hip-dominant movements load it best: deadlifts, hip thrusts and bridges, kettlebell swings, and squats taken deep enough that the hip has real range to extend from. Stairs and hill walking load it in the pattern it is built for. The practical rule is that the deeper the hip flexion at the start, the more the glutes contribute, which is why quarter squats train the quadriceps and full squats train the hips.
How it is lengthened
A figure-four stretch, sitting or lying, with the ankle on the opposite knee and the thigh drawn toward the chest, lengthens gluteus maximus along with the deeper rotators. A deep squat held with the heels down does something similar under load. As with most large muscles, strength through range beats passive stretching for how the hip actually feels.
When it goes wrong
| Problem | What it typically feels like | Usual setting |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteal tendinopathy | Pain over the outer hip bone, worse lying on that side at night or crossing the legs | More often the gluteus medius and minimus tendons than maximus; common in women over forty |
| Hamstring origin tendinopathy | A deep ache right on the sitting bone, worse with prolonged sitting and on stretching | Running, especially uphill or with a lot of speed work |
| Gluteal amnesia claim | A muscle that is said to have "switched off" after long sitting | A popular idea rather than an established diagnosis; weakness is real, but the muscle does not forget how to work |
Buttock pain with numbness or weakness in the leg, or with any change in bladder or bowel function, is not a muscle problem and needs urgent assessment.
Nothing on this page is a treatment plan. If a problem is limiting what you do, is not improving, or is getting worse, the right next step is an assessment by a doctor or a physiotherapist who can examine you.
Sources: descriptive anatomy from Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, 20th US edition (1918), which is in the public domain; Latin names follow Terminologia Anatomica, published by the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology. Nerve root levels are the conventional ranges taught from those sources and vary between individuals and between textbooks. Exercise cross-links use the TempoLife exercise library. Checked 2026-09-06.
Frequently asked questions
Is gluteus maximus really the biggest muscle in the body?
By mass, yes, in most people. It is also unusually large in humans compared with other primates, which is generally attributed to the demands of running and of holding the trunk upright.
Do squats or hip thrusts build the glutes better?
They load the muscle differently: squats put it under load in a deep, lengthened position, while hip thrusts load it hardest at full extension. Both work, and most programmes end up using both.
Does walking work the glutes?
Level walking involves them surprisingly little. Hills, stairs and faster walking increase the demand substantially.
Nearby in this reference
Iliopsoas
The deep hip flexor that runs from the lower spine to the thigh
Gluteus medius
The side-hip muscle that keeps the pelvis level
Piriformis
The deep rotator behind the hip, next to the sciatic nerve
Tensor fasciae latae
The small front-of-hip muscle that tightens the IT band
Hip adductors
The inner thigh muscles
Deltoid
The cap of the shoulder
All 34 body parts · Exercise library · Body map
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