2947: How to Build Glutes | Hip Thrust vs Squats What Bret Contreras Says Actually Works

September 17, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Bret Contreras, the researcher and trainer known as "the glute guy," returns to Mind Pump for a conversation that cuts through the noise of glute-building hype. He opens with a blunt reality check: not everyone can build a "nice butt." Contreras estimates that 60% of glute development comes down to genetics—skeletal structure, muscle insertion points, intramuscular fat content, and how your body stores fat. "I swear glutes didn't grow a centimeter," he says of one client referred by the late John Meadows, despite trying everything. The round, perky look people want is heavily influenced by factors like sacral slope and the distance between the femur and sacrum, things no amount of training can fully override.

The Quad Dominance Problem and Mind-Muscle Connection

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What you'll learn

1 (04:01) **The Genetic Ceiling on Glute Growth** - Bret explains why not everyone can build a "nice butt," breaking down the 60% genetic factor.
2 (12:21) **Why Quads Take Over: The Quad-Dominance Problem** - Bret discusses the common issue of quad-dominant clients struggling to grow their glutes.
3 (16:14) **The Glute-to-Thigh Ratio: When Big Legs Hurt Your Butt** - Bret explains why training hamstrings and quads can actually make glutes look smaller.
4 (23:30) **The Underutilized Power of Isometrics** - Bret highlights isometrics as an underutilized training tool for strength and safety.
5 (27:27) **The "Glute Lab" Culture: Environment and PRs** - Bret describes the competitive, PR-focused culture at his Glute Lab gyms.
6 (33:01) **Strength is the Best Correlate for Size** - Bret argues that getting stronger is the most direct path to building muscle, despite past debates.
7 (35:21) **The Danger of Worshiping Only a Few Lifts** - Bret shares a hard-learned lesson about injury from focusing too much on just a few "big" lifts.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

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Bret Contreras — the man who invented the barbell hip thrust — joins the guys to talk glute building, training longevity and why genetics matter more than most trainers will admit. They also get into his rotating periodization system, the new research on upper vs. lower glute targeting, and why hip thrust beats squats for most people. Plus Bret opens up about being single at 50 and what therapy taught him about relationships.

SPONSORS

Legion (supplements): https://buylegion.com/mindpump

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GUEST LINKS

Bret Contreras: https://www.instagram.com/bretcontreras1

Booty by Bret: https://www.instagram.com/bootybybretofficial

LINKS

Mind Pump Store: https://mindpumpstore.com

Maps Fitness Products: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com

Instagram: @mindpumpmedia

0:00 - Intro

2:05 - Can anyone build a great butt? Bret explains why genetics determine 60% of the outcome

8:03 - Sacral slope, intramuscular fat, insertion points and fat distribution — the real variables

10:14 - Why quad dominant people cannot feel squats in their glutes — and the isometric fix

13:47 - New research: isometric training at stretch produces the same hypertrophy as leg extensions

21:57 - How Bret applies isometric work with clients and why eccentrics don't fatigue the same way

31:31 - How important is getting stronger? The research on strength and hypertrophy has finally caught up

34:11 - Why Bret's San Diego squad got more injured than his Fort Lauderdale squad — and the lesson

39:37 - Training around pain instead of through it — the real key to longevity in the gym

48:56 - Squats vs. hip thrust — why hip thrust wins on frequency, not on muscle activation

53:17 - Bret's rotating periodization system — switching the focus lift every four weeks

58:37 - New research: you can target upper vs. lower glute max through movement selection

1:01:00 - The permanent glute specialization template — 36 sets per week for glutes in 3 days

1:18:33 - Dating as a trainer surrounded by bikini models — Bret opens up about being single at 50

1:27:02 - Therapy, Gottman, Arthur Brooks and why Bret thinks purpose is the rea