anatomy/glutes·Muscle
Gluteus maximus
Musculus gluteus maximus
The largest muscle in the body. It extends the hip when standing up, climbing stairs and sprinting.
// Structure & location
The gluteus maximus is thick and powerful and shapes the buttocks. It arises from the back of the pelvis, the sacrum and the coccyx and runs diagonally down and out. Part of it inserts on the femur; a large part blends into the IT band on the outside of the thigh. Underneath lie the gluteus medius and minimus.
// Function
It extends the hip, moving the thigh backwards, according to OpenStax like getting ready to kick a ball. It also rotates the leg outwards. In normal walking it is not very active, but all the more so when climbing stairs, standing up, jumping and sprinting.
// For training & sport
- Hip thrusts and glute bridges train it in the shortened position with the hip extended.
- Deep squats, lunges and deadlifts challenge it in the stretched position.
- The gluteus medius keeps the pelvis level when standing on one leg. Train it with side-lying leg raises and single-leg exercises.
// Good to know
A weak gluteus medius shows up in single-leg stance: if the pelvis drops on the side of the raised leg, this is called the Trendelenburg sign.
// Sources
last reviewed: 2026-11-14
// More from the atlas: Muscles
Pectoralis majorDeltoidBicepsTricepsForearm musclesRectus abdominisObliquesSerratus anteriorHip flexorsQuadricepsAdductorsTibialis anteriorTrapeziusLatissimus dorsiErector spinaeHamstringsCalves